Business Never Personal
| Business Never Personal | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | July 28, 1992 | |||
| Recorded | 1991-1992 | |||
| Genre | Hardcore Hip hop, Golden age hip hop | |||
| Length | 38:58 | |||
| Label | Def Jam/Columbia CK-52848 | |||
| Producer | EPMD Charlie Marotta DJ Scratch Mr. Bozack | |||
| EPMD chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Business Never Personal | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   link |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+ link |
| Rolling Stone |  link |
| Rolling Stone Album Guide | [1] |
| Artistdirect | [1] |
| Robert Christgau |  [2] |
| The Source | link |
| Washington Post | (favorable) link |
Business Never Personal is the fourth studio album by hip hop duo EPMD, released July 28, 1992 on Def Jam Records.[2] Following mixed criticism of their previous studio effort, 1990's Business As Usual, the duo was able to return to their past acclaim on Business Never Personal. The album is considered the duo's third classic by fans and critics. The record was originally given a rating of 4.5 mics out of 5 in The Source in 1992.[3] The lead single, "Crossover", became its biggest success, nearly reaching the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was about keeping it real and not crossing over to the mainstream, but became EPMD's biggest mainstream success. The duo cut "Head Banger" with Redman and K-Solo was also a hit in 1992. The album was later certified Gold in sales by the RIAA on October 13, 1992.[4] The single "Crossover" was certified Gold on November 16, 1992. While it has yet to feature a U.S. reissue, Business Never Personal has been re-released in 2005 on vinyl in Europe.[5]
Members Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith began having money troubles during recording, which led to a 1992 robbery of Smith’s home. The perpetrators claimed that Erick Sermon paid them to do the deed, causing the group to break up soon after this release. They each released two solo albums between 1993 and 1996, then reunited as a duo in 1997.[6]
Track listing
| # | Title | Producer(s) | Performer (s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Boon Dox" | EPMD | EPMD | 2:48 |
| 2 | "Nobody's Safe Chump" | EPMD | EPMD | 2:12 |
| 3 | "Can't Hear Nothing But the Music" | EPMD, Charlie Marotta | EPMD | 3:37 |
| 4 | "Chill" | EPMD | EPMD | 2:57 |
| 5 | "Head Banger" | EPMD | EPMD, K-Solo, Redman | 4:52 |
| 6 | "Scratch Bring It Back, Pt. 2 [Mic Doc]" | DJ Scratch, Mr. Bozack | EPMD | 3:04 |
| 7 | "Crossover" | EPMD | EPMD | 3:49 |
| 8 | "Cummin' at Cha" | EPMD | EPMD, Das EFX | 4:03 |
| 9 | "Play the Next Man" | EPMD | EPMD | 3:36 |
| 10 | "It's Going Down" | EPMD | EPMD | 4:12 |
| 11 | "Who Killed Jane?" | EPMD | EPMD | 3:47 |
Samples
Boon Dox
- "I Can Feel It in My Bones" by Earth, Wind & Fire
- "The Assembly Line" by Commodores
- "Slow Down" by Brand Nubian
- "If It Don't Turn You on (You Oughta Leave It Alone)" by B.T. Express
- "The Payback" by James Brown
Nobody's Safe Chump
- "Nobody Wants You When You're Down and Out" by Bobby Womack
- "Wah Wah Man" by Young-Holt Unlimited
- "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five
- "The New Style" by Beastie Boys
Can't Hear Nothing But the Music
- "Give Me Your Love" by Barbara Mason
- "It's a New Day" by Skull Snaps
- "School Boy Crush" by Average White Band
- "Jungle Boogie" by Kool and the Gang
Chill
- "Street Thunder" by Foreigner
- "Atomic Dog" by George Clinton
- "UFO" by ESG
- "It's Funky Enough" by The D.O.C.
- "My Melody" by Eric B. & Rakim
Head Banger
- "Impeach the President" by The Honey Drippers
- "Papa Was Too" by Joe Tex
- "One of Those Funky Things" by Parliament
- "Slow Down" by Brand Nubian
- "Surprises" by The Last Poets
Scratch Bring It Back, Pt. 2 [Mic Doc]
- "Duck Down" by Boogie Down Productions
- "I Like It" by The Emotions
- "Scenario" by A Tribe Called Quest
- "Synthetic Substitution" by Melvin Bliss
- "UFO" by ESG
- "Rampage" and "I'm Mad" by EPMD
Crossover
- "You Should Be Mine" by Roger
- "Say What" by Idris Muhammad
- "Bring the Noise" by Public Enemy
Cummin' at Cha
- "Straight Outta Compton" by N.W.A
- "Smokin Cheeba-Cheeba" by Harlem Underground Band
- "How I Could Just Kill a Man" by Cypress Hill
- "25 ta Life" by D-Nice
- "Teddy's Jam" by Guy
- "They Want EFX" by Das EFX
- "Breath Control II" by Boogie Down Productions
- "Underground" by EPMD
- "Hot Pants" by James Brown
Play the Next Man
- "Sir Nose D'Voidoffunk [Pay Attention - B3M]" by Parliament
- "Raw" by Big Daddy Kane
- "Can't Truss It" by Public Enemy
- "Jingling Baby" by LL Cool J
It's Going Down
- "I Want You" by Marvin Gaye
- "Long Red" by Mountain
- "The Big Beat" by Billy Squier
Who Killed Jane?
- "Stone Junkie" by Curtis Mayfield
- "Mary Jane" by Rick James
- "Papa Was Too" by Joe Tex
Album Chart Positions
| Year | Album | Chart positions | ||
| Billboard 200 | Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums | |||
| 1992 | Business Never Personal | #14 | #5 | |
Singles Chart Positions
| Year | Song | Chart positions | |||
| Billboard Hot 100 | Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | Hot Rap Singles | Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales | ||
| 1992 | "Crossover" | #21 | #14 | #1 | #12 |
| 1992 | "Head Banger" | - | #75 | #11 | - |
References
- ^ https://books.google.com/books?id=lRgtYCC6OUwC&pg=PA322&dq=rolling+stone+gang+starr&cd=1&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=rakim&f=false. Page 281
- ^ allmusic ((( Business Never Personal > Overview ))). All Media Guide, LLC. Retrieved on 2008-08-10.
- ^ Big Greg Cee(August 1992) The Source Album Review. The Source.
- ^ RIAA Searchable Database - Search: Business Never Personal Archived 2008-09-02 at WebCite. Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved on 2008-08-10.
- ^ Discogs - Search: EPMD - Business Never Personal. Discogs. Retrieved on 2008-08-10.
- ^ EPMD | View the Music Artists Biography Online | VH1.com. MTV Networks. Retrieved on 2008-08-11.