Out of Business

Out of Business
Studio album by
EPMD
ReleasedJuly 20, 1999 (1999-07-20)
Recorded1998–1999
Studio
GenreHip hop
Length47:15
LabelDef Jam
Producer
EPMD chronology
Back in Business
(1997) 		Out of Business
(1999) 		We Mean Business
(2008)
Singles from Out of Business
  1. "Symphony 2000"
    Released: June 29, 1999
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Entertainment WeeklyA−[2]
NME3/10[3]
RapReviews3.5/10[4]
The New Rolling Stone Album Guide[5]

Out of Business is the sixth studio album by American hip hop duo EPMD.[6][7] The album was originally scheduled for a December 1998 release under Def Jam Recordings, but had been delayed numerous times as a result of a merger between Seagram's PolyGram (Def Jam's parent company) and Universal Music Group's MCA Records,[8][9] combining Def Jam and Island Records' operations together under the Island Def Jam Music Group. Ultimately, the album was released on July 20, 1999.[10] It is the first official Def Jam album released under the newly-formed Island Def Jam Music Group and the group's last album released under the label as they left the imprint a year later before going inactive for the second time.

Recording sessions took place at Mirror Image Studio East in Dix Hills, Mirror Image Recorders and Northshore Soundworks in New York and Ian London Studios in Long Island. Production was handled by members Erick Sermon and PMD, as well as DJ Scratch, with 8-Off Agallah serving as co-producer. It features guest appearances from 215, 8-Off Agallah, Busta Rhymes, Lady Luck, Method Man, M.O.P. and Redman. The album peaked at number 13 on the Billboard 200 and number 2 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums in the United States, with 73,000 units sold in its first week.[11] Its only single, "Symphony 2000", reached only No. 62 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, No. 28 on the Hot Rap Songs and No. 58 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay in the US.

The duo changed its initialism for the release from 'Erick & Parrish Making Dollars' to 'Erick & Parrish Millennium Ducats'.[12] A limited-edition issue of the album was released with a bonus greatest hits album.[10]

  1. ^ Bush, John. "EPMD - Out of Business Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
  2. ^ Diehl, Matt (July 23, 1999). "Out of Business". Entertainment Weekly. p. 68. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
  3. ^ Cigarettes, Johnny (July 29, 1999). "NME.COM - EPMD - Out Of Business". NME. Archived from the original on August 17, 2000. Retrieved October 28, 2023 – via Wayback Machine.
  4. ^ Juon, Steve 'Flash' (July 20, 1999). "EPMD :: Out of Business – RapReviews". www.rapreviews.com. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
  5. ^ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (2004). (The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon and Schuster. pp. 281. ISBN 978-0-7432-0169-8.
  6. ^ McIntosh, Daryl (July 17, 2019). "Revisiting EPMD's 'Out Of Business' (1999) | Retrospective Tribute". Albumism. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
  7. ^ Rabin, Nathan (March 29, 2002). "EPMD: Out Of Business". The A.V. Club. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
  8. ^ "Seagrams completes PolyGram acquisition - Dec. 10, 1998". money.cnn.com. Retrieved 2023-10-30.
  9. ^ "Special Report: PolyGram-Universal Merger Bad News For Artists?". MTV. Archived from the original on August 18, 2022. Retrieved 2023-10-30.
  10. ^ a b Oumano, Elena (July 24, 1999). "EPMD's Latest Gets Down To 'Business'". Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 30. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. pp. 35, 38. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved October 28, 2023 – via Google Books.
  11. ^ Skanse, Richard (July 28, 1999). "EPMD Scores Week's Highest Debut". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
  12. ^ Cowie, Del F. (September 1, 1999). "EPMD Out of Business | Exclaim!". Exclaim!. Retrieved October 28, 2023.