Unfinished Business (EPMD album)
{{Infobox album
| name = Unfinished Business
| type = Album
| artist = EPMD
| cover = Unfinishedbusiness.jpg
| alt =
| released = July 25, 1989
| recorded =
| studio =
- North Shore Soundworks
- Powerplay Studios
| genre = Hip hop
| length = 57:09
| label = {{hlist|Fresh|Sleeping Bag}}
| producer = EPMD
| prev_title = Strictly Business
| prev_year = 1988
| next_title = Business as Usual
| next_year = 1990
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Unfinished Business
| type = studio
| single1 = So Wat Cha Sayin'
| single1date = 1989
| single2 = The Big Payback
| single2date = 1989
| single3 = You Had Too Much to Drink
| single3date = 1989
}}
}}
Unfinished Business is the second album by hip hop duo EPMD. Released July 25, 1989,{{cite magazine |title=Sleeping Bag Records advertisement |magazine=Billboard |date=1989-07-22 |volume=101 |issue=29 |page=26 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1989/BB-1989-07-22.pdf |access-date=7 September 2023 |publisher=Billboard Publications, Inc. |location=New York, NY, USA |issn=0006-2510 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121195726/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1989/BB-1989-07-22.pdf |archive-date=2021-01-21 |quote=Street date July 25}} 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; the other two were EPMD's debut, Strictly Business, and Nice & Smooth’s self-titled album. The rest of the Fresh/Sleeping Bag Records catalog was acquired by Warlock Records.
Reception
{{Album ratings
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1Score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}{{cite web |last1=Henderson |first1=Alex |title=Unfinished Business: EPMD |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/unfinished-business-mw0000202930 |website=AllMusic |access-date=10 July 2020}}
| rev2 = The Encyclopedia of Popular Music
| rev2Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite book|title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music|last=Larkin|first=Colin|author-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=Omnibus Press|edition=5th concise|year=2011|isbn=978-0-85712-595-8|title-link=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music}}
| rev4 = (The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide
|rev3 = RapReviews
|rev3score = 8.5/10{{Cite web|url=https://www.rapreviews.com/archive/BTTL_unfinishedbiz.html|title=EPMD :: Unfinished Business :: Fresh/Sleeping Bag Records|website=www.rapreviews.com}}
| rev5 = The Village Voice
| rev5Score = B+{{Cite web|url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv989-89.php|title=Consumer Guide|website=The Village Voice|first=Robert|last=Christgau|authorlink=Robert Christgau|date=October 3, 1989}}
}}
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."{{cite web |title=EPMD |url=https://trouserpress.com/reviews/epmd/ |website=Trouser Press |access-date=10 July 2020}}
In 1998, the album was selected as one of The Source's 100 Best Rap Albums{{Cite web | url=http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/source.htm |title = Rocklist.net...The Source 100 Best Rap Albums & Singles}} 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
{{tracklist
| total_length = 57:09
| title1 = So Wat Cha Sayin{{'-}}
| length1 = 4:57
| title2 = Total Kaos
| length2 = 4:34
| title3 = Get the Bozack
| length3 = 4:12
| title4 = Jane II
| length4 = 3:33
| title5 = Please Listen to My Demo
| length5 = 3:01
| title6 = It's Time 2 Party
| length6 = 4:37
| title7 = Who's Booty
| length7 = 4:18
| title8 = The Big Payback
| length8 = 4:50
| title9 = Strictly Snappin' Necks
| length9 = 4:29
| title10 = Knick Knack Patty Wack (Feat. K-Solo)
| length10 = 4:56
| title11 = You Had Too Much to Drink (Feat. Frank B.)
| length11 = 7:21
| title12 = It Wasn't Me, It Was the Fame
| length12 = 6:20
}}
Charts
| class="wikitable"
!Chart (1989) !Peak |
| US Billboard 200
| align="center"|53 |
| US Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums
| align="center"|1{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/epmd/chart-history/blp/|title=EPMD|magazine=Billboard}} |
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|type=album|region=United States|artist=EPMD|title=Unfinished Business|award=Gold|relyear=1989|certyear=1989|refname=riaa}}
{{Certification Table Bottom | nosales=true}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
{{EPMD}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Albums produced by Erick Sermon
Category:Fresh Records (US) albums