They first appeared on the rap scene with their 1993 album Comin' Out Hard. The album was successful commercially as well as critically and established the group as a prominent act in the then emerging Southern Rap scene. 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. On Top of the World was particularly succeessful, peaking at #8 on the Billboard Hot 200 and being certified Gold. After those albums both 8Ball & MJG released solo albums, first MJG's No More Glory in 1997 and then 8Ball's Lost in 1998. They reunited in 1999 to release their fourth album as a group, titled In Our Lifetime, Vol. 1
For their later releases they signed with Bad Boy Records. Their first album for Bad Boy Records, Living Legends, was certified Gold by the RIAA. Their second album on Bad Boy Records was titled Ridin High and was released in March 2007.
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. 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. The song was a collaboration between two of the most successful rap groups from the state of Tennessee, where Three 6 Mafia also hail from.
Today 8Ball and MJG also head their own record labels. 8Ball heads 8 Ways Entertainment (distributed by Koch Entertainment), while MJG heads MJG Muzik. 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.
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.
In June 2008 the group announced that they have officially signed onto T.I.'s record label Grand Hustle.
Clap On
8Ball & MJG Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All you hatas and bustas best beware,
Cause if you think its about chu comin' out hard,
On da outside lookin' in,
On top of da world,
Space age pimpin',
And living legends da motherfuckaz back,
Guns cocked, and reloaded
[Chorus]
Clap on, clap off,
Got dis strap willin' to knock ya trap off
Clap on, clap off,
Got dis strap willin' to knock ya cap off
Big face rubber band gimme dat shit
Nigga you don't need it anyway loud mouth bitch nigga,
Snitch nigga at da club like he ain't done nothin'
Chest poked out cock sucka' you don't run nothin'
OK I'm a pull a muthafuckin' o.j.
Leave da premises bloody ride off wit da yay!
Pray you dont ever see it unfold in ya face nigga
Dis shit and wax is da inner taste off
Wit cha fuckin' head dispose of da body
Put da work on da street wrist froze at da party
Dis here certified industry never me disrespect
Boy you know what its goin' be
[Chorus: x2]
My nigga you know what its feelin; to be death to my enemy
Patna your no kin t me tell it to da gelatin
Herd chu been spillin' beans birds from da Philippines
One serve judge 2 da nigga you feelin' to serve me,
I ain't feelin' to go back for nar a nigga
Naw one phone call bullets comin' through ya
Wall play about my mu fuckin' money and da saw
My nigas tow throw aways fuk da law tools on deck
Wit tech's and da sawed-off shots 2 ya neck
Whats left get hauled off got em shot em bullets
Bouncin' lossen blood by da ounces momma cryin' up a river when da news announces
[Chorus: x2]
I'm pimp tight M-J-G plenty ammunition
In my coat pocket when I squeeze I'ma get attention
You can talk shit just don't put my name in it,
Dis is real life and I don't play games in it,
I'm a stranger to you so you can't handle me you ain't killin nothin'
But ya homeboy's and ya league you can bump ya guns,
All dat bullet talk you say you don't mean shit,
Mufucka' dis a new day you can neva play like piano
You sloppy I'm jus' slippin' like Giano Versaci
I'm like da wire you don't wanna start shit
I get a doctor to kill you, and dump you in some apartments
[Chorus]
The lyrics of 8Ball & MJG's "Clap On" are filled with violent and aggressive language, portraying a life of crime and guns. The opening lines serve as a warning to the "hatas and bustas" to beware of their tough exterior and space-age pimping. The chorus is equally menacing, threatening to knock off someone's "trap" or "cap" with a strap.
The second verse continues with a display of aggression towards the loud-mouthed "bitch niggas" and "snitch niggas" at the club, boasting about the ability to leave the scene bloody and ride off with the "yay" (slang for cocaine). The reference to O.J. Simpson and disposing of bodies adds to the ruthless and dangerous nature of the lyrics. The third verse discusses the consequences of crossing them, with bullets coming through walls and mommas crying over lost loved ones.
Overall, the song paints a picture of a life filled with guns, drugs, and crime, where respect and fear are earned through violence rather than deeds. It showcases the culture of hip hop in the 90s, where gangster and thug lifestyles were glorified and portrayed through music.
Line by Line Meaning
Lay it down, lay it down cocksukaz,
Get ready for some serious business, haters and losers, because things are about to get real.
All you hatas and bustas best beware,
Warning to all those who dislike us or try to bring us down - be ready for the consequences.
Cause if you think its about chu comin' out hard,
Anyone who assumes that they will come out on top is in for a rude awakening.
