By Ismael AbduSalaam
The nine-year album drought of legendary group EPMD comes to a close in two weeks, as the duo will release their long-awaited 7th album We Mean Business.
The LP comes nearly 10 years after Out of Business (1999), then billed as the duo’s final studio album.
Despite that tagline, the album failed to connect with critics and fans, and to date is the only EPMD album not to go gold.
Cognizant that they’re in an era where profitable record sales are becoming scarce, member Parrish Smith detailed that unlike other old school groups EPMD has grasped the concept of not waiting on labels to create avenues for them.
“Now that we’re in a new era and the game is changed, we realize that it’s different from when we handed in a CD to our first label to being at Def Jam,” Smith explained. “Erick and I created our own vehicle to be able to drop this album. That’s how we came with the title We Mean Business, because we do.”
For the new album, the Brentwood, Long Island natives have enlisted a higher but complimentary list of guests in KRS-One, Raekwon, Havoc, Teddy Riley, Method Man, Devin the Dude, 9th Wonder, Keith Murray, and Redman.
Missing from the new album will be the trademark cutting of DJ Scratch.
Although a member of the group for 20 years, Scratch alleged in an exclusive June interview with AllHipHop.com that his departure was due to a financial/ethical dispute with Erick Sermon.
The first single for the project is the Raekwon assisted “Puttin’ Work In.”
For a limited time, those who pre-order through newburycomics.com will receive an autographed CD booklet.
Orders can be placed at http://www.newburycomics.com/rel/v2_home.php?storenr=103&deptnr=544.
On December 3, the group will host a listening party/art exhibit from 7PM-10PM at the Zune Gallery Space in Los Angeles.
An official album release concert and artwork auction commences on December 8 at the Santos Party House in New York City from 10PM-1AM.
We Mean Business hits stores December 9 via Def Squad/Universal Records.
