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.
Paid Dues
8Ball & MJG Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Eightball and MJG, been ten toes down in this game
Since we were two young playas in a one-horse town
Then hopped to a muthafuckin' grasshopper
Nigga, my life would have been done got cut off
If my dues weren't paid
It's a thinnin' line between wrong and right
Ghetto ain't left me no choices; I had to fight
My mama and daddy was too young to raise me right
Maybe I been made a man from all the mistakes I made
Niggas dead, niggas gone; I still ain't afraid
Ain't too grown to get back on with ghetto games I played
My life would have been done got cut off if the dues weren't paid
In the middle of doin' crime; it never stopped me from writin' rhymes
It never stopped me from playin' music
God, but it didn't mean I had to use it
It was obvious: I had to give up the streets for the beats
Not knowin', but havin' faith on just how long that it would be
Before I made it, before somebody picked up my tape and played it
With a remark like, "Hey, played that instrumental, you cat's got potential."
In the process of doing talent shows, parties, and mix tapes
We even put it down on some of our homeboys jail release dates
I can remember in the past closin' down at fast foods
Strictly stickin' to my dreams, but feelin' like I'd be the last dude
Who can make it in this rap; I thought that they ain't gon' see me in Memphis
It was like a time they looked over Tennessee
And didn't know hip-hop was in us
To all my vets in the game, I got love; stay on your toes
'Cause back in the days, I used to use your 4-5 instrumental to do my shows
And, look, I was seventeen when I signed my first contract
And about eighteen and a half when I signed my worst contract; we hurt from that
And till this day they still distributin' our first tape
Before Comin' Out Hard, now can you feel it?
Be humble and patient with whatever you should choose
'Cause to get to where I am right now, I done paid my dues
It's a thinnin' line between wrong and right
Trapped in a trap till the mornin' light
Ghetto ain't left me no choices; I had to fight
My mama and daddy was too young to raise me right
Maybe I been made a man from all the mistakes I made
Niggas dead, niggas gone; I still ain't afraid
Ain't too grown to get back on with ghetto games I played
My life would have been done got cut off if the dues weren't paid
A c-note for a concert; I know that sounds preposterous
Nigga, we didn't have a pot to piss
So we got on stage, and we rocked the bitch
Fuck the cheese; I love to see my niggas in the front row
Get buck wild, start a fight; the police make a nigga stop the show
Niggas all in the parkin' lot, bustin' shots, fuckin' with hos
Box Chevy with the spokes and vogues
Niggas didn't know shit about a twenty inch Mo-Mo
Hard head, young nigga don't believe that shit till I see that shit
See them heavyweight niggas; one day, I'm gonna be that shit
Okay, everybody know everybody done sold dope, ran with a gang
Pimp some hos and snorted a little coke, but, uh
I'm space again, and we'll forever be
Eightball, the fat mack, and M-J-fuckin'-G
Turn the page from then to now, and we still grindin'
Small clubs and small towns think they bouncin', and we find them
Put them on the guest list, make them pump their fist and get buck to this
Make one of them weed smokin', gangsta bitches get fucked to this
Expand, give all my true fans what they demand
Do my part again and, uh, come out hard again, and, uh
Keep space again, and we'll forever be
Eightball, the fat mack, and M-J-fuckin'-G
It's a thinnin' line between wrong and right
Trapped in a trap till the mornin' light
Ghetto ain't left me no choices; I had to fight
My mama and daddy was too young to raise me right
Maybe I been made a man from all the mistakes I made
Niggas dead, niggas gone; I still ain't afraid
Ain't too grown to get back on with ghetto games I played
My life would have been done got cut off if the dues weren't paid
The lyrics of 8Ball & MJG's song Paid Dues describe the struggles and experiences the duo has endured while pursuing a career in the music industry. The song also touches on the difficulties of growing up in the ghetto and the choices that must be made in order to survive. Throughout the lyrics, there is a recurring theme of dedication and hard work paying off, both in the music industry and in life in general. The line "My life would have been done got cut off if the dues weren't paid" emphasizes the importance of putting in the time and effort to succeed.
The chorus of the song describes the thin line between right and wrong and the struggles faced while trapped in a life of crime. Despite this, the duo hasn't forgotten where they came from and the challenges they have faced. 8Ball & MJG also pay homage to the veterans in the game and thank them for inspiring them along the way.
The verses speak about the struggles of growing up in the ghetto and the choices that must be made to survive. The struggles faced by the duo include signing unfavorable contracts, limited financial resources, and being looked over by the industry. They also share their experiences with performing in small clubs and struggling in the industry.
In summary, Paid Dues is a song that speaks about the difficult path to success in the music industry and the challenges faced while growing up in the ghetto. The lyrics emphasize the importance of hard work, dedication, and perseverance in order to overcome these challenges.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah, yeah, Space Age forever; Niggas and hos better recognize
We're Eightball & MJG, and we'll be around forever. Anyone who wants to succeed in this game needs to acknowledge us.
