| Unfinished Business | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | July 25, 1989 | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 57:09 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | EPMD | |||
| EPMD chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Unfinished Business | ||||
| ||||
Unfinished Business is the second album by hip hop duo EPMD. Released July 25, 1989, [1] the album built upon the success of the group's previous album Strictly Business, which was released the previous year. The lead single, " So Wat Cha Sayin'," was the only charting single released from the album. It was the second album from the group to hit No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
The album was certified Gold by the RIAA on October 16, 1989. It was one of three albums that Priority/EMI Records acquired from Sleeping Bag Records when it ceased operations in 1991.
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  
[2] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | 
[3] |
| RapReviews | 8.5/10 [5] |
| (The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide |
[4] |
| The Village Voice | B+ [6] |
Trouser Press wrote that "the rudimentary self-production of Unfinished Business is its most engaging asset: Sermon and his largely silent partner Parrish Smith (the band’s acronym stands for Erick and Parrish Making Dollars) sound like a couple of kids fooling around in mom’s basement, rapping about nothing, singing a line or two, making cut-in jokes with some favorite records and generally amusing themselves while the tape runs." [7]
In 1998, the album was selected as one of The Source's 100 Best Rap Albums [8] and, in 2005, was ranked No. 7 on comedian Chris Rock's Top 25 Hip-Hop Albums of all-time list for Rolling Stone.
Track listing
All songs produced by EPMD
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | " So Wat Cha Sayin'" | 4:57 |
| 2. | "Total Kaos" | 4:34 |
| 3. | "Get the Bozack" | 4:12 |
| 4. | "Jane II" | 3:33 |
| 5. | "Please Listen to My Demo" | 3:01 |
| 6. | "It's Time 2 Party" | 4:37 |
| 7. | "Who's Booty" | 4:18 |
| 8. | "The Big Payback" | 4:50 |
| 9. | "Strictly Snappin' Necks" | 4:29 |
| 10. | "Knick Knack Patty Wack (Feat. K-Solo)" | 4:56 |
| 11. | "You Had Too Much to Drink (Feat. Frank B.)" | 7:21 |
| 12. | "It Wasn't Me, It Was the Fame" | 6:20 |
| Total length: | 57:09 | |
Charts
| Chart (1989) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 | 53 |
| US Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums | 1 [9] |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States ( RIAA) [10] | Gold | 500,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
See also
References
-
^
"Sleeping Bag Records advertisement" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 101, no. 29. New York, NY, USA: Billboard Publications, Inc. 1989-07-22. p. 26.
ISSN
0006-2510. Archived from
the original (PDF) on 2021-01-21. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
Street date July 25
- ^ Henderson, Alex. "Unfinished Business: EPMD". AllMusic. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
- ^ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (July 10, 2004). (The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9780743201698 – via Google Books.
- ^ "EPMD :: Unfinished Business :: Fresh/Sleeping Bag Records". www.rapreviews.com.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (October 3, 1989). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice.
- ^ "EPMD". Trouser Press. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
- ^ "Rocklist.net...The Source 100 Best Rap Albums & Singles".
- ^ "EPMD". Billboard.
- ^ "American album certifications – EPMD – Unfinished Business". Recording Industry Association of America.