On da outside lookin' in,
Some people are left out while others get what they want.
On top of da world,
Those who have achieved their goals are at the top of the world.
Space age pimpin',
Pimping with a futuristic style.
And living legends da motherfuckaz back,
We are back and we are legends.
Guns cocked, and reloaded
We are armed and prepared for anything that comes our way.
Hm, and dey ridin' high.
We are feeling good and confident.
Clap on, clap off,
We have the power to silence our enemies with a simple gesture.
Got dis strap willin' to knock ya trap off
We are ready and willing to use our weapons if necessary to take down our opponents.
Got dis strap willin' to knock ya cap off
If you're not careful, we will eliminate you from the equation altogether with deadly force.
Big face rubber band gimme dat shit
We want what's coming to us and we're not afraid to take it.
Nigga you don't need it anyway loud mouth bitch nigga,
Those who talk loudly and act tough don't deserve what they have.
Snitch nigga at da club like he ain't done nothin',
People who snitch and then pretend that they're innocent are not to be trusted.
Chest poked out cock sucka' you don't run nothin',
Don't act like you're in charge when you have no power or authority.
OK I'm a pull a muthafuckin' o.j.
If necessary, I will resort to violence and bloodshed to get what I want, just like O.J. Simpson did.
Leave da premises bloody ride off wit da yay!
After committing acts of violence, we'll make off with our loot and be gone before anyone can catch us.
Pray you dont ever see it unfold in ya face nigga
You don't want to be on the receiving end of our wrath.
Dis shit and wax is da inner taste off
Our business is our own and nobody else's.
Wit cha fuckin' head dispose of da body
We will remove any evidence of our wrongdoing so that we can't be caught.
Put da work on da street wrist froze at da party
We'll show off our success and wealth in public, but we won't reveal how we obtained it.
Dis here certified industry never me disrespect
We are experts in what we do and we won't tolerate disrespect.
Boy you know what its goin' be
You already know what the outcome will be if you cross us.
My nigga you know what its feelin; to be death to my enemy
We know what it's like to take out our enemies and feel powerful.
Patna your no kin t me tell it to da gelatin
We have no sympathy for our opponents and won't hesitate to take them out.
Herd chu been spillin' beans birds from da Philippines
We know that you've been talking about us to other people, even if you try to deny it.
One serve judge 2 da nigga you feelin' to serve me,
If you try to hurt us, we will strike back even harder.
I ain't feelin' to go back for nar a nigga
We won't back down or show any mercy when confronted.
Naw one phone call bullets comin' through ya
We have connections and weapons at our disposal, and we won't hesitate to use them.
Wall play about my mu fuckin' money and da saw
Don't mess with our money or you'll regret it.
My nigas tow throw aways fuk da law tools on deck
We have guns and other weapons that we keep hidden from the authorities.
Wit tech's and da sawed-off shots 2 ya neck
We are skilled with weapons and can take out our opponents with precision strikes.
Whats left get hauled off got em shot em bullets
We'll finish off our enemies and dispose of the evidence.
Bouncin' lossen blood by da ounces momma cryin' up a river when da news announces
There will be consequences to our actions, and those who are impacted will suffer greatly.
I'm pimp tight M-J-G plenty ammunition
We are prepared and well-equipped for any situation.
In my coat pocket when I squeeze I'ma get attention
We have firearms with us all the time, and we won't hesitate to use them if necessary.
You can talk shit just don't put my name in it,
You can insult us, but don't involve our names or reputations in it.
Dis is real life and I don't play games in it,
We take our lives and livelihoods seriously and won't let anyone stand in our way.
I'm a stranger to you so you can't handle me you ain't killin nothin',
You don't know us, and you certainly can't defeat us.
But ya homeboy's and ya league you can bump ya guns,
You can talk tough with your friends, but that won't save you from us.
All dat bullet talk you say you don't mean shit,
Your words are empty and meaningless, and we won't be intimidated by them.
Mufucka' dis a new day you can neva play like piano
Times have changed, and you can't succeed by playing it safe or being passive.
You sloppy I'm jus' slippin' like Giano Versaci
You're careless and we're much more skilled and precise.
I'm like da wire you don't wanna start shit
We're plugged into everything that's happening and can make things happen that you won't like.
I get a doctor to kill you, and dump you in some apartments
We have the connections to make someone disappear without a trace if we have to.
Lyrics © Ultra Tunes, Royalty Network, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ALONZO MATHIS, MARLON J. GOODWIN, JASIEL A. ROBINSON, PREMRO SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind