Back in Business (EPMD album)

Back in Business
Studio album by
EPMD
ReleasedSeptember 16, 1997
Studio
  • Mirror Image (Long Island, NY)
  • Soundtrack Studios (New York, NY)
GenreHip hop
Length46:08
LabelDef Jam
Producer
EPMD chronology
Business Never Personal
(1992) 		Back in Business
(1997) 		Out of Business
(1999)
Singles from Back in Business
  1. "Da Joint"
    Released: September 1997
  2. "Richter Scale"
    Released: November 1997
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Chicago Tribune[2]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[3]
The Guardian[4]
The New Rolling Stone Album Guide[5]
RapReviews7/10[6]
Rolling Stone[7]

Back in Business is the fifth studio album by American hip hop duo EPMD. It was released on September 16, 1997,[8][9][10][11] through Def Jam Recordings.[12] The recording sessions took place at Mirror Image and Soundtrack Studios in New York. The album was produced by members Erick Sermon and PMD, as well as DJ Scratch, with Agallah and Rockwilder serving as co-producers. It features guest appearances from Das EFX, Keith Murray, Nocturnal, and Redman.

In the United States, the album peaked at number 16 on the Billboard 200 and number 4 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. It was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on November 17, 1997 for selling 500,000 copies. It also reached number 100 on the UK Albums Chart and number 14 on the UK Hip Hop and R&B Albums Chart.

The song "Never Seen Before" was released as a split single with Foxy Brown's "Big Bad Mamma" from Def Jam's How to Be a Player soundtrack. "Da Joint" made it to number 94 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became the duo's second most successful single (after "Crossover") in the album era. The final single off of the album, "Richter Scale", only reached number 62 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.

The album marks the reunion of the group after five year disbandment, when the pair had broken up due to financial issues.[5][13]

  1. ^ Stanley, Leo. "EPMD - Back in Business Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  2. ^ Baker, Soren (September 26, 1997). "EPMDBack In Business (Def Jam) (star) 1/2On..." Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  3. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 3. MUZE. p. 301.
  4. ^ McGuinness, Paul (October 17, 1997). "This Week's Pop CD Releases: EPMD – Back in Business". The Guardian. London. Retrieved June 18, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ a b Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (2004). (The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon and Schuster. pp. 281. ISBN 978-0-7432-0169-8.
  6. ^ Juon, Steve 'Flash' (July 30, 2019). "EPMD :: Back In Business – RapReviews". www.rapreviews.com. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  7. ^ Fernando, S. H. Jr. (October 2, 1997). "Recordings: EPMD – Back in Business". Rolling Stone. No. 770. pp. 54, 56.
  8. ^ Erwin, Jack (November 2009). "Long Player: XXL Presents Def Jam's Entire Rap Discography" (PDF). XXL. No. 119. Harris Publications. p. 72. ISSN 1093-0647.
  9. ^ Reece, Doug (August 23, 1997). "Rapped Up For Christmas". Billboard. p. 62. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  10. ^ Kaufman, Gil; Nelson, Chris (July 23, 1997). "R 'N' R Three Dot: Fugees Set Record Straight". MTV. Archived from the original on June 18, 2024. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  11. ^ Watkins, Grouchy Greg (June 16, 2008). "Black (Hip-Hop) Music Month Timeline III: '96 - '99". AllHipHop. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  12. ^ Nelson, Havelock (July 26, 1997). "EPMD Reopens For 'Business'". Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 30. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. pp. 21, 24. ISSN 0006-2510 – via Google Books.
  13. ^ Ducker, Jesse (September 19, 2022). "Rediscover EPMD's 'Back in Business' (1997) | Tribute". Albumism. Retrieved November 18, 2023.