Nas delivered King’s Disease II on Friday (August 6), the sequel to 2020’s Grammy Award-winning album King’s Disease.
While Hip Hop fans rabidly ate it up, a few tracks immediately stood out from the pack — “Death Row East,” “Nobody” with Lauryn Hill and “EPMD 2” with Eminem and EPMD’s Erick Sermon and Parish Smith.
The track found Nas not only paying homage to EPMD as he rapped along with the legendary Hip Hop duo, it also featured Eminem spitting tributes to the late MF DOOM, DMX, The Fat Boys’ Prince Markie Dee and Whodini’s Ecstasy, among others.
Speaking to HipHopDX, Parish talked about how the collaboration came to fruition and how the first “EPMD” track on King’s Disease essentially led to the remix.
“This was Hip Hop doing a full 360 and heading back to the golden era,” Parish tells DX. “With Nas, the connection with my grandfather being from Queens and Nas being from Queens, I used to be — and still am — a big fan of Main Source, the original foundation where Nas actually started.
“When Nas paid homage to EPMD on the first ‘EPMD,’ it was only right for Erick and I to get on the track and show love as well. Once Nas dropped the song, it got so big that it created a vibe that cut through everything, like, ‘Yeah, you know, I can hear EPMD doing the song with Nas.’ Then through the communication between both camps, we were able to get it done.”
As Parish explains, he and Erick hit the studio, turned on the mics and “caught that wave that’s been missing.”
“Before you know it, it was like ‘EPMD’s back in business/I visualize what it is and what it isn’t,'” he raps in reference to the track. “So it was like, ‘Yo, to the bat phone, to the bat phone [laughs].'”
But Parish admits they didn’t know Eminem was going to be on the song until a week before it dropped, adding they kept it “tight-lipped.” Overall, he thought the song brought the best out of all four MCs.
“When you get on a track like that with artists like EPMD and Nas, it goes back to like an MC’s favorite MC — you step it up,” he explains. “I would say in comparison to K-Solo on ‘Knick Knack Patty Wack’ on EPMD’s Unfinished Business. We came in regular mode, we was doing what we do. At the end, K-Solo came in representing the true essence of what Hip Hop is all about.
“He not only rocked his regular bars like he was supposed to, he kept going when the beat went off and that’s what made that song so dope. It was more about expression, how you felt and getting your point across. Hip Hop hasn’t been in this mode in a long time.”
When asked if Parish thinks Hip Hop is returning to its foundation, he replies, “That’s what it’s looking like. It was brought to our attention we stopped working simply and started watching. Next thing you know, it got out of control. The employees of the year, yeah, we’re back to work.
“The state of the world and the times we’re in, they’re making it very clear, the old world is gone. People are trying to rebuild, trying to get their companies — whether it’s restaurants or sports, whatever the case may be — and music always ran parallel to that. Before everything got shut down, it was a different time out there and a different type of energy. Now people want to hear more serious music they can relate to.”
Eminem Shows Love To DMX, Whodini's Ecstacy, DOOM + Prince Markie Dee On Nas 'King's Disease II' Album
Parish is blown away artists who looked up to EPMD coming up are “giving them their flowers” while they’re still alive.
“It’s no different than mending the bridge through the generations of Hip Hop,” he concludes. “We would pay homage to Run-DMC when we started out.
“And remember, rap is something you do, Hip Hop is something you live. Before the world got shut down, there was a lot of rapping going on. Now that the world is opening up slowly, it looks like there’s a lot of Hip Hop happening.”
Check out “EPMD 2” above.
Great track ruined by Eminem. Why did I even ask him to be on this album smh
Said nobody ever
Cuz he sold more records than u so shut the fuck up
I’m not download all white rappers but anybody that’s got any type of ear listen to Eminem the brother can spit and The brotherhood skills plain and simple and His skills rank up there with any black man hip hop is hip hop and yeah you need the skills to be inducted into hip hop and not rap but but any damn man does not deaf deaf nose Eminem don’t fit that rap criteria he is hip hop peace
Fake thug no love.
