MJG | en

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,...

8Ball & MJG is an American hip hop duo from Memphis, Tennessee consisting of Premrose Smith (8Ball) and Marlon Jermaine Goodwin (MJG). The two rappers met at Ridgeway Middle School in 1984. 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....