8Ball & MJG

8Ball & MJG is an American hip hop duo from Memphis, Tennessee. The two rappers met at Ridgeway Middle School (Memphis, Tennessee) in 1984. In 1993, the duo released their debut album Comin' Out Hard. They went on to release On the Outside Looking In (1994), On Top of the World (1995), In Our Lifetime (1999), Space Age 4 Eva (2000), Living Legends (2004), Ridin' High (2007) and Ten Toes Down (2010).

8Ball & MJG
OriginMemphis, Tennessee, United States
GenresHip hop, Southern hip hop
Years active1991–present
LabelsSuave House, Grand Hustle, E1 Music, Bad Boy South, Real Talk
Associated actsThree 6 Mafia, UGK, Young Buck, Al Kapone, T.I., Lil' Flip, 112, Yo Gotti, Tameka Cottle
MembersPremro "8Ball" Smith
Marlon Jermaine "MJG" Goodwin

Career

8Ball & MJG first appeared on the rap scene with their underground 1991 album Listen to the Lyrics.[1] In 1993, they released the successful album Comin' Out Hard.[2] Their subsequent albums in the 1990s, including 1994's On the Outside Looking In, and 1995's On Top of the World cemented their status as some of the South's best rappers.[3] On Top of the World was particularly successful, peaking at #8 on the Billboard Hot 200 and being certified Gold.[3] It also contained the song "Space Age Pimpin'", which was 8Ball & MJG's first single to chart, reaching #58 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles and Tracks chart and #22 on the Hot Rap Singles chart.[4] After those albums both 8Ball & MJG released solo albums, first MJG's No More Glory in 1997 and then 8Ball's Lost in 1998.[5][6] They reunited in 1999 to release their fourth album as a group, titled In Our Lifetime.[7] One year later in 2000, they released their fifth group album entitled Space Age 4 Eva.[8]

In 1996, they appeared on the Red Hot Organization's compilation CD, America is Dying Slowly, alongside Biz Markie, Wu-Tang Clan, and Fat Joe, among many other prominent hip hop artists.[9] The CD, meant to raise awareness of the AIDS epidemic among African American men, was heralded as "a masterpiece" by The Source magazine.[9] In the early 2000s they would sign with Sean Combs' Bad Boy Records.[10] They already had some experience with the label, being featured on the song "The Player Way" from Bad Boy rapper Mase's 1997 album Harlem World.[11] Their first album for Bad Boy Records, Living Legends, came out in 2004 and was certified Gold by the RIAA.[12] Their second album on Bad Boy Records was titled Ridin' High and was released in March 2007.[12]

Commercially one of the high points of 8Ball & MJG's career was their being featured on Three 6 Mafia's hit song "Stay Fly" in 2005.[13] That song peaked at #13 on the Billboard Hot 100, which is the biggest hit of Three 6 Mafia's career and the biggest hit for 8Ball & MJG.[13] The song was a collaboration between two of the most successful rap groups from the state of Tennessee, whence Three 6 Mafia also hail.[13] Today 8Ball and MJG also head their own record labels. 8Ball heads 8 Ways Entertainment (distributed by Koch Entertainment), while MJG heads MJG Muzik.[14] On their label are the young, up and coming Memphis duo, Da Volunteers, who are widely known throughout the Southern United States for their 2006 single, "What's Yo Favorite Color?", which glorifies their neighborhood of Orange Mound.[14]

In September 2007, 8Ball and MJG signed deals in Sacramento, CA with Real Talk Entertainment 8Ball released a group album with E.D.I of the Outlawz entitled Doin' It Big on April 1, 2008 and MJG released a solo album entitled Pimp Tight on April 29, 2008.[14][15] In June 2008 the group announced that they officially signed onto T.I.'s record label Grand Hustle.[16] Their eighth album as a group and their first on Grand Hustle, titled Ten Toes Down, was released in May 2010.[17] It reached #36 on the Billboard 200 in its first week.[17]

Discography
Main article: 8Ball & MJG discography

Studio albums

8Ball albums

MJG albums
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References
  1. "Eight Ball And MJG* - Listen To The Lyrics (Cassette) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  2. "Comin' Out Hard: 8ball & Mjg: Music". Amazon.com. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  3. "iTunes - Music - On Top Of The World by 8Ball & MJG". Itunes.apple.com. October 31, 1995. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  4. "Space Age Pimpin' [Explicit]: 8 Ball & Mjg: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.com. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  5. "iTunes - Music - No More Glory by MJG". Itunes.apple.com. November 18, 1997. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  6. "iTunes - Music - Lost by Eightball". Itunes.apple.com. May 19, 1998. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  7. "iTunes - Music - In Our Lifetime by 8Ball & MJG". Itunes.apple.com. May 18, 1999. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  8. Birchmeier, Jason (November 21, 2000). "Space Age 4 Eva - Eightball & MJG : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  9. "iTunes - Music - America Is Dying Slowly by Various Artists". Itunes.apple.com. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  10. Langhorne, Cyrus (June 8, 2009). "8Ball Explains Bad Boy Break, Rewards Eminem W/ Rap Legend Status". Sohh.Com. Archived from the original on December 19, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  11. Stanley, Leo (October 28, 1997). "Harlem World - Mase : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  12. Jeffries, David (May 11, 2004). "Living Legends - Eightball & MJG : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  13. "iTunes - Music - Stay Fly (feat. Young Buck & 8Ball & MJG) - EP by Three 6 Mafia". Itunes.apple.com. July 5, 2005. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  14. "8 Ball & 8 Ways Entertainment :: Light Up the Bomb :: 8 Ways Entertainment". Rapreviews.com. November 21, 2006. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  15. Rinaldi, Matt (April 29, 2008). "MJG: Pimp Tight - 8Ball : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  16. Burgess, Omar (June 16, 2008). "T.I. Signs 8Ball & MJG While Beef Continues | Get The Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album Sales". HipHop DX. Archived from the original on June 19, 2008. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  17. Jeffries, David (May 4, 2010). "Ten Toes Down - Eightball & MJG : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
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