8Ball & MJG is an American hip hop duo from Memphis, Tennessee consisting o… Read Full Bio ↴8Ball & MJG is an American hip hop duo from Memphis, Tennessee consisting of Premrose Smith (8Ball) and Marlon Jermaine Goodwin (MJG). The two rappers met at Ridgeway Middle School in 1984.

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.

Nigga's Like Us
8Ball & MJG Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴

[Eightball]
Rollin' down Park Avenue bumpin' maze
My Caddy with them switches, got them bitches in a daze
Niggaz on the gank, smokin' dank, goin' nuts
And all I see is dope and dead niggaz bloody guts
Sometimes I go and click and smack my bitch up with the gat
Or blow up niggaz cars, cause I heard they call me fat
No I'm not a wimp, cause the pimp is in my nature

I got too many hoes bein' away, but ain't my flavor
I'ma dope seller, stick 'em up, killer or whatever
Game from slangin' birds, 211 or 187
Smack up my bitches on the street that owe me ends
Learn from the start, in the game ain't no friends
Just a lot of bitches with they hands out

[MJG]
Whatsup with that?

[Eightball]
Smilin' in my f**kin' face, stabbin' me in my f**kin' back
All up in my business, whatsup with my grip bitch?
Steppin' up, one nigga died with a mouth full of pimp shit

[MJG]
Whatsup with the bitches aye? Whatsup with the bitches aye?

[Eightball]
F**k me, suck me, jack me, 'til my diggidy-dick ejaculate

[MJG]
Whatsup with niggaz aye? Whatsup with the niggaz aye?

[Eightball]
Tell 'em not to f**k with some niggaz like us!

Hook: (4x)
???????????????????

[MJG]
I'm reachin' for the pump and the loaded automatic
It's 6/5 bombs from the box in the attic

A phone call from Eightball let me know the scope
T-Money and J.B. had to scope a young hoe
Not a true bitch, but a true bitch nigga
We rollin' thick as hell so how the f**k that nigga figure?
His gun nor his gang is gonna be a threat to us
With 1 fire bomb, 1 got him at the dusk
And the nigga down with me said:(Damn G you been having gank?)
And at that very moment, he was askin' me to shank it
A nigga ain't suppose to smoke a trick and get sad
And thats the first example of a killer goin' bad
I gotta take him out, if he live he'll confess
So Eightball you ready?(Yeah)
Shoot him in the chest *1 Shot*(I got him)
One mo' motherf**ker dead over bullshit
Guess he didn't really know the niggaz he was runnin' with
M.J.G., Eightball and Killa-B
Lil' Han and J-Smooth, T-Money and J.B.
Lettin' these imitation motherf**kers know
Niggaz like us don't be headin' to the flo'..HOE!

Hook: (4x)
???????????????????

[Eightball]
Suckers can't get none

[MJG]
Suckers can't get none

[Eightball]
G. pass me my clip so I can load my lil' uzi gun

[MJG]
Eightball you got me covered main?

[Eightball]
Yeah I got yo back main

[MJG]
Let these

Overall Meaning

fools know we ain't no games

In "Niggas Like Us" by 8Ball & MJG, the lyrics are a depiction of the violent lifestyle of gangsta rap. In the song, the artists are driving down Park Avenue in their Cadillac with bitches in a daze due to the switches in their ride. The lyrics talk of being a dope seller, 211 or 187, and engaging in various criminal activities. The artists are also shown to have a disregard for women as they talk about hitting them with a gat or smacking them on the street for owing them money. The chorus talks about how niggas like them don't play and to not mess with them.

The song is a commentary on the harsh realities of the street life that many people in the African American community have faced. The lyrics are a form of social commentary through art and music, as they depict a violent, gritty lifestyle. However, the song became controversial for its use of offensive language and explicit lyrics that some found offensive.

Contributed by Addison H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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