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.
Middle Of The Night
MJG Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Eightball and MJG space-age forever
[Eightball]
It was some what early, I was on my way
To get me some hay from my nigga in the Tray
And a four of that drank to go with my dank
It makes me lean all day
A dog want to hunt for a pack of fleas
Can I get me a freezy please
These H-Town freaks be a hundred degrees
It felt like a dream, sittin' on the lot at Dairy Queen
Very clean, in my dirty three pullin' machine
Jeans with tightly packed booty caught my eyes
My mind started to wonder about the prize between her thighs
She caught me lookin' grinnin'
Sharing my thoughts of late night sinnin'
Hey baby can I speak to you (Naw, naw you probably got plenty women)
Damn, how you gonna shoot a playa down
Before the conversation gets started baby
Ain't you done seen me and MJG on BET with J-O-E
Anyway, I wonder if we could set this thing off properly
Jet to one of my properties and blow a bag of that broccoli
Possibly, we could be, more than friends if you let it be
Imagine it, you and me, in the middle of the night
[Hook]
In the middle of the night, you can do it so right
You could feel real good, lay your head back
Inside my ride, put your hand on the wood, good
And tell me lil' something that I really want to hear, baby have no fear
I'll be oblige to the side of the mack of the year so bring it over here
In the middle of the night, you can do it so right
You could feel real good, lay your head back
Inside my ride, put your hand on the wood, good
And tell me lil' something that I really want to hear, baby have no fear
I'll be oblige to the side of the mack of the year so bring it over here
In the middle of the night
[MJG]
I was chillin' at the bar, girl gave me the eye
So I had to start a conversation took by vision of my bone
Made me feel this chick was on
She said (I'm bored I ain't did nothin but lay round the house all week)
And so I said in my mind
That's a line of a flat down straight up ho down freak
Then I pulled her to the side and I asked her what's up
She said (What's on ya mind)
I said well if ya thinkin' what I'm thinkin'
We straight ya ain't gonna waste my time
Then I shuffled to the bar
Done missed the stuff that was goin' at the affair
Then as I came to the corner of the wall
I noticed that the girl was just standin' there
And then she gave me a look
Not an ordinary look but a look that made me thank
Did she want to romance, did she want to hit and run
Man, she out to try to count my bank
Now I was sippin' on the Hen and she approached me again
Choosin' on the playa with a grin, telling her friend
(Girl, I'ma be a lil' late gettin' in)
Now I was feelin' kind of hot in the spot
Gotta figure out a way to get my temperature down
Hit the town, ran a red to the hip without a flip
Without all these windows is around
Let's me and you do what we gotta do to get through
The rest of this episode, hold on tight
Let's re-write in the middle of the night
[Hook]
[MJG]
I'm on late night mission top let down
That's the way I gotta flip when I be
Feelin' 'ike I want to take a dip in the wind
Night-life livin' all the way to the end
It's just something bout the moon and the stars
And the dark blue sky that turns me on
I be chillin' in the day by the time somthing down
Gotta get better believe I'm gone
Now you can call me the vampire type
Batman livin' in a cave no lights
Seem too bright MJ outta sight
Never gotta fuss plus I never gotta fight
I might make another round through the Mound
Gotta get a sack of hay to make my trip complete
Look at all the women still hangin' in the streets
Temptation is an animal hard for me to beat
But as I creep through the midnight
Checkin' out the few tail I'd like to get right quick
Got my hand on my tone if a crook try to get me
Then a crook gonna wind up sick
I need to find a way to spend my time
Situation dirty, gotta erase my mind
Hangin' out to dry like clothes on a line
Everything fine, just like wine
Ain't nothin' shakin' but the leaves in the trees
Young women knees in a fresh set of keys
Now I'm fixin' to break em' to the birds and the bees
MJ put the P in tha ABC
In the morning I'ma stay up in the bed
Reaching for the cup filled up with ice
Blend it in with that H2O coolin' me off from my flight
[Hook x3]
The song "Middle of the Night" by MJG and Eightball is a classic hip-hop ode to late-night adventures. The lyrics detail the experiences of the two artists as they roam around their city at night, seeking excitement and companionship. Eightball opens the song with a description of his day, which includes buying drugs and cruising the streets. He then zeroes in on a woman he desires, fantasizing about spending the night with her. MJG takes over for the second verse, recounting his own encounter with a woman who catches his eye in a bar. He also expresses his love for the dark, quiet hours of the night, and the freedom they provide.
The chorus of the song sums up its theme perfectly: "In the middle of the night, you can do it so right/You could feel real good, lay your head back/Inside my ride, put your hand on the wood, good/And tell me lil' something that I really want to hear, baby have no fear/I'll be oblige to the side of the mack of the year so bring it over here." This chorus encapsulates the idea of seizing the night, of taking advantage of the cover of darkness to pursue pleasure and adventure.
Line by Line Meaning
It was some what early, I was on my way
To get me some hay from my nigga in the Tray
I was up early and heading to my friend's place in the Tray to buy some weed.
And a four of that drank to go with my dank
It makes me lean all day
I also bought some alcohol to go with the weed and it keeps me feeling high throughout the day.
About three, I'm full of them trees
A dog want to hunt for a pack of fleas
By around 3 PM, I've smoked a lot of weed and my mind starts to wander aimlessly.
Can I get me a freezy please
These H-Town freaks be a hundred degrees
I ask for a slushy drink to cool down in the heat of Houston, but the girls here are too hot to handle.
It felt like a dream, sittin' on the lot at Dairy Queen
Very clean, in my dirty three pullin' machine
I had a surreal moment sitting in my car at Dairy Queen, which was clean even though my car was dirty.
Jeans with tightly packed booty caught my eyes
My mind started to wonder about the prize between her thighs
A woman with tight jeans and a well-shaped booty caught my attention and I started imagining what it would be like to sleep with her.
She caught me lookin' grinnin'
Sharing my thoughts of late night sinnin'
She saw me smiling while I had lustful thoughts about her and I didn't mind sharing those thoughts with her.
Hey baby can I speak to you (Naw, naw you probably got plenty women)
Damn, how you gonna shoot a playa down
I tried to talk to her but she refused, assuming that I already have a lot of women in my life, which disappointed me.
Before the conversation gets started baby
Ain't you done seen me and MJG on BET with J-O-E
I was hoping to start a conversation before she could judge me, but I reminded her of my fame on BET with my colleague MJG.
Anyway, I wonder if we could set this thing off properly
Jet to one of my properties and blow a bag of that broccoli
Anyway, I was still interested in her and wondered if we could hang out at one of my properties and smoke weed together.
Possibly, we could be, more than friends if you let it be
Imagine it, you and me, in the middle of the night
There was a possibility that we could hook up and be more than friends if she was willing to let it happen. I imagined us together in the middle of the night.
I was chillin' at the bar, girl gave me the eye
So I had to start a conversation took by vision of my bone
I was hanging out at a bar when a woman gave me a flirtatious look. I had to start a conversation because I was getting aroused.
Made me feel this chick was on
She said (I'm bored I ain't did nothin but lay round the house all week)
She made me feel like she was interested in me and told me that she had been bored and cooped up in her house all week.
And so I said in my mind
That's a line of a flat down straight up ho down freak
I thought to myself that she was trying to seduce me by portraying herself as a bored woman who needed some excitement, but I suspected she was actually a promiscuous woman.
Then I pulled her to the side and I asked her what's up
She said (What's on ya mind)
I took her aside and asked her what she was thinking. She expressed curiosity about what was going on in my mind.
I said well if ya thinkin' what I'm thinkin'
We straight ya ain't gonna waste my time
I suggested that if she was thinking the same thing I was, we should get together and not waste any time.
Then I shuffled to the bar
Done missed the stuff that was goin' at the affair
I went to the bar, but I missed out on some fun stuff that was happening at the party I was attending.
