EPMD is an American hip-hop group from Brentwood, New York, active for more than 20 years (1986 - 2007), is one of the most prominent acts in East coast hip hop. The group's name is an acronym for Erick and Parrish Making Dollars (later ducats), referencing its members, emcees Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith ("PMD"). Diamond J, DJ K La Boss, and DJ Scratch were DJs for the group. Early years: 1987?1993 EPMD's first album, Strictly Business, appeared in 1988, spawning the massive underground hit "Strictly Business," sampling Eric Clapton's version of Bob Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff." Many critics see its first album as its most influential. The group's brand of funk-fueled sample-heavy hip-hop proved to be a major force in the genre. Unlike old school hip hop, which was first based on disco hits but eventually became more electronic, EPMD based its music mainly on lifting funk and rock breaks for samples and helped to popula