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.
Confessions
Eightball & MJG Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hard
Yea yea sittin' looking out my window the streets I see ain't pretty
Sometimes I wonder if I was born rich with plenty
Money, and everyday was sunny didn't no rain fall
Life was beautiful like the colors of a rainbow
Would I be the same prim row all my niggas know
What if I never witnessed killings with my own two eyes
Bussin' leave they own folks layin' in the street to die
Life without respective if every second I was shakin'
Cause I injected dope in my veins
Divide and strain could I describe pain could I
Describe livin' life without desire mayne
Could I survive if I couldn't rap or entertain alive
And free you can't beat it
Who can you blame my world is like a picture and the frame
The picture might change but the frame stays the same
Hustling waiting on tomorrow
Living life in the fast lane
Cause no one ever knows
No one ever knows
Sitting here waiting on tomorrow
Putting paper away
Cause no one ever knows
No one ever knows
What if you was on the other end of the bullet
When a killer wanna pull it would it seem like
The light flash in front of your face
Or would you run real slow like I ran in my dream like
Just the other day I tried to be a hero but it wasn't the side of me
Or maybe it just wasn't the time to be but if the shoe had to fit then I would be
Ahead of the game playin' the part I bring it all into the light from out of the dark
I hit the bat into the ball and out of the park
And live with the question alone that's meddlin' hard
What if you had to live under the bridge and do anything just to feed your kids
Think about that and the deed you did the first thing that impress me kid
Oh yes you did and I ain't even tryna choke your chain or pull your leg
And I ain't even tryna fuck with your head and I ain't even tryna sweat this shit
Just spit these messages cause I'm blessed with it
What if you had the chance to be able to switch hands with me or anyone you see
And if you really wanna take it deep this shit not quanum to me
For one and each and each and all for the sci-fi mat more religious superstitious
Politicious and all the listeners with us this shit be cold as Christmas
So put your head to the sky say a prayer for the sick and the old the young and the weak
For the bombs and the single moms with six kids askin' for something to eat
Hustling waiting on tomorrow
Living life in the fast lane
Cause no one ever knows
No one ever knows
Sitting here waiting on tomorrow
Putting paper away
Cause no one ever knows
No one ever knows
And when you get up they seem to hold you down
Down to the ground gotta stay focused with your eyes opened wide
See the sun rise I keep my hands on the steering wheel when I'm creepin' up 75
(woo woo woo) changing lanes on the regular talkin' on my cellular fast
Watching cause they wanna take me away
I'm just trying to feed my babies face
But I'm just hustling I'm waiting on tomorrow
Living life in the fast lane
Cause no one ever knows
No one ever knows
Sitting here waiting on tomorrow
Putting paper away
Cause no one ever knows
No one ever knows
And the only way is to keep your head on right
Oh yea
The lyrics to Eightball & MJG's song Confessions is a reflection of the artists' introspection about their lives and the struggles they have gone through. The first verse begins with the artist wondering if he would be the same person if he was born rich and never had to deal with the hardships of life. He later reflects on the killings he has witnessed and if he could survive without music or drugs.
In the second verse, the artist poses a series of "what if" questions, urging the listeners to think about different scenarios and challenges that people face in life. He talks about being a hero, living under a bridge, and the struggles that single mothers face. The song ends with a chorus that emphasizes the uncertainty of life and the need to stay focused and take one day at a time.
The song highlights the struggles and challenges faced by people in their daily lives, such as poverty, violence, and addiction. It encourages listeners to reflect on their own lives and appreciate what they have while striving to be better.
Line by Line Meaning
And it's hard
Life is tough.
Yea yea sittin' looking out my window the streets I see ain't pretty
The streets outside are filled with hardship and struggles.
Sometimes I wonder if I was born rich with plenty Money, and everyday was sunny didn't no rain fall Life was beautiful like the colors of a rainbow Would I be the same prim row all my niggas know
If I were born rich and without struggles, would I be the same person to my friends?
If I didn't have to learn to beat them streets and get that dough What if I never witnessed killings with my own two eyes Bussin' leave they own folks layin' in the street to die Life without respective if every second I was shakin' Cause I injected dope in my veins Divide and strain could I describe pain could I Describe livin' life without desire mayne Could I survive if I couldn't rap or entertain alive And free you can't beat it Who can you blame my world is like a picture and the frame The picture might change but the frame stays the same
If I didn't have the experiences of the streets, would I have a different life? How would I handle living without hope or without my creative talents? Is it fair to blame the world for my struggles?
What if you was on the other end of the bullet When a killer wanna pull it would it seem like The light flash in front of your face Or would you run real slow like I ran in my dream like Just the other day I tried to be a hero but it wasn't the side of me Or maybe it just wasn't the time to be but if the shoe had to fit then I would be Ahead of the game playin' the part I bring it all into the light from out of the dark I hit the bat into the ball and out of the park And live with the question alone that's meddlin' hard What if you had to live under the bridge and do anything just to feed your kids Think about that and the deed you did the first thing that impress me kid Oh yes you did and I ain't even tryna choke your chain or pull your leg And I ain't even tryna fuck with your head and I ain't even tryna sweat this shit Just spit these messages cause I'm blessed with it What if you had the chance to be able to switch hands with me or anyone you see And if you really wanna take it deep this shit not quanum to me For one and each and each and all for the sci-fi mat more religious superstitious Politicious and all the listeners with us this shit be cold as Christmas So put your head to the sky say a prayer for the sick and the old the young and the weak For the bombs and the single moms with six kids askin' for something to eat
What if you were on the receiving end of violence or poverty? How would you react? How would you provide for your kids? This life is complex and affects all people, regardless of beliefs, status, or politics. Take a moment to hope for those in need.
And when you get up they seem to hold you down Down to the ground gotta stay focused with your eyes opened wide See the sun rise I keep my hands on the steering wheel when I'm creepin' up 75 (woo woo woo) changing lanes on the regular talkin' on my cellular fast Watching cause they wanna take me away I'm just trying to feed my babies face But I'm just hustling I'm waiting on tomorrow
Life can seem like it's trying to bring you down, but you have to stay focused and keep moving. I'm just trying to provide for my family, even though it feels like the world is against me.
The only way is to keep your head on right Oh yea
The only way to keep moving forward is to keep a level head and stay positive.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network
Written by: MAURICE ERNEST GIBB, ROBIN HUGH GIBB, PREMRO VONZELLAIRE SMITH, ANDRE CHRISTOPHER LYON, MARCELLO VALENZANO, BARRY ALAN GIBB, MARLON J. GOODWIN, JASON P. D. BOYD
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