And then she gave me a look
Not an ordinary look but a look that made me thank
She gave me a look that was not ordinary but made me feel grateful and lucky to have her attention.
Did she want to romance, did she want to hit and run
Man, she out to try to count my bank
I wasn't sure if she wanted a real romantic relationship or just a fling, but I suspected she was more interested in my money than anything else.
Now I was sippin' on the Hen and she approached me again
Choosin' on the playa with a grin, telling her friend
I was sipping on Hennessy when she came back to talk to me. She was choosing me like a player and had a smile on her face while telling her friend about me.
(Girl, I'ma be a lil' late gettin' in)
Now I was feelin' kind of hot in the spot
She told her friend she would be a little late coming back and I was feeling overheated in the crowded space.
Gotta figure out a way to get my temperature down
Hit the town, ran a red to the hip without a flip
I had to find a way to cool down, so I went out for a drive. I even ran a red light to get to a happening spot quickly and recklessly.
Without all these windows is around
Let's me and you do what we gotta do to get through
The rest of this episode, hold on tight
Let's re-write in the middle of the night
Without any distractions, I suggested that we get intimate and do what we have to do to get through the rest of the night. I wanted to start fresh with her in the middle of the night.
I'm on late night mission top let down
That's the way I gotta flip when I be
Feelin' 'ike I want to take a dip in the wind
I'm on a late-night mission to relax and let go. That's the way I act when I feel like being carefree and enjoying myself.
Night-life livin' all the way to the end
It's just something bout the moon and the stars
And the dark blue sky that turns me on
I love the nightlife, and it's something that I'll always enjoy until the end of my life. The beauty of the moon and stars and the dark blue sky turns me on.
I be chillin' in the day by the time somthing down
Gotta get better believe I'm gone
I'm relaxed during the day, but once the night sets in, I'm ready to party and get wild.
Now you can call me the vampire type
Batman livin' in a cave no lights
I behave like a vampire or Batman, living in a dark cave without the light.
Seem too bright MJ outta sight
Never gotta fuss plus I never gotta fight
The brightness of the lights can be overwhelming, but I'm out of sight. I don't fuss or fight because I'm chill like that.
I might make another round through the Mound
Gotta get a sack of hay to make my trip complete
I might take another round through the Mound area to get some more weed to make my night complete.
Look at all the women still hangin' in the streets
Temptation is an animal hard for me to beat
I see a lot of women still out and about, and it's hard for me to resist temptation and not give in to my lustful desires.
But as I creep through the midnight
Checkin' out the few tail I'd like to get right quick
As I move through the night, I keep my eyes open for a woman that catches my fancy.
Got my hand on my tone if a crook try to get me
Then a crook gonna wind up sick
I keep my hand on my gun in case a thief tries to rob me. If they do, they'll regret it.
I need to find a way to spend my time
Situation dirty, gotta erase my mind
I need to find something to occupy my mind, as my mental state is cluttered and dirty.
Hangin' out to dry like clothes on a line
Everything fine, just like wine
I feel like I'm hanging out to dry, but things are still good, just like aged wine.
Ain't nothin' shakin' but the leaves in the trees
Young women knees in a fresh set of keys
There's not much going on, but the leaves rustling in the trees. I see young women with fresh keys to their cars.
Now I'm fixin' to break em' to the birds and the bees
MJ put the P in tha ABC
I'm ready to hook up with the women and get intimate. I'm an expert at sex, as I'm known for putting the 'P' in the 'ABC' of sex.
In the morning I'ma stay up in the bed
Reaching for the cup filled up with ice
Blend it in with that H2O coolin' me off from my flight
The next morning, I plan to stay in bed and drink a cup of water with some ice to cool off after a long and eventful night.
[Hook x3]
The hook repeats about being in the middle of the night, feeling good, and getting intimate with someone in a car.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PREMRO VONZELLAIRE SMITH, M. GOODWIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind