"We Mean Business" came towards the end of 2008, and it marked the return of Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith as EPMD. The legendary Hip Hop duo return with an album of brand new material to show that they still have what is needed to appeal to today's crowd. It is their seventh effort, and the first since 1999.
1. "Puttin' Work In"
To get things off to a big start you have them performing in a collaboration with Wu-Tang's Raekwon. After hearing how the rest of the thing when, I wouldn't have started with this, but I certainly isn't a weak one. I have to say that you need to listen to it more to really feel it, unlike the throwaway sound of many of the other tunes. This one takes you to the early days of East Coast Gangsta Rap.
**Four Stars**
2. "What You Talkin'"
Although some may say that these references are about a year too late, the waay that EMPD work Chris Brown, T-Pain and Soulja Boy Tell 'Em into their rhymes shows that they have some idea of how things are being run today. They don't diss them, as many do, instead work off the fact that
they can relate to the younger listeners with these names. I found myself predicting the lines, but I wouldn't hold this against them.
**Four Stars**
3. "Roc-Da-Spot"
This one was just too much. I couldn't believe it as I heard it, as the pair showed that they simply don't care with this one and will use anything to make sure that people take notice. For this one, they do so by using Zapp's "More Bounce To The Ounce", and that classic bass slapper forces you to take notice as they take you back to the G-Funk days.
**Five Stars**
4. "Blow"
You have them moving on from a killer tne, to one which is clearly toned-down and it has them using this to surprise you with some Gangsta Rap lyrics to seemingly take you out. DJ Primo aids them in it all, and his signature scratches make sure that it is all kept in-tune with what they are known to work with,
**Four Stars**.
5. "Run It"
KRS-One seems to control things on this one, even though he is just a guest here. The pair come with a flow to remind you of how their carriers began, and the input of KRS forces you to be taken to the late eighites to early nineties when Gangsta Rap become the dominant sub-genre in Hip Hop
**Four Stars**
6. "Yo"
Redman joins them on this one, and I thought that it was one of the best you receive on the album as you hear them with funky beats and lots of Old School samples too excite all listeners who will have liked through their original run. This one really unites theirs, and the modern take on Hip Hop.
**Five Stars**
7. "Listen Up"
Upon hearing the opening to this one I was taken aback by the throwback feel of it all as you have a 'gangsta boogie' feel it all with funky production, and the voice box-modified vocals of Teddy Riley (who takes you back to the early to mid nineties). The fact that the rest of the thing was so good meant that even with DJ Khaled adlibs, I was pleased by the entire recording.
**Five Stars**
8. "Bac Stabbers"
This one sounded to be the only track on the album which sounded right (not that the rest sounded wrong) as it was the single tune on the album which wasn't directly working off the fact that EPMD is back after nine years. You have one where they speak them being wronged, and advising people to watch for it.
**Four Stars**
9. "Never Defeat 'Em"
Whenever Method Man is a part of a track, you are bound to be in for a treat, and this occurs when you listen to this one as they come with a pure banger of a tune with effective use of samples and of the talent they had to hand. It is some hard, underground work which shows that they can do it all today without much of a struggle.
**Five Stars**
10. "Jane"
Here we have their mandatory "Jane" track, of which one has been found on each album and this time the entitle the thing just as they did with their 1988 debut. It is a shorter tune, but is probably cut short as it gets them riskily using Old School beats, but I would have liked if they went further from the limiting two minutes-worth.
**Four Stars**
11. "Left 4 Dead"
You have a very hard bass hit on this one, and it allows the pair to go into a tune which works off the fact that the tune focuses-around the deaths of some of the biggest names of the game. It is straight-forward, and the way that they relate the title to the Hip Hop of today is powerful.
**Four Stars**
12. "They Tell Me"
Working from the cold, sombre tone of the one before it, the duo decide to capitalise on the darkness which has come over them to address the state of Hip Hop, and what it has become without the likes of themselves around. However they have are worthy of doing so by coming with some killer flows.
**Four Stars**
13. "Actin' Up"
Although I don't know him, I liked what Vic D Tre came with on this one, as they album comes to a close, I found his input on the thing was valued as he allows it to go back to how the album began, with underground, East Coast Gangsta Rap. It is a raw one, and the Public Enemy rips at the start set you up for this.
**Four Stars**
I was surprised by the fact that they managed to do a pretty much flawless album, and do exactly what was expected of them as they carry through all their Old School style into a more modern format, and it all works.
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