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.

While We Here
8Ball & MJG Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Chorus x 2
While we here lets celebrate
Dont do tomorrow what you could do today
Tell somebody you love'em nigga
Tell somebody you love'em nigga (yea, yea)

It was a long hard struggle
My life been a battlefield, but i keep fightin

Givin all that i got ta give, real is the only way that i try to live
Get mines like the next man gets his
A closed mouth never got fed
Thats why im spittin now daddy, do it for the bread
I do it for the love, i do it for the ??
Matter fact i really do it for all the above
Im mild mannered but im hype on my records
I try to separate real life from the records
Most of the stuff that i rap about be facts
But dont mean that i still live like that
A lot of paths, i no longer have to walk up out em
Im blessed to be a rapper, i get paid to talk about em
I aint got to keep a strap in my lap now
Thank god i can make it with this rap now

Chorus x 2

Summertime 1985, granmomma, grandaddy they were still alive
Me and my cousins playin the the yard
Before a young nigga knew that life got hard
Years went by, now we in the streets
They was in the trap and i was rappin over beats
Jermaine, but everybody called him maine

On my birthday he got murdered and slain
???? now he the subject of my sad song
I miss him, we cant never bring him back
I wish he woulda asked me for them couple stacks damn
His momma look so hurt
When she had to put her son body in tha dirt
And i cried, i hope you listen to the words i speak
If one person get the picture thats good for me

Chorus x 2

Im not tryin to steal ya money
Im not tryin to take ya woman
Im just tryin to feed my family and take care of my momma
Im a slave ever since they broke these chains i been runnin
Everything came to me was a long time comin
Im an OG man, i just look this way
Ill do somethin to ya, i just look this way
I aint got enough face for my tear drop trails
Too many homies locked up to help em make bail
So i try to send em pictures, holla on tha phone
Try to keep em motivated til they make it home
Sometimes i feel like im locked up and im free
Sometimes i feel like its overwhelming being me
But i snap back and realize im built for this life
Everything you take from me imma get back twice

No problems and no failures, imma pro
Cuz the solutions for succeeding is all that i know

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of 8Ball & MJG's song "While We Here" serve as a reminder to live in the present moment and appreciate our loved ones while they are still here. The chorus emphasizes the importance of celebrating and expressing love to those close to us while we have the opportunity to do so. The verses, on the other hand, provide insights into the struggles and challenges that the artist faced in his life. The first verse highlights the importance of hard work and dedication and how it pays off in the end. The second verse is about the artist's childhood memories and the tragic loss of a friend.

Throughout the song, the artist reflects on his life and experiences and how they have shaped him into the person he is today. He talks about the challenges he faced and the obstacles he had to overcome, but also about the blessings and opportunities that came his way. The lyrics are honest and raw, and the artist uses his personal experiences to create a relatable and inspiring message.

Overall, "While We Here" is a powerful song about living in the present and valuing the people in our lives. It is a reminder to appreciate what we have and to stay motivated despite the challenges we face.

Line by Line Meaning

While we here lets celebrate
Let's enjoy life and make the most of our time here.

Dont do tomorrow what you could do today
Don't procrastinate, do what needs to be done today.

Tell somebody you love'em nigga
Express your love to someone while you still can.

It was a long hard struggle
My life has been difficult and full of challenges.

My life been a battlefield, but i keep fightin
I have faced many struggles in my life, but I continue to persevere.

Givin all that i got ta give, real is the only way that i try to live
I live my life with honesty and integrity, giving my all in everything I do.

Get mines like the next man gets his
I work hard to earn what I deserve, just like everyone else does.

A closed mouth never got fed
If you don't ask for what you need or want, you won't receive it.

Thats why im spittin now daddy, do it for the bread
I am making music and working hard for the money I earn.

I do it for the love, i do it for the??
I create music for the love of the art, and for the sake of expressing myself.

Matter fact i really do it for all the above
I create music for various reasons, including love, passion, and financial gain.