Great article ruined but fuhking twats with broken ears and poor taste.
Nas is meh. Eminem is wack. EPMD are legends.
Wow. You’re one for three dumb dumb.
Wow it’s obvious why hip hop is dead. I’m not really into white rappers for my own reasons but enimem is one of the exceptions, the brother can spit. And he is a product of. The hip hop environment not a wanna be winger.
Don’t know how many of you actually grew up on hip hop but I grew up when hip hop started I watched it evolve and I watched the devolve I watched it rise and I watched it fall I watched the birth of 2pac All the way to Africa bambatta and cool herc. I watched hip hop go universal and I watched hip hop die when it came to that mumble rap that
don’t make no sense. I’ve also watched why we as a people will never rise because nobody gives Are hip hop past any roses because if it wasn’t for them none of these M f’s would be on a Mike. We as a people always kicking each other down instead of bringing each other up and that’s why all the races are passing us in the race of solidarity and unity we don’t get together until somebody dies we don’t get night until shit gets crucial
Hip-hop seems to be the one area where it’s kind of acceptable to be racist. Let’s face it your problem is race more than anything else To say his verse was whack it’s total bullshit.
I would argue there was nothing Em could have spit that you would have praised.
You’re just a hater. Thank
Well, I’m white and I liked the Slim Shady LP and the MMLP. But after that Em’s career was a downfall. Boring beats, monotonous flow, way too long songs, uninteresting concepts. Novelty rap, that’s what it’s called. Novelty rap that went too far.
You’d probably prefer some codeine-laced mumble rap over a click track. This generation is fucking pitiful. The only thing novel about Nas and Eminem is they still actually rap. You couldn’t so much as carry their notebooks.
Saying Em is wack is a false statement. You doby like him and thats ok you have shiiittyy music taste. The majority of hip hop listeners love Em, which is why he is where he is. The majority vote and consenses is that he is one if the greats. You are the anomaly, the hater, the taste that lacks the palette. People argue its just opinion. Kinda true. But if most the world loves it then the majority vote on that rules. You dont like em but dot say he is wack cuz is musical statistics prove your dumba$$ wrong.
I think Eminem ruined the track, he didn’t need to be on there. It should have been extended lyrics from eric and parish, rather than a couple of bars.
Also the 2 vocals from EPMD sounded like they were recorded in 2 different studios. Eric’s were poor quality and sounded like it was recorded over a phone
Your thinking is shallow…
He was the highlight of the track!
At the listening party, the people there, including Nas himself, was enjoying every bit of Eminem’s verse. So unless you’re a better MC than Nas, your opinion doesn’t matter. You’re simply a hater
At the listening party, the people there, including Nas himself, was enjoying every bit of Eminem’s verse. So unless you’re a better MC than Nas, your opinion doesn’t matter. You’re simply a hater
At the listening party, the people there, including Nas himself, was enjoying every bit of Eminem’s verse. So unless you’re a better MC than Nas, your opinion doesn’t matter. You’re simply a hater
The song would have better without EPMD and Eminem to be honest. EPMD are outdated af with lazy lyrics, and Eminem was trying to hard to outshine Nas with his simplistic lyrics and fast syllable rap. I don’t think any of it went to together.
No Em? But that’s a dream collabo! He wasn’t trying to outshine he was doing what he does. Nobody was over or underwhelming, they just did what they usually do
Perfect reply ?
I like Em. Still. But he didn’t need that many bars when EPMD themselves only had a few…
Agreed 💯
should have put az on it instead of em
Horrible collaboration! , Wack beat that made them all sound bad and Em was trying to hard on the wack beat to outshine NAS. Another boring ass Nas Album with wack ass beats.
Talking out of your ass,
You music criticism is trash. You a nobody that wants to critique like a somebody. Go make music get poppin then come back ya bish.
