Keep Your Mind - Musica

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. read less