Everything was so close-knit and niche in the early days of hip-hop that today’s icons could’ve slipped by each other at a show without even knowing it. The magic of the start of a new scene or genre is learning about the connections its forefathers forged early on, and hip-hop is filled with miraculous tales like this. Childhood friends blossoming into dominant duos and singular stars being picked out of a crowd of hopefuls is the start of many emcee careers, but when an established artist reaches out a helping hand to the new faces emerging from the underground. One of the more impactful examples of this is Run-DMC’s Jam Master Jay introducing DJ Scratch to PMD and Erick Sermon of EPMD. In doing so, Jay found the final puzzle piece to form the picturesque legacy of one of hip-hop’s defining acts.
EPMD debuted in 1988 with their Strictly Business LP. The instant success earned a gold plaque and established EPMD as a force of nature in the late 80’s hip-hop scene. While the duo was promoting their debut, their original DJ, DJ K La Boss, quit the group. Jay introduced the two remaining EPMD members to DJ Scratch, and the connection was instant. The newly formed trio got to work on EPMD’s sophomore effort, 1989’s Unfinished Business, where Scratch made his presence felt by adding some impressive scratching work. Fast forward to 1991, and we land on this week’s Golden Age Thursday video.
This week, we look at a fully formed and seasoned EPMD taking the stage on It’s Showtime at the Apollo for a rowdy performance of “I’m Mad.” The intro track to EPMD’s 1991 LP Business As Usual is electric live, and you can feel the chemistry radiating from the group’s stage presence, and the surprise they pull out of the faux car on stage adds a nice theatrical touch to the gritty hip-hop on display.
