MJG is only half of the dynamic duo of 8Ball and MJG, but in this case both halves are wholly talented. With a sound that has always been soulfully crafted, MJG is releasing a sophomore solo album that will shine amongst other hip hop gems. The Memphis born and bred rapper is also expanding his horizons by adding writing credits to his resume. MJG has plans to take over the music industry beat by beat and lyric by lyric and we have no choice but to sit back, press play and listen to him take over!

By Danielle Young

How did growing up in Memphis influence your sound?
A lot. Memphis is music city. There are musicians everywhere. I was in marching band in high school and so I came up around music all my life.

What instrument did you play?

Lead trumpet. I have plans to use horns in my music. I have used some [already], but more on a synthesizer. A lot of stuff I learned in band—reading music, learning notes—it all had me prepared for things I use in music today.

Why do you consider your music soul music?
I guess because I got soul coming out my asshole. I can’t help it. If I tried hard to be anything else, I wouldn’t be anything but soulful. It’s just the way it comes out. Maybe it's the good BBQ.

How did signing to Bad Boy affect you?
It was just one of those moves. We (8-ball and himself) already knew Diddy from back in the day. It was the next move at the time for us—just another experience. We had done some networking before and it kept everything going.

What prompted the move to Grand Hustle?
Well, that’s something different. It's the next best move for Ball and G. Being where we are in our careers; things have to make sense to us. Anything we do in the music business is not a lifetime venture. Each move is something different—just to stay relevant because at this point, a lot of other stuff that other artists do, we've done. Each move has to be unexpected. You never know what 8ball and MJG are going to do; but you do know you will see us.

Why did you decide to do your new album, This Might Be the Day solo after working with 8Ball for so long?

I'm a studio rat anyway. I am in there all the time writing and coming up with concepts. I felt like it was time. I always have material I’m working on and I figured now would be a good time. I didn’t want to leave any space unplugged. We're working on an album right now. 8ball's working on a Memphis collabo album. We’ve got another underground project in stores now called Pimp Type. It’s like a manual on the underground shit and pimpin’. We're just trying to fill in every plug. Our album is coming later on this year. It’s a blessing to still be relevant now. We just try to do different things and make different moves so we can press peoples’ buttons and keep them guessing with our names in their mouths.

How were you able to make music that didn't follow the industry mold and come into doing your own thing?
It was just us doing us. When we started off, we didn’t know what our sound was; we just knew we were 8ball and MJG. We had to kick back a few projects first to figure out who we were. The things we did and  how we came up influenced us; once we did that, we aligned ourselves musically and embraced the soulfulness in our music. We're still hip hop niggers, but we got soul with it. We always had our own influence where we were from. Our true love of hip hop bleeds out through our style. We are some genuine hip hop cats—it’s just that we come from music city—rhythm and blues, rock and roll, it all blends. Hip hop is more musical now; so that’s right up our alley.

You've worked with some BIG names in the game: Biggie, OutKast, Diddy, T-Pain...how does that make you feel as an artist?

All of them influence me in some way because being around for as long as I have, I understand their ups and downs. It’s a 360 degree process. If my career didn’t last this long, maybe I wouldn’t understand or appreciate it. By me being in the industry and knowing what goes in it, I can relate with what they've gone through.

Can we expect any collabos on This Might Be the Day?

I’ve got a song with Slim from 112. Of course 8Ball is