Eightball and MJG, been ten toes down in this game
We've been fully committed to this game since we were young.
Since we were two young playas in a one-horse town
We started from the bottom in a small town.
Then hopped to a muthafuckin' grasshopper
Then we moved on to bigger things and opportunities.
Nigga, my life would have been done got cut off
If my dues weren't paid
If we hadn't worked hard and made sacrifices, we wouldn't be where we are now.
It's a thinnin' line between wrong and right
We've had to navigate the difficulties and ethical dilemmas of this game.
Trapped in a trap till the mornin' light
We've been stuck in the game until dawn.
Ghetto ain't left me no choices; I had to fight
We had to fight hard to make it out of the ghetto.
My mama and daddy was too young to raise me right
Our families weren't able to provide us with the guidance we needed.
Maybe I been made a man from all the mistakes I made
We learned and grew from our past mistakes.
Niggas dead, niggas gone; I still ain't afraid
We've experienced losses and tragedies but they haven't stopped us.
Ain't too grown to get back on with ghetto games I played
We're not above returning to our roots and playing the game that got us here.
In the middle of doin' crime; it never stopped me from writin' rhymes
It never stopped me from playin' music
Even while we were engaged in criminal activities, we never stopped pursuing our musical dreams.
God, but it didn't mean I had to use it
We didn't let our skills go to waste.
It was obvious: I had to give up the streets for the beats
We had to leave the street life behind and commit fully to music.
Not knowin', but havin' faith on just how long that it would be
Before I made it, before somebody picked up my tape and played it
We had faith that our hard work and talent would eventually get us noticed and lead to success.
With a remark like, "Hey, played that instrumental, you cat's got potential."
When someone finally recognized our potential, it was a validation of our efforts.
In the process of doing talent shows, parties, and mix tapes
We even put it down on some of our homeboys jail release dates
We took every opportunity to perform and spread our music, including playing shows for our incarcerated friends.
I can remember in the past closin' down at fast foods
Strictly stickin' to my dreams, but feelin' like I'd be the last dude
Who can make it in this rap; I thought that they ain't gon' see me in Memphis
We were committed to our dreams even when we were working menial jobs and felt like we were the underdogs in the rap game.
To all my vets in the game, I got love; stay on your toes
'Cause back in the days, I used to use your 4-5 instrumental to do my shows
We respect and appreciate those who came before us in the game and drew inspiration from their music.
And, look, I was seventeen when I signed my first contract
And about eighteen and a half when I signed my worst contract; we hurt from that
We got into the game early and were taken advantage of with bad contracts that ended up hurting us.
And till this day they still distributin' our first tape
Before Comin' Out Hard, now can you feel it?
Our early music continues to be distributed and listened to by fans.
Be humble and patient with whatever you should choose
'Cause to get to where I am right now, I done paid my dues
Success requires hard work, patience, and a willingness to pay one's dues.
A c-note for a concert; I know that sounds preposterous
Nigga, we didn't have a pot to piss
We've come a long way from being broke and not having enough money to afford basic necessities.
So we got on stage, and we rocked the bitch
We worked hard and gave it our all on stage.
Fuck the cheese; I love to see my niggas in the front row
Get buck wild, start a fight; the police make a nigga stop the show
We don't care about money, we're happy just to see our fans enjoying themselves and getting hyped up at our shows.
Niggas all in the parkin' lot, bustin' shots, fuckin' with hos
Box Chevy with the spokes and vogues
Niggas didn't know shit about a twenty inch Mo-Mo
We grew up in a tough neighborhood where people were always getting into trouble and showing off their fancy cars.
Hard head, young nigga don't believe that shit till I see that shit
See them heavyweight niggas; one day, I'm gonna be that shit
When we were younger, we didn't believe our dreams were possible, but we worked hard and eventually made them a reality.
Okay, everybody know everybody done sold dope, ran with a gang
Pimp some hos and snorted a little coke, but, uh
We acknowledge that many people who come from our background have been involved in illegal activities.
I'm space again, and we'll forever be
Eightball, the fat mack, and M-J-fuckin'-G
We're proud of our work and who we are as artists, and we'll always be known as Eightball & MJG.
Turn the page from then to now, and we still grindin'
Small clubs and small towns think they bouncin', and we find them
Put them on the guest list, make them pump their fist and get buck to this
Make one of them weed smokin', gangsta bitches get fucked to this
Expand, give all my true fans what they demand
Do my part again and, uh, come out hard again, and, uh
Keep space again, and we'll forever be
Eightball, the fat mack, and M-J-fuckin'-G
After everything we've been through, we're still working hard to give our fans what they want and keep making great music as Eightball & MJG.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DAVID A SHEATS, Y PICKENS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind