MJG, half of the pioneering Southern rap duo 8Ball & MJG, rarely branched o… Read Full Bio ↴MJG, half of the pioneering Southern rap duo 8Ball & MJG, rarely branched out for solo albums (e.g., No More Glory, 1997), yet his work with 8Ball proved influential, earning him a reputation as a living legend. Born Marlon Jermaine Goodwin, MJG grew up in the Orange Mound area of Memphis, TN, where he met 8Ball at Ridgeway Junior High School in 1984.

The two shared a passion for hip-hop, which hadn't yet made a strong impact in the South, and formed their own rap duo, 8Ball & MJG. They made their recording debut in 1991 with a three-track single, Listen to the Lyrics, released on cassette and 12" vinyl by On the Strength Records, an independent label. (These early recordings for On the Strength would later be reissued in 1997 as Lyrics of a Pimp and also in 2000 as Memphis Under World.) 8Ball & MJG subsequently signed a deal with Suave Records (aka Suave House), a Houston, TX-based label run by Tony Draper. 8Ball & MJG's debut full-length, Comin' Out Hard (1993), produced partly by MJG, was the inaugural release by Suave, which would grow to become one of the premier Southern rap labels of the decade. Now considered a milestone, Comin' Out Hard was among the first Southern rap albums to get widespread recognition, opening the door for other pioneers such as Three 6 Mafia, Master P, and Cash Money Records.

8Ball & MJG recorded a few additional albums for Tony Draper throughout the remainder of the decade -- On the Outside Looking In (1994), On Top of the World (1995), In Our Lifetime, Vol. 1 (1999) -- and did much to foster the growth of Suave, regularly being featured as guests on the label's other releases. Plus, 8Ball and MJG each branched out for solo projects, Lost (1998) and No More Glory (1997), respectively, both released by Suave. In 2000, 8Ball & MJG left Suave and switched to JCOR Entertainment, a short-lived rap label founded by Jay Faires, for the release of Space Age 4 Eva. The album, which notably featured production by Swizz Beatz and DJ Quik, was a departure for 8Ball & MJG, who heretofore had worked more or less exclusively with regional producers. The album spawned a pair of minor hits, "Pimp Hard" and "Buck Bounce," the duo's first to first to get national, opposed to regional, airplay. In 2001, JCOR released a pair of 8Ball albums -- The Slab, a various-artists compilation, and Almost Famous, a proper solo album -- but the label then ran into trouble and went out of business, leaving 8Ball & MJG without a recording contract.

After a couple years in limbo, Bad Boy Records, helmed by Diddy, picked up 8Ball & MJG and released Living Legends (2004), the duo's most star-studded album to date. "You Don't Want Drama," the lead single, became 8Ball & MJG's biggest hit ever, reaching number 30 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart, while Living Legends itself likewise became the duo's best-selling, debuting at number three on the Top 200 album chart and topping 500,000 in sales. 8Ball & MJG's second Bad Boy album, Ridin High (2007), was less successful, though, despite debuting well at number eight and spawning a strong lead single, "Relax and Take Notes."

Ball & MJG are now signed to T.I.s Grand Hustle lable.

MJG has released 2 solo Albums in 2008 titled Pimp Tight & This Might Be The Day.

Hip Hop Voodoo
MJG Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Voodoo 16x

I through a peper in your salt your a$$ is caught
like a candle I'm about to do some $hit that you can't handle it's a
scandle
it's a mystery on making history
about the one's who talk the $hit to me
saying that it don't sound like it's a hit to me

I fuck you up
and where those nigg@s who you runing with
they stuck you up
them nigg@s ugly and they dirty
but they ain't tough enough
paper bullin lookin hard and $hit
I ain't go break the label off the switch
phoney bltch it be that suave click
hard mind motha f#ckin nigg@s
with them hard dlcks
booted chin pretty a$$ nigg@s don't start $hit
numerous amounts of voodoo
giving me unlimited ways to do you
i pursue you
break you in half within the movement of my hands
stop you dead in your action before you even have a chance
who be the mand? I'm the mand witch doctor
big ol fat juicy pu$sy bltch knocker
stopin your heart with one stroke of the pin
I shorted you in and dehydration never gain
your spaghetti is spike
you just my bite the dust
ain't no friend to be a remede to trust you out of luck

Chorus
It be the hip hop voodoo
I got the power
to control your mind every minute every hour
you can't break free your a$$ is mind
strugle with the beats strangle with the rhymes
(2x)]

Verse
MJG is in your $hit go get a umberella
prepare for combat
you got to survive in all of the weather
so you don't won't that
a pimp nigga how do you figure I keep the buzz
I deliver $hit for the bltches a diamond doze
hell the sorcery movin a doin a proper ?
gotem marin like moroin and going a proper ??
you will adapt to the top of the ? of my empire
bushes of the greenery receive to get you hire
I bring to you
the real $hit
because things ain't allways what it seems to you
you feel this
them nigg@s will ride your nutz to be with you
and if it's
a situation he got to leave for you
he'll gank you
cause he just in it for the green for you
you need to
don't lend cheese to my fun raise
come out from
between trees if the sun raise
cause one day
you come face with the voodoo
you ain't true
it's gonna see right through you

Chorus

(Verse)
subtract them bustas like in mathematics
I sta factics with shysters blown away
with automatics
how long will it be before society to get the picture
ain't no victory out here trying to be the
bigger figure
making valable plenty charge for a grave digger
is it a reason or do we know?
the sensors tell us part of the story to keep us slow
know I tell through the ? the gate is now and order
I thought I saw a camera and damage the tape recorder
castin spells like tells from the suave side
where that nigg@ been through hell he might as well
listen $hit straight you mind yours I mind mine
ain't no meanin me to be walkin the fine line
you get zapped from the powers from pipppin form deep within
so take it as a lesson you will never be weak again
if you ever want to get out of place
I make space
we routy mo f*ckas who ran the wrong race

(Chorus till song goes off)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of MJG's "Hip Hop Voodoo" speak of his power over his opponents in the rap game, and how he is capable of controlling their minds and actions through the use of voodoo. The chorus repeatedly emphasizes the rapper's control, while the verses describe his methods and the consequences of his influence. The use of voodoo is a metaphor for the rapper's ability to overpower his competition in the industry, smothering their efforts to succeed and leaving them powerless. The lyrics allude to the treacherous and competitive nature of the music business, and exemplify the struggle for dominance between rappers.

Throughout the song, MJG uses explicit and forceful language to convey his dominance, and he constantly threatens those who attempt to challenge his status. He claims to be capable of breaking his opponents in half, and stopping them dead in their tracks. He also speaks of his connections with powerful individuals who can help him maintain his influence. The reference to the "suave click" suggests that he has aligned himself with an elite group of rappers who work together to maintain their position. The repeated use of the phrase "hip hop voodoo" serves to emphasize the idea of domination in the music industry, and how those who control the market are those who are truly successful.

Line by Line Meaning

Voodoo 16x
Repetition of the song title, indicating the theme of the song

I threw a pepper in your salt your a$$ is caught
I sabotaged you and now you're in trouble

Like a candle I'm about to do some $hit that you can't handle it's a scandal
I am about to do something that will cause chaos and you won't be able to handle it

It's a mystery on making history, about the one's who talk the $hit to me
It's a mystery what history will be created, but it's about those who talk bad about me

Saying that it don't sound like it's a hit to me
You're saying my music won't be successful, but I disagree

I fuck you up and where those nigg@s who you running with, they stuck you up
I will hurt you, and your friends won't help you

Them nigg@s ugly and they dirty but they ain't tough enough
Your friends are not strong enough to defeat me

Paper bullin looking hard and $hit, I ain't go break the label off the switch
You're trying to intimidate me, but it won't work

Phoney bltch it be that suave click, hard mind motha f#ckin nigg@s with them hard dlcks
You're fake, and I am part of a group of hard-minded people

Booted chin pretty a$$ nigg@s don't start $hit
You might look good, but you shouldn't mess with me

Numerous amounts of voodoo, giving me unlimited ways to do you, I pursue you
I have many ways to bring you down, and I will not stop until I do

Break you in half within the movement of my hands, stop you dead in your action before you even have a chance, who be the mand?
I can defeat you quickly and easily, and I am the one in charge

I'm the mand witch doctor, big ol fat juicy pu$sy bltch knocker
I am powerful like a witch doctor, and I can defeat anyone who tries to mess with me

Stopin your heart with one stroke of the pin, I shorted you in and dehydration never gain
I can kill you with just a pin and leave you dehydrated and weak

Your spaghetti is spike you just might bite the dust, ain't no friend to be a remedy to trust you out of luck
I have poisoned you, and you can't trust anyone to help you

Chorus It be the hip hop voodoo, I got the power to control your mind every minute every hour, you can't break free your a$$ is mind, struggle with the beats strangle with the rhymes
The hip hop voodoo gives me power to control you, and you will be trapped by the music

MJG is in your $hit, go get an umbrella, prepare for combat, you got to survive in all of the weather so you don't want that
I am here to cause trouble, so be prepared to fight and endure the consequences

A pimp nigga, how do you figure I keep the buzz, I deliver $hit for the bltches a diamond doze
I am a successful pimp, and I cater to the desires of my female clients

Hell the sorcery movin a doin a proper? gotem marin like moroin and going a proper??
I am performing powerful magic that is confusing and mysterious

You will adapt to the top of the ? of my empire, bushes of the greenery receive to get you hire
You will work under me and serve my empire

I bring to you the real $hit because things ain't always what it seems to you, you feel this
I show you what's really going on because you can't always trust what you see

Them nigg@s will ride your nutz to be with you and if it's a situation he got to leave for you, he'll gank you cause he just in it for the green for you, you need to
Your friends will only be with you for personal gain, so be careful

Don't lend cheese to my fun raise, come out from between trees if the sun raises, cause one day you come face with the voodoo, you ain't true, it's gonna see right through you
Don't interfere with my business, and be careful because you will face my wrath if you aren't loyal

Chorus
Reiteration of the power of hip hop voodoo and how it controls the mind

I sta factics with shysters blown away with automatics, how long will it be before society to get the picture, ain't no victory out here trying to be the bigger figure
I am fighting powerful enemies using weapons, but society won't understand the victory until later

Making valuable plenty charge for a grave digger, is it a reason or do we know?
It is important to charge enough to bury people, but do we know why?

The sensors tell us part of the story to keep us slow, know I tell through the gate is now and order, I thought I saw a camera and damage the tape recorder
The government is hiding things from us, but I am here to tell the truth even if it means destroying evidence

Casting spells like tells from the suave side, where that nigg@ been through hell he might as well listen $hit straight you mind yours I mind mine, ain't no meaning me to be walking the fine line
I can perform powerful magic like no one else, and I don't need to pretend to be good because I don't follow rules

You get zapped from the powers from pipping form deep within, so take it as a lesson you will never be weak again, if you ever want to get out of place I make space, we routy mo f*ckas who ran the wrong race
I can shock you with my powerful magic and make you stronger, but if you cross me, I will destroy you

Chorus till song goes off
Reiteration of the power of hip hop voodoo and how it controls the mind

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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