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.
Pimps in the House
8Ball & MJG Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
1 to the muthafuckin 2 to the muthafuckin 3
The sound of the boom is sweatin ya hard like a mystery
Could It be
The pimps could rule the nation in '93'
And MJG is gonna start a new race
Replace the weak tapes we got in the first place
And chase that live on cops quick, out the hood
And keep that bud goin on like the Flinstones
And shake them bones when you feel the ? comin on
See up in the ground, down a hit and lean back
Look at ya self and see what I'm sayin is real fat
Society lives off what the media tells us
And niggaz be joinin up wit the shit that they mail us
See pimpin ain't dead yet, see pimpin can pay the rent
And pimpin is demonstrated by those in the government
The money they send you ain't shit but nickels and dimes
And you been stuck in the ghetto since 1979
But it's time to switch it up, unhook it and fix it up
Change it and rearrange it, complete and pick it
It's a book with hard covers that's packed with ideas
We rule the future years
Erase the black fears
And change the system, step up and dismiss them
Tricks from the White House
Move in and they move out
Now I'm runnin thangs, my workers walk wit a limp
My whole staff is bitches and all the judges is pimps
If ya weak in the game, thangs are bound to show
'cause a pimp got a stroke, and a wimp can't flow
And I ain't no muthafuckin fall guy, but Imma try hard
To let you know this pimpin ain't gone never die
M.J.G pimp tight
Young black nigga, no wife
No children, just hoes
Supplying the muthafuckin nation wit a dose
Of what, has been injected and now it's on
The muthafuckin pimp is in the house
The opening lines "1 to the MF 2 to the MF 3, the sound of the boom is sweatin ya hard like a mystery" creates a sense of anticipation and excitement, with the sound of the boom being interpreted as a powerful bass that can shake one's bones. The lines "pimping ain't dead yet, see pimping can pay the rent, and pimping is demonstrated by those in the government" suggests that despite the illegality of pimping, it is still pervasive and can still provide financial security. The lyrics also suggest that society is being controlled by the media, and people are being influenced by the messages they receive. The powerful lines "eradicate the black fears, change the system, step up and dismiss them, tricks from the White House" calls for a revolution, and a rejection of the status quo. The chorus "the muthafuckin pimp is in the house" is a declaration of power and dominance.
The overall message of the song is one of power and strength. The lyrics suggest that pimping is a viable source of income, and that those in power are not to be trusted. The song also calls for a revolution and a rejection of societal norms. The lyrics are an accurate portrayal of 1990s hip-hop, with themes of power, aggression and resistance being common themes of the era.
Line by Line Meaning
1 to the muthafuckin 2 to the muthafuckin 3
Counting off to signify our takeover.
The sound of the boom is sweatin ya hard like a mystery
Our music is powerful and mystifying.
Could It be
The pimps could rule the nation in '93'
We have the power to take over and start a new era.
And MJG is gonna start a new race
I, MJG, will lead the way for a new generation.
Replace the weak tapes we got in the first place
Our old music was nothing compared to what we have now.
And chase that live on cops quick, out the hood
And beat that ass like a cop would real good
We want the police out of our neighborhood and will fight back if necessary.
And keep that bud goin on like the Flinstones
And shake them bones when you feel the ? comin on
We will continue to smoke weed and dance to our music.
See up in the ground, down a hit and lean back
Look at ya self and see what I'm sayin is real fat
Take a moment to enjoy our music and feel confident in yourself.
Society lives off what the media tells us
And niggaz be joinin up wit the shit that they mail us
We need to think for ourselves instead of blindly following the media.
See pimpin ain't dead yet, see pimpin can pay the rent
And pimpin is demonstrated by those in the government
Pimping is still a viable option for making money, as evidenced by those in power.
The money they send you ain't shit but nickels and dimes
And you been stuck in the ghetto since 1979
The government only gives us small amounts of money and we've been stuck in poverty for decades.
But it's time to switch it up, unhook it and fix it up
Change it and rearrange it, complete and pick it
We need to change the system and do things differently.
It's a book with hard covers that's packed with ideas
We rule the future years
Erase the black fears
Our ideas are powerful and will shape the future, erasing our fears of discrimination.
And change the system, step up and dismiss them
Tricks from the White House
Move in and they move out
We need to take power and dismiss those who don't have our best interests at heart.
Now I'm runnin thangs, my workers walk wit a limp
My whole staff is bitches and all the judges is pimps
I am now in charge, and those who work for me are loyal.
If ya weak in the game, thangs are bound to show
'cause a pimp got a stroke, and a wimp can't flow
If you're not strong, it'll show in your actions.
And I ain't no muthafuckin fall guy, but Imma try hard
To let you know this pimpin ain't gone never die
I won't be a scapegoat, and I want you to know that pimping will never die.
M.J.G pimp tight
Young black nigga, no wife
No children, just hoes
Supplying the muthafuckin nation wit a dose
MJG is a successful, single pimp providing for the nation.
Of what, has been injected and now it's on
The muthafuckin pimp is in the house
We've injected our powerful ideas into society and are ready to take over.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network
Written by: M.J. GOODWIN, PREMRO SMITH, PREMRO VONZELLAIRE SMITH, M. GOODWIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind