the E to the P to the

I can turn the party out just by standin still
Make the ladies scream and shout while the brothers act ill
Take total control, of your body and soul
Pack a nine in my pants for when it's time to roll

You gots to chill - EPMD


Heard that EPMD was reuniting for a performance this fall at BB king in NYC. Erick & Parish Making Dollars (EPMD) they say have not performed together in 7 or 8 years. Wow, has it been that long?

I remember those Brentwood Long Island cats from Strictly Business back in 1988; "Jane Haircut like Anita Baker" and all that. One of the most influential hip hop groups in the past two decades up there with a Tribe Called Quest.

I remember cats using trademark EPMD terms like getting the Bozack and doing the Steve Martin. Ok well what can I say I'm old. lol

What an influential hip hop group though. Just look at the careers that EPMD have spawned. Das Efx, K-Solo, Redman, Stezo, Dj Scratch and on his own Erick Sermon brought the most beautifulliest MC Keith Murray to light. Hit Squad, Def Squad and all that. Strictly Business, Business as Usual, Business Never Personal, Unfinished Business. That word business in their album titles was a trademark. Those cats were all about the business.

And it was ironically business that broke them up in the first place. Beefs over money allegedly leading to home invasions and all that. Both parties took their acts on the road and went solo. Erick had way more success than Parish though producing crazy hits for many an artist as well as making a name for himself sampling Marvin Gaye for his (Erick's) hit song music.

They got back together and produced two albums in the late 90s but it just wasn't the same. The vibe couldn't be the same after all how can you be friends with a cat who had allegedly sent his boys into your spot to attack your friends and family. But this is EPMD so again it was a business decision. After all they did say its business never personal.

Anyway if you don't know about Erick and Parish go ask somebody. Here's a look at a couple of their hits. Headbanger wasn't really typical EPMD in my opinion but was more a product of the 1992 hardcore era still just on lyrical content especially the Redman verse this is a hellavu track.




You've got to chill with the Jungle Boogie sample combined with some Zapp was more indicative of early classic EPMD joints. Enjoy

Freestyle!

freestyle Fanatic probably the best around
as for corny mcs like Chuck D I shut em down

Scenario - Phife Dog


Was inspired to write about the art of freestyle by these wack mcs I saw on BET today. Challenger and Champion were both terrible but hey what do I know I haven't watched Freestyle Fridays since the days of Jin and this one cat from down south who won 5 weeks in a row.

So freestyling what is it? The art of going off the top of the dome, spitting that hot ish, creating a line on the spot so deliciously inventive that the crowd does a double take.

Yea its kind of hard, takes lots of practice and you just have to have the skillz to be able to think fast and spit faster.

Anyway I youtubed freestyle and came across a half decent Freestyle Friday battle between some cat called PL and another cat. First round PL dropped a line like "Those lines you should hold em in, before you win, Free will come out slap Julissa and host this show again" and the second round well just watch the video and see.




Pretty creative isn't it.

I mean yea a neatly constructed verse a la Rakim or Nas or some old otherworldly, crazy scientific George jetson type Can-i-bus type spitting is hot but watching and realizing that a cat just took what was in his surroundings, what he was witnessing, hearing, smelling or feeling around him and incorporated that into a line that made sense and fit into his rhymes there just aint nothing else in hip hop like that. NOTHING! And it doesn't matter if the cat is a big name artist with the bling or a lil grimy dude with 15 cents in his pocket. Its a gift and those who got it, got it, those who don't don't even try.

And yea plenty big name cats cant freestyle. Don't get it twisted. Just cause the rhyme isn't on their album yet doesn't mean its a freestyle.

And great freestylers do not necessarily translate into great records. Supernats output has been questionable and so has Jins but then a so it a go sometimes.

Anyway in the annuls of great freestylers certain names stand out; KRS-one, Craig G, Supernatural even this newbie Jin so here's a freestyle. Here is one of the great ones Supernat busting it down from the movie Freestyle