Im mild mannered but im hype on my records
In real life, I am calm and easy-going, but when it comes to music, I am passionate and energetic.

I try to separate real life from the records
I make a conscious effort to differentiate my personal life from my music career.

Most of the stuff that i rap about be facts
Many of the themes and situations I rap about are based on true events.

But dont mean that i still live like that
Just because I rap about certain situations doesn't mean I still experience them in my personal life.

A lot of paths, i no longer have to walk up out em
I have overcome many obstacles and no longer have to face the challenges I once did.

Im blessed to be a rapper, i get paid to talk about em
I am grateful to have a successful music career and be able to earn a living from it.

I aint got to keep a strap in my lap now
I no longer have to carry a gun with me for protection.

Thank god i can make it with this rap now
I am thankful that I can support myself and my family through my music career.

Summertime 1985, granmomma, grandaddy they were still alive
In the summer of 1985, my grandparents were still alive.

Me and my cousins playin the the yard
As children, my cousins and I played together in the yard.

Before a young nigga knew that life got hard
Before I realized how difficult life could be as a young person.

Years went by, now we in the streets
As we grew older, we spent more time in the streets.

They was in the trap and i was rappin over beats
My cousins got involved in illegal activities while I pursued a music career.

Jermaine, but everybody called him maine
My cousin had the name Jermaine, but was known as Maine by everyone.

On my birthday he got murdered and slain
On my birthday, my cousin Maine was killed.

???? now he the subject of my sad song
My cousin Maine is the inspiration for my emotional and melancholy music.

I miss him, we cant never bring him back
I feel a deep sense of loss and sadness for the death of my cousin, whom I can never bring back.

I wish he woulda asked me for them couple stacks damn
I regret not having the opportunity to give my cousin financial assistance before his death.

His momma look so hurt
My aunt (Maine's mother) appeared devastated and emotionally wounded after his death.

When she had to put her son body in tha dirt
My aunt had to bury her son after his death.

And i cried, i hope you listen to the words i speak
I felt immense sadness and emotional pain about the loss of my cousin, and I hope my music can convey my emotions effectively.

If one person get the picture thats good for me
If one person can understand the message and emotions conveyed in my music, I consider that a success.

Im not tryin to steal ya money
I am not trying to take your money.

Im not tryin to take ya woman
I am not trying to steal your girlfriend or wife.

Im just tryin to feed my family and take care of my momma
I am working hard to support my family and ensure my mother is taken care of.

Im a slave ever since they broke these chains i been runnin
Despite being free from physical slavery, I still feel constrained by societal expectations and systems.

Everything came to me was a long time comin
I have worked hard for everything I have achieved in my life and it has been a long journey.

Im an OG man, i just look this way
Despite my age, I am wise and experienced in life.

Ill do somethin to ya, i just look this way
I may appear unassuming, but I am capable of defending myself or taking action if necessary.

I aint got enough face for my tear drop trails
I have shed many tears in my life and have various emotional burdens.

Too many homies locked up to help em make bail
I have friends who are currently in jail or prison and cannot help them with bail money.

So i try to send em pictures, holla on tha phone
I keep in touch with my friends in jail through pictures and phone calls.

Try to keep em motivated til they make it home
I try to offer emotional support to my friends in jail and encourage them to stay hopeful until they are released.

Sometimes i feel like im locked up and im free
I feel emotionally trapped even though I am free and not in jail.

Sometimes i feel like its overwhelming being me
I feel the weight of my life's experiences and responsibilities taking a toll on me at times.

But i snap back and realize im built for this life
I have the resilience and strength to handle the challenges and struggles of my life.

Everything you take from me imma get back twice
Regardless of what I may lose in life, I am confident that I can regain twice as much.

No problems and no failures, imma pro
I am experienced and skilled enough to handle any situation and avoid failure.

Cuz the solutions for succeeding is all that i know
I have learned and developed effective strategies for success in various areas of my life.

Contributed by Miles P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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