EPMD brought the East Coast funk to hip-hop's golden era. Based out of Long Island, the duo of Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith released a certified classic debut with 1988's Strictly Business. Dropping back-and-forth tag-team rhymes over chunky beats, they also brought through the talents of their Hit Squad crew, which included Redman, Keith Murray, Das EFX, and K-Solo. Three further business-themed albums emerged before they parted ways—only to reunite with 1997's aptly-titled Back in Business.