8Ball & MJG: Back To The Future
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8Ball & MJG’s debut album, Comin’ Out Hard dropped in 1993. If you do some quick math, and factor in the half dozen or so underground projects released on OTS Records, it’s clear their career is older than some of the people reading this right now. Despite losing at least a portion of their publishing while with OTS and Suave House, you’ve never heard them complain about album sales. They haven't been on the charts in over three years (2007’s Ridin’ High peaked at number eight on Billboard’s Rap/R&B charts either because of or despite Sean Combs—depending on whom you ask).
They pioneered the term “Space Age Pimpin’,” but their methodology is definitely pre-Buzz Aldrin. They perform with a live band, and are one of the few bands and who meet their fans face-to-face as opposed to bombarding them with a month’s worth of “freestyles” via the Internet. When asked how they’ve adapted to “new media” (something most labels have a whole department dedicated to), 8Ball admits that, in a lot of ways, they haven’t. The emcee that registered his Twitter account under “GoldMouthElvis” says he tweets his over 1,200 followers “only when necessary.” And his partner (PimpTypeMJG for those following) has a paltry eight followers. So how do they do it?
They’re certified Hip Hop heads. During an April visit to their non-descript studio in Memphis, the only thing signaling the presence of a legendary Rap duo were the two blacked out SUV’s. There were no diva-like tour rider requests and there was no entourage. Amid the nearly constant chain of blunts rolled were runs to the local Sonic, talk of Guru’s passing and the construction of a few beats for future projects. True to the chorus of their 1999 hit, they started this shit and have every intention on finishing it.
HipHopDX: Most of us have followed you from Suave House to JCor, Bad Boy, and so on. What makes E1 Entertainment the ideal situation at this time?
8Ball: What makes it ideal is that we’re not artists on Grand Hustle [Records]. We have a deal with 8Ball & MJG and Grand Hustle and then a distribution deal with E1. It gives us control over a lot more things than just music.
DX: A lot has been made of the partnership with T.I. and Grand Hustle, was the song "Bezzle" the first time you guys worked together?
MJG: I think kind of, unofficially. Didn’t y’all do something?
8Ball: Yeah, I think “Look At The Grillz” was the first one.
MJG: But we had always been around Tip, and he was around us. We were in Atlanta doing a lot of recording. Back when he was a younger cat, he was always around the studio. So we were already kind of mingling on that type of tip. But, “Look At The Grillz” was the first official thing.
DX:You guys make no secret that you weren't happy with the business end on your first deals. Does that affect how you deal artists under you like Hillcrunk or Rock Dillon.
8Ball: Definitely. Every experience that we’ve had, from Suave [House] to JCor to Bad Boy, and even now, is still a learning experience. As far as our labels, or whatever we do in the future, all of that was learning for us. Now, in order to do some of the stuff we did at Suave, you have to be in a different mind frame. Most of the stuff I learned from Bad Boy, I might use in the future with my artists. With 8 Ways, I’m more trying to build my own lane and keep it a certain way.
DX: Does the same apply with you and Space Age Entertainment, MJG?
MJG: Yeah. I just want to be big in Rap and R&B. I’m just writing, doing my own projects and do different things. We just want to make quality stuff and stand the test of time like we have. It’s an avenue to keep this type of stuff out there.
Read the whole interview here.......................
http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/interviews/id.1536
They pioneered the term “Space Age Pimpin’,” but their methodology is definitely pre-Buzz Aldrin. They perform with a live band, and are one of the few bands and who meet their fans face-to-face as opposed to bombarding them with a month’s worth of “freestyles” via the Internet. When asked how they’ve adapted to “new media” (something most labels have a whole department dedicated to), 8Ball admits that, in a lot of ways, they haven’t. The emcee that registered his Twitter account under “GoldMouthElvis” says he tweets his over 1,200 followers “only when necessary.” And his partner (PimpTypeMJG for those following) has a paltry eight followers. So how do they do it?
They’re certified Hip Hop heads. During an April visit to their non-descript studio in Memphis, the only thing signaling the presence of a legendary Rap duo were the two blacked out SUV’s. There were no diva-like tour rider requests and there was no entourage. Amid the nearly constant chain of blunts rolled were runs to the local Sonic, talk of Guru’s passing and the construction of a few beats for future projects. True to the chorus of their 1999 hit, they started this shit and have every intention on finishing it.
HipHopDX: Most of us have followed you from Suave House to JCor, Bad Boy, and so on. What makes E1 Entertainment the ideal situation at this time?
8Ball: What makes it ideal is that we’re not artists on Grand Hustle [Records]. We have a deal with 8Ball & MJG and Grand Hustle and then a distribution deal with E1. It gives us control over a lot more things than just music.
DX: A lot has been made of the partnership with T.I. and Grand Hustle, was the song "Bezzle" the first time you guys worked together?
MJG: I think kind of, unofficially. Didn’t y’all do something?
8Ball: Yeah, I think “Look At The Grillz” was the first one.
MJG: But we had always been around Tip, and he was around us. We were in Atlanta doing a lot of recording. Back when he was a younger cat, he was always around the studio. So we were already kind of mingling on that type of tip. But, “Look At The Grillz” was the first official thing.
DX:You guys make no secret that you weren't happy with the business end on your first deals. Does that affect how you deal artists under you like Hillcrunk or Rock Dillon.
8Ball: Definitely. Every experience that we’ve had, from Suave [House] to JCor to Bad Boy, and even now, is still a learning experience. As far as our labels, or whatever we do in the future, all of that was learning for us. Now, in order to do some of the stuff we did at Suave, you have to be in a different mind frame. Most of the stuff I learned from Bad Boy, I might use in the future with my artists. With 8 Ways, I’m more trying to build my own lane and keep it a certain way.
DX: Does the same apply with you and Space Age Entertainment, MJG?
MJG: Yeah. I just want to be big in Rap and R&B. I’m just writing, doing my own projects and do different things. We just want to make quality stuff and stand the test of time like we have. It’s an avenue to keep this type of stuff out there.
Read the whole interview here.......................
http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/interviews/id.1536
