Ridin High

by Eightball & MJG

Overview

8ball & MJG (or Eightball & MJG, as they used to call themselves) have been the kings of Memphis rap for quite some time now, even going so far as to refer to themselves as "living legends." That's not exactly an overstatement. They've inspired countless Southern rappers and helped to foster a strong hip-hop community in their home city, and now, signed to Bad Boy Records, they're able to reach an even wider audience. Their second album on Diddy's label, Ridin High, is a super-produced tribute to the things the duo love best: drugs, money, and women (there's even a song titled "Alcohol Pussy Weed"). From the first single, "Relax and Take Notes" (featuring a Biggie line from "Dead Wrong," not any new material from the deceased rapper), to "Worldwide" to "30 Rock" (the only track to have a non-Southerner guest, this one being Mr. Combs himself), 8 and MJ rhyme their way through heavy synth crunk beats and smooth slow jams. Their lines aren't revolutionary -- the kind of typical braggadocio so much associated with hip-hop at this point -- but their delivery is fluid and well practiced, their cadences moving from singsongy triplets to rough and fast eighth notes easily, and only occasionally do their rhymes really fall short (the best example being, from the Jazze Pha-produced "Pimpin' Don't Fail Me Now," "I'm about to turn you inside out/I'm about to look into your heart though your mouth/With my dickoscope"). Listeners familiar with 8ball & MJG will probably be a little disappointed with Ridin High: it's more focused on club anthems than the group has been before, but it's this same thing that should make the album appeal to those looking for good, commercial Southern rap. The duo is aware of this transition, and the ever-growing popularity of their music and their audience, but they want to make sure everyone knows that that hasn't changed their lives or what they believe in. "I could give a muthaf*ck about a flow and hustle," 8 spits on "Memphis," which samples a short line from the Marc Cohn adult contemporary classic "Walking in Memphis." Maybe that's true, but mainstream success of a certain film, and a certain style, definitely won't hurt their album sales.

Product Details

Release Date:	03/13/2007
Label:	Bad Boy
UPC:	0075678397127
catalogNumber:	83971
Rank:	85066

Tracks

1. Intro
2. Relax and Take Notes
3. Ridin' High
4. Turn Up the Bump
5. Cruzin'
6. Whatchu Gonna Do
7. 30 Rocks
8. Bl*w J*b Interlude
9. Hickory Dickory Dock
10. Runnin' out of Bud
11. Clap On
12. Alcohol P***y W**D
13. Pimpin' Interlude
14. Pimpin' Don't Fail Me Now
15. Worldwide
16. Take It Off
17. Memphis
18. Get Low
19. Stand Up

Album Credits

Performance Credits

8ball & MJG   Primary Artist
Notorious B.I.G.   Guest Appearance
Juvenile   Guest Appearance
Three 6 Mafia   Guest Appearance
Nina Creque   Vocals
Kevin Hicks   Guitar
Shawty Redd   Various
Talleya Barbee   Vocals
Bigg D   Vocals
Carla Vanessa   Vocals
Dave Toliver   Vocals
Brandon 'Bizzy' Holeman   Guitar

Technical Credits

Marc Cohn   Composer
Howard White   Composer,Engineer
R. Kelly   Composer
Phalon Alexander   Composer
Sean "Puffy" Combs   Composer,Audio Production
DJ Toomp   Audio Production
Terry Davis   Composer
Money Mark   Audio Production
Mike "Hitman" Wilson   Engineer
Mario Winans   Composer,Audio Production
Chad Butler   Composer
MJG   Producer,Audio Production
Jazze Pha   Producer,Audio Production
Marvin Scandrick   Composer
DeWayne "Big Du" Martin   Composer,Producer,Audio Production
Baron "B-Rock" Agee   Composer,Producer,Audio Production
Paul Beauregard   Composer
Premro Smith   Composer
Aldrin Davis   Composer
Corey Evans   Composer
Harve Pierre   Executive Producer
Joshua Phillips   Engineer
Jordan Houston   Composer
Christopher Wallace   Composer
Shawty Redd   Audio Production
Co   Audio Production
Kenan Thompson   Producer,Audio Production
Jason Boyd   Composer
Andy Geel   Engineer
LVM   Audio Production
Lenny Mollings   Composer
Terius Gray   Composer
Alexis Seton   Engineer
Conrad Dimanche   Composer,Audio Production
Gorilla Tek   Audio Production
Midnight Black   Audio Production
Nico Solis   Composer,Engineer
DJ Nasty   Audio Production
Abbey Katz   Art Direction
Souldiggaz   Audio Production
Danja   Audio Production
Derrick Selby   Engineer
Thomas Bennett "Tom Cat"   Arranger,Engineer
Steve Fisher   Engineer
Bigg D   Producer
Johnny Mollings   Composer
C.K.P.   Audio Production
Michael Render   Composer
Shondrae "Mr. Bangladesh" Crawford   Audio Production
Alonzo Mathis   Composer,Producer,Audio Production
Marcella Araica   Engineer