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.
starships and rockets
8Ball & MJG Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Starships and Rockets in a world that don't give a damn
Bullets fly past me, who can I trust
A player doing the best I can
If you set yo' mind free baby
Maybe you'll understand
Starships and Rockets, in a world that don't give a damn
Verse 1 (Eightball):
As the sunsets, I take off my specs
Sit down and collect, my thoughts of another day in the past
How it don't last like it use to last
It's common place to get yo' ass splattered from a gun blast
Not trying to preach, just trying to reach out and feel me
I chose the righteous path and now people are out to kill me
Killing myself, advertising suicide
Explaining formulas for black on black genicides
In other words I apologize
Not for telling the truth, but about the lifestyle I glorified
Now everlying I have heard and seen much shit
But through it all man, I've always been a lyrisct
>From high school, to a hole in a wall, shotting pool
On top of the world, and a nigga still paying dues
Singing the blues, cause saturday morning mom bumped it
Love and happiness, Al Green and the Trumpets
Rolled up in my brain with that hay and hen
Using God giving talents, slanging wealth and sin
Lost in the clouds, drowing in that 80 proof
And all around me, my world is turning to
Chorus
Verse 2 (Eightball):
Look at the asteroids wizzing past you
Video taping everything with they cameras flashing
They caught me dashing out the studio, with the 2 inch tape
>From the hood to stage it just ain't no escape
>From the devil, no matter who you are it's hard to beat 'em
>From the TV that 'cha watching to the food that 'cha eating
We been jackomentally, by the enemy
And sometime the enemy could end up being kind to me
Space Age pimp flexing, detectixing plexing
Friends turn to foes trying to be slicker than Westin
Lessons get taught by the one's f**king up constantly
Pressured by they peers, distracted by they eyes and ears
Nigga's sell they souls trying to get the goals in
End up wonderin' were the bump in road end
Then again time won't stop tickin' away
You won't get shit if you don't get on up and get it today
New shit turn to old shit quick
While we killing each other trying to impress a bitch
Lost in the clouds, drowing in that 80 proof
And all around us, our world is turning to
Hook (Randy):
Starships and rockets in a world that don't give a damn
Bullets fly past me who can I trust
A player doing the best I can
If you set yo' mind free baby, maybe you'll understand (what)
Starships and rockets, in a world that don't give a damn, yeah, yeah
Don't 'cha know we got starships, and rockets
Got bullets all around me, yeah
A Can ya feel me, can ya' feel me
We're living, livin'
On Pluto, and Mars, and Mercury
Starships, and Rockets
Say everybody hear what I saaaaaaaay
Chorus
The song "Starships and Rockets" by 8Ball & MJG seems to reflect on the complicated and dangerous world we live in today. The lyrics in the chorus describe the harsh reality of living in a world where danger lurks with every bullet that flies by, but the player keeps pushing forward to do the best they can. The lyrics also seem to suggest that if we open up our minds, perhaps we can understand the complexities of this world a little better.
In verse one, the song touches on the issues of gun violence, suicide, and black-on-black crime. The rapper seems to apologize for glorifying this lifestyle in the past and is now trying to shed light on the issues that plague society. He talks about how he has always been a lyricist, paying his dues and singing the blues. He also touches on how love and happiness are sometimes hard to come by when the world is turning upside down.
In verse two, the song speaks to the corrupt nature of society, with everything from the food we eat to the TV we watch being manipulated by the enemy. The lyrics suggest that friends can turn into foes, and the devil is always lurking. The rapper talks about how we must be careful not to sell our souls just to achieve our goals, as we may end up wondering where the bumps in the road end up leading us.
Line by Line Meaning
Starships and Rockets in a world that don't give a damn
Life is like a futuristic and space-like world where people don't care about each other, similar to how we imagine starships and rockets traveling through space without concern for others.
Bullets fly past me, who can I trust
Amidst the dangers of life where one can easily get hurt or killed, it's hard to find someone trustworthy to rely on.
A player doing the best I can
I am trying my hardest to make it in this tough world, just like a skilled player would in a game.
If you set yo' mind free baby
Maybe you'll understand
If you clear your mind and look at things from a different perspective, you might see and comprehend the realities of the world.
As the sunsets, I take off my specs
At the end of the day, I take off my glasses and reflect on the events of the day.
Sit down and collect, my thoughts of another day in the past
I take a moment to gather my thoughts and reflect on the past day.
How it don't last like it use to last
The present moment doesn't compare to how good things used to be in the past.
It's common place to get yo' ass splattered from a gun blast
Getting shot and killed has become a common thing in the community.
Not trying to preach, just trying to reach out and feel me
I'm not trying to lecture anyone, just trying to make an emotional connection with my listeners.
I chose the righteous path and now people are out to kill me
I've chosen to live a respectable life, but even that can make me a target for violence.
Killing myself, advertising suicide
By living a dangerous and destructive lifestyle, I'm essentially signing my own death warrant.
In other words I apologize
Not for telling the truth, but about the lifestyle I glorified
I'm not apologizing for speaking the truth, but for glamorizing a lifestyle that is ultimately harmful and dangerous.
Now everylying I have heard and seen much shit
But through it all man, I've always been a lyricist
I've experienced and witnessed many negative things in my life, but I've always used my talent for writing and making music as a way to cope.
Friends turn to foes trying to be slicker than Westin
Friends can easily turn on each other in a competition to be the best or most successful, like trying to outdo the luxury hotel chain Weston.
End up wonderin' where the bump in road end
When we encounter obstacles and setbacks, we often wonder when they will finally be resolved and when we can move on.
Then again time won't stop tickin' away
You won't get shit if you don't get on up and get it today
Time keeps moving forward and opportunities won't wait for us, so we need to take action and seize the day.
While we killing each other trying to impress a bitch
People will go to extreme lengths to impress others, such as resorting to violence and killing one another.
Don't 'cha know we got starships, and rockets
Got bullets all around me, yeah
Life is filled with danger and violence, even while we imagine ourselves traveling through space in futuristic vehicles.
A Can ya feel me, can ya' feel me
Do you understand and relate to what I'm saying?
We're living, livin'
On Pluto, and Mars, and Mercury
Starships, and Rockets
We live our lives navigating through different experiences and challenges, in a way that feels like we're traveling through space to other planets.
Contributed by Jack H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.