Stfu 🤡
Who cares about that vaccinated cracka.
Namely Nas. Who are you again?
Racist b@stard.
This would explain why both the verses sound disconnected, incoherent, and strung together with all the love of a 12 year old doing a book report on a book they didn’t read.
TUPAC SAYS FUCK NAS
I SAY FU K EMINEM /EVERY DAY SAME Shit
MINDSHIFT NEED FOR SPEED?
can I get a hit Cypress Hill
all off Mother Earth’s daughter can f*** with it
Eminem in orphanage looking for another b**** /so does it rhyme with orange?
picture this as a diss.
funny is ,capital letters backwards of Mother Earth turn EM if we look good deep into it
EQUALIZE MIND with time. thats art of SUREALISM deep into the depth of Poetry
like interpretations of holy scriptures
NAS IS SMALLER TARGET,SO FUCK IT
THO I SHARE TRAITS of my mentors
still, life IS
EQUAL? Steel life equals hunger for souls
The great solius, so my Name is Gevorg
Tho all know me as…
Crack kills, go sit down
Shit is like a gift and a curse. Eminem’s verse made the song not flow. Then again Eminem made more people want to listen it
He made white peoples wanna listen.
I ain’t going to be Mocking bird
I’m going to flip it
like core of Earth
with both of my middle fingers
fiNG*R*UC**ING mother earth
Right in the face of this worthles carrcass
Wait a minute IT sounds similar to Caucasus
Its where i witnessed war for two years of military service for some debt i was born with,thou now I M/9 XIII WELL ARMed.oooh.
Southside Poland is where U find me tho no guns,but if u deserve to match me one on one,as thought lessons of Bruce Lee about Dualism. Rest in Peace,Dead Alive Day Night Good Evil so Royce Da 5’9 Bad#MJ N U Evil that’s why u die without pride. Snoop y Real Lions don’t Lie,I’m quadrupled G only as a status my name Grants Me.
U messing with Poland? So we Enemies
U Putin ‘n Pashinyan are same trash to me.
Lying ass dirty unfaithful leader’s with no vision.my rhymes cut.
Sharp Polish Shine edge of your blade boy
That’s first lesson that thought me
Father of a girl that turned boy to man.
So don’t play boy if you can’t forfeit for a Prophet… Win or Lose u Chose that’s why Now i must play G O A T…
Then i met my BM,this story is different
coz back then i been more wolf than a man
But now it duzn’t let me claim Dirty Dozen yet where is your proof… Rest in Peace Big Brother. Shout out to Big Homie Proof.
Marshall? He ain’t no General* so i claim Martial Law to fight for what’s right with freestyle. Its most HIP HOP WAY OF SOLVING THINGS.CONFRONTATION.
MY SCARS WILL TELL YOU” SORRY,BUT DON’T WORRY ” SAME WILL ALWAYS SPEAK FLESH WOUND’S. SOLDIER DIES ONLY ONCE,COWARD DIES A THOUSAND DEATHS. TALK TO ME . HIP HOP IS IN MY VEINS. TO TALK ABOUT YOUR GRANDADS
I MUST SPEAK MY FACTS. IF U AIN’T GOT THAT,RUN IT BACK,THEN BACK TO BACK AND POINT OUT ALL THATS SET. LETS PUT OUR RAPS TO TEST AS EVER BEST’$
Song is dope to me. I find it weird that Em’s verse is so polarizing.
All this is just a remix.. All did well… no one outshined each other. It is true hip hop to its fullest. Stop all the hate! More Nas and Em coming soon…
That Golden Era sound is Nas’ sweet spot. He is also outstanding when he makes these types of
Tracks, which he makes on every album.
Tried to listen to the verses, but the drums where all weird and out of place. Nothing 360 about hearing a handfull of pebbles thrown on a rusty metal sheet again and again
You couldnt ask for a better Dream Team….This track is so DOPE
Em did some that weird EM shit a fucked the flow of the song up trying squeeze as many words in as possible