After 11 years, one previous break-up, and 5 albums, EPMD's Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith are prepping to release what they're calling the group's farewell album, "Out of Business," on July 20.

EPMD invited such friends and hip-hop cohorts as Method Man and Redman to guest on the new album, and in a recent interview with the MTV Radio Network, Sermon talked about putting together the kind of material that would send the band out with style.

"We stepped our game up," Sermon said. "We stepped it up to follow the times. We step it up by adding the M.O.P.'s, and Method Man and Redman to show people that these are the cats, but we can hang with them just as well. And people just ain't gonna do the records with us on respect. If it's whack, they wouldn't even get on it."

In addition to the 15 new songs, "Out of Business" will include a bonus disc featuring 10 EPMD classics, including "It's My Thing," "You Gots to Chill" and "So Whatcha Sayin'."

"Symphony 2000," the first

single from "Out of Business," features Redman, Method Man, and newcomer Lady Luck, and it's due in stores on June 14th.