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.
The Streets
8Ball & MJG Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Catch up with ya kind 'cause you ain't touchin' a dog
Imitation fake like Gucci suits niggas be wearin'
Nigga like me hit the room and all the bitches be starin'
I'm not fine I'm not cute, they just know I got some loot
Grippin' wood, lookin' good '24s make them choose
Nine times out of ten the bitches bad news
Hit the dick and start actin like a motherfuckin' fool
Pop a tag every day, that's what ghetto niggas do
Hustle hard, spread all the bread with my crew
When we in the club they be poppin' bottles too
We crunk and keep it hype and everybody know it's on
When my work hits the street watch how quick that shit be gone
I rap like I'm quick enough but catch 'em full of zones
When my work hits the street watch how quick that shit be gone, nigga
[Chorus]
Street niggas (keep your guns hit the traps
spend your bread on rims and ice, whatever them bitches like)
Street niggas (push it all hard or ball
sticky weed, whatever ya need, man we got it all)
Street niggas (keep your guns hit the traps
spend your bread on rims and ice, whatever them bitches like)
Street niggas (push it all hard or ball
sticky weed, whatever ya need, man we got it all)
I'm just a street nigga I keep my heat under the seat
If a, bum run up hope he got his gun up
From sundown to sunup I keep it with me
And I end up be unloadin' on y'all when y'all hit me
It's a grand shame that you niggas come from it but can't walk through it
What is it? I thought you knew it
It was the streets nigga, my seat used to hit it when I didn't have no wheels to go get it
M J fuckin' G droppin' these bars with no regards for snitches and fake broads
You ain't hard from steroids, nigga you big fraud
I remember when them bullets was takin' your lunch card
I'm a real ghetto politician
and what I gotta give in to motherfuckers who willin to try to vision
When a nigga spittin', Quit all the whinin' and bitchin'
Baby sharp, look and listen, pay attention to what you been missin'
It's the
[Chorus]
Yea come on
Street niggas, street niggas
We sittin' on leathers and we grippin' on wood (Streets is watchin')
We makin plenty bread and reppin' our hood (Streets is watchin')
Money over bitches, man it still all good (Streets is watchin')
We makin plenty bread and we reppin' our hood (Streets is watchin')
What can I say about these streets that I be walkin'?
Not too much 'cause where I from niggas ain't motherfuckin' talkin'
We'd rather listen and watch
Tryin' to flex and guard their clothes and Baume and Mercier watches
Tryin' to get my gloss on
I paid the 'cause' to be the boss on these corners where ballin' niggas floss on
Haters get tossed on, 5-0 get ? and out of towners get robbed
and drop that, can't nobody gonna stop that
See it was like this before me
So if you think it's time to change, nigga show me
Obviously you don't know me It's time that you learned
niggas that try to hold me on my grind, they get burned
I'm down from P.A., man, West side to the east, fool
(Aw come on Bun be, dude what about peace?)
Fuck peace, fool
You want some love, ask your momma or the lord
Bitch I'm down with pimps see, UGK be goin harder
[Chorus]
The lyrics to 8Ball & MJG’s song The Streets are centered around the life of a street nigga. The duo expresses that they don’t associate with “off-brand niggas” and that their success has led them to wear clothes from “T-shirt to shoes” that cost more money than their competitors. The duo also emphasizes their possession of firearms, claiming to keep it close all day, every day. The perspective throughout the song is one of pride in their “street” status while disregarding the need for peace: “Fuck peace, fool.”
Throughout the song, the lyrics emphasize the choices that street niggas make in order to maintain their status, including spending on rims and jewelry, pushing drugs, and keeping weapons at the ready. The chorus throughout the song emphasizes the idea that street niggas need to maintain their status through money: “Street niggas (keep your guns hit the traps spend your bread on rims and ice, whatever them bitches like).” The lyrics of the song underscore the idea that the streets are a place where survival is necessary, and that individuals who succeed in the streets must be ruthless to do so.
Line by Line Meaning
Off brand niggas we ain't fuckin' with y'all
We don't associate with fake people.
Catch up with ya kind 'cause you ain't touchin' a dog
Stick to the people on your level.
Imitation fake like Gucci suits niggas be wearin'
People trying to be something they're not by wearing fake designer clothes.
Nigga like me hit the room and all the bitches be starin'
People notice me when I walk into a room because of my presence and wealth.
I'm not fine I'm not cute, they just know I got some loot
People are attracted to me because of my money, not my looks.
Grippin' wood, lookin' good '24s make them choose
My nice car with big rims catches the attention of women and makes them interested in me.
Nine times out of ten the bitches bad news
Most of the women who are interested in me are not trustworthy.
Hit the dick and start actin like a motherfuckin' fool
Women change their behavior after having sex with me.
Clothes brand new from my T-shirt to my shoes
I wear brand new clothes from head to toe.
Pop a tag every day, that's what ghetto niggas do
I buy new clothes all the time because I can afford it and it's a status symbol.
Hustle hard, spread all the bread with my crew
I work hard and share my money with my friends.
When we in the club they be poppin' bottles too
I and my friends buy expensive bottles in the club.
We crunk and keep it hype and everybody know it's on
We party hard and everyone knows we're the life of the party.
When my work hits the street watch how quick that shit be gone
When I sell drugs, it's consumed quickly by customers.
Street niggas (keep your guns hit the traps
People who are part of the street life need to protect themselves and sell illegal substances.
spend your bread on rims and ice, whatever them bitches like)
Spend money on luxurious items that attract women.
sticky weed, whatever ya need, man we got it all)
We sell all kinds of drugs.
I'm just a street nigga I keep my heat under the seat
I carry a gun in my car for protection.
If a, bum run up hope he got his gun up
If someone tries to rob me, I hope they have a gun because I'm armed.
From sundown to sunup I keep it with me
I carry my gun with me around the clock.
It's a grand shame that you niggas come from it but can't walk through it
People claim to be part of the street life but can't handle its dangers.
What is it? I thought you knew it
Do you really know what it's like in the streets?
M J fuckin' G droppin' these bars with no regards for snitches and fake broads
I rap about the street life without caring about those who might snitch or are not part of it.
You ain't hard from steroids, nigga you big fraud
People who use steroids to get big muscles aren't really tough.
I remember when them bullets was takin' your lunch card
I remember when you were getting bullied before you joined the street life.
I'm a real ghetto politician
I have a lot of influence and power in the streets.
and what I gotta give in to motherfuckers who willin to try to vision
I don't need to listen to those who don't understand the street life.
When a nigga spittin', Quit all the whinin' and bitchin'
When I'm rapping, stop complaining and listen.
Money over bitches, man it still all good (Streets is watchin')
I prioritize money over women, and everything is still alright.
Fuck peace, fool
Peace doesn't matter to me.
You want some love, ask your momma or the lord
If you want love, ask your mother or God, but don't look for it in the streets.
Bitch I'm down with pimps see, UGK be goin harder
I am associated with pimps and the rap group UGK, and we are tougher than anyone.
Lyrics © Royalty Network, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: CALVIN BROADUS, WILLIAM CALHOUN, NATHANIEL D HALE, JR., SCOTT STORCH, SCOTT SPENCER STORCH, J. GOODWIN / BERNARD FREEMAN / MARLON, PREMRO VONZELLAIRE SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind