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.
You Know
8Ball & MJG Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bout that real shit and bout these shady ass hoes
I hit the block when I was 12 and I ain't never leavin'
Kept a grip and kept on tippin' right through drought season
Never been a hater even at my lowest level
Some niggaz get some change and sell they soul to the Devil
I'm drinkin' Dom, man I'm chiefin' on some green sticky
Space Age Pimpin' and my real niggaz rollin' with me
Got 'Tel two-way transmittin' on my hip
Keep it real with them niggaz that be real with me
Orange Mile forever reppin' Memphis, Tennessee - MJG
Him and me, me and him, that's how we rolled
Over ten million records sold, Platinum and Gold
We broke the mold, ain't no duplicatin' the two
Who makin' hit shit in clutch situations
And demonstratin' the real quality of a team which consists of
Eightball & MJG, we do this shit 'cause it feel good
First of all, we sacrificed for it
But afford it, then motherfuckers sheist for it
In the jungle of concrete just within one beat
Of the heart you can be taken apart
Ain't no regret but scars from my battlin' hard tactics
I think I'll roll with the paper, you can keep the plastic
[Chorus]
I know you niggaz got doe
I saw you in them videos
I know you niggaz stay high
I saw you at the club right?
I know you niggaz keep hoes
I saw you with them freak hoes
I know you niggaz got it made
I saw you on the front page
I've seen a lot of niggaz come and go
Saw some shit fall and seen a lot of shit grow
Money here, money gone like a magic trick
Real hustlers hustle with or without that shit
I get my grind on daily 'cause I wanna see
Me and my niggaz gettin' paid 'til we elderly
And it ain't hard if we all put that work in
Keep it twerkin 'til they close the fuckin' curtains
We all dream and we all have fantasies
Every nigga wanna buy that house for mama G
But life is like a roll of the dice, right
Sometimes you win and sometimes you just might
Lose it all, fucked up sick and don't know what to do
That's when you find out who really down to bust for you
I rock and roll from my heart and let my soul glow
And don't worry about what a nigga think he know, ya know?
[Chorus]
Nothin' but 24/7 - 365
Eleven to eleven I be off in the fire
Of this revolution, the solution is what I'm spittin'
Fat stacks of green backs is what I'm gettin'
Jaw bones and microphones, that's what I'm hittin'
I'm hangin' on the edge of the cliff with no mittens
Thick flickin', chrome smokin', preferred potion
Man will never touch my flow, deep as the ocean
When you go down too far and you - can't seem to light
Best to look out for that pressure baby, it bust pipes
I got too much fight - in my heart, body, my insight
Is magnifyed a thousand times, more than the average guys
My status lies right before you with no disguise
The black mack is here to step up and so I rise
My shit has gone way past cold, it's freeze dry
One brain can't do what I do, you need five
[Chorus]
The lyrics of "I know U" by 8Ball & MJG describe their lives as successful rappers. The lyrics begin with Eightball asserting that he has kept it real throughout his life, never abandoning his roots, while rapping about the rough lifestyle in the streets. He mentions his success in the music industry, highlighting his team's accomplishments and their ability to make hit songs. However, MJG suggests that their success does not come easily. While they have sacrificed a lot and worked hard to achieve the high life, others try to steal their hard-earned fortune. The chorus emphasizes that they recognize the lifestyles of other successful rappers they come across.
The second verse of the song describes the struggles they faced before their success in the music industry, as they watched other rappers make it and then fall off. They acknowledge that they work every day to keep their status and support the people in their lives. The lyricist then emphasizes that life is unpredictable, and success is not always guaranteed regardless of how hard you hustle, but what is more important is knowing who is there for you in tough times. The last verse speaks to their dedication to their music and the craft, which MJG considers a revolution that requires him to stay alert and always improving.
Line by Line Meaning
Eightball, the one you know from bustin' flows
I am Eightball, known for my rapping skills
Bout that real shit and bout these shady ass hoes
I rap about real life situations and also about fake women
I hit the block when I was 12 and I ain't never leavin'
I started hustling at a young age and I'm still in the game
Kept a grip and kept on tippin' right through drought season
I held on to my money and kept hustling even in hard times
Never been a hater even at my lowest level
I have never been jealous of others, even when I had less
Some niggaz get some change and sell they soul to the Devil
Some people change for the worse when they become successful
I'm drinkin' Dom, man I'm chiefin' on some green sticky
I am drinking Dom Perignon champagne and smoking marijuana
Space Age Pimpin' and my real niggaz rollin' with me
I am a pimp and I'm with my loyal friends
Glocks and K's and Rugers with the rubber grip
I carry guns with rubber grips for protection
Got 'Tel two-way transmittin' on my hip
I have a two-way pager on my side
Keep it real with them niggaz that be real with me
I stay true to my real friends
Orange Mile forever reppin' Memphis, Tennessee - MJG
I represent Memphis, Tennessee and will always do so
Him and me, me and him, that's how we rolled
Eightball and I always stick together
Over ten million records sold, Platinum and Gold
We have achieved great commercial success
We broke the mold, ain't no duplicatin' the two
We are unique and cannot be copied
Who makin' hit shit in clutch situations
We make great music even under pressure
And demonstratin' the real quality of a team which consists of
We are demonstrating what a true team should be
Eightball & MJG, we do this shit 'cause it feel good
We make music because we enjoy it
First of all, we sacrificed for it
We worked hard and made sacrifices to get where we are
But afford it, then motherfuckers sheist for it
As soon as we became successful, people tried to take advantage of us
In the jungle of concrete just within one beat
Life in the city is challenging
Of the heart you can be taken apart
It is easy to get emotionally hurt
Ain't no regret but scars from my battlin' hard tactics
I have no regrets but have been through tough times
I think I'll roll with the paper, you can keep the plastic
I prefer to deal with cash and not credit
[Chorus]
This is the chorus of the song
I know you niggaz got doe
I know you guys have money
I saw you in them videos
I saw you in music videos
I know you niggaz stay high
I know you guys smoke marijuana
I saw you at the club right?
I saw you at the nightclub, correct?
I know you niggaz keep hoes
I know you guys have women with you
I saw you with them freak hoes
I saw you with those wild women
I know you niggaz got it made
I know you guys are doing well
I saw you on the front page
I saw you on the front page of a newspaper or magazine
I've seen a lot of niggaz come and go
I have seen many people enter and exit the music industry
Saw some shit fall and seen a lot of shit grow
I have seen some things decline and others rise
Money here, money gone like a magic trick
Money can come and go quickly
Real hustlers hustle with or without that shit
True hustlers work hard regardless of their financial situation
I get my grind on daily 'cause I wanna see
I work hard every day because I want to succeed
Me and my niggaz gettin' paid 'til we elderly
My friends and I will continue to make money even when we are old
And it ain't hard if we all put that work in
Success is achievable if we all work hard
Keep it twerkin 'til they close the fuckin' curtains
We will keep going until the end
We all dream and we all have fantasies
We all have aspirations and desires
Every nigga wanna buy that house for mama G
We all want to provide for our families
But life is like a roll of the dice, right
But life is unpredictable
Sometimes you win and sometimes you just might
Sometimes things go well, sometimes not
Lose it all, fucked up sick and don't know what to do
When you lose everything, it can be devastating
That's when you find out who really down to bust for you
That is when you find out who your true friends are
I rock and roll from my heart and let my soul glow
I make music full of passion and soul
And don't worry about what a nigga think he know, ya know?
I don't care about what others think they know
Nothin' but 24/7 - 365
I work hard every day of the year
Eleven to eleven I be off in the fire
I work long hours
Of this revolution, the solution is what I'm spittin'
My rap lyrics are revolutionary and provide solutions
Fat stacks of green backs is what I'm gettin'
I am making a lot of money
Jaw bones and microphones, that's what I'm hittin'
I am rapping into a microphone
I'm hangin' on the edge of the cliff with no mittens
I am taking big risks without proper protection
Thick flickin', chrome smokin', preferred potion
I am smoking a lot of marijuana
Man will never touch my flow, deep as the ocean
No one can match my rapping style
When you go down too far and you - can't seem to light
When you hit rock bottom and can't seem to recover
Best to look out for that pressure baby, it bust pipes
You need to be careful of stress or it can break you
I got too much fight - in my heart, body, my insight
I am a fighter and have a lot of determination
Is magnifyed a thousand times, more than the average guys
I have an exceptional talent and drive
My status lies right before you with no disguise
My success is obvious and genuine
The black mack is here to step up and so I rise
I am here to take things to the next level and succeed
My shit has gone way past cold, it's freeze dry
My talent has surpassed expectations
One brain can't do what I do, you need five
It takes multiple people to match my talent and drive
[Chorus]
This is the chorus of the song
Lyrics © Royalty Network, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: G. SMITH, S. SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
thizaman1972
I always gon love Ball and MJG Memphis’ own legends
CLyde MOntgomery
Mane you gotta love these catz they been solid
ray wright
that's fire
BK ALLDAY
Can't front,idigging this Jawn
Brian Palmer-Lee
Real shit
FaZe_Michael3
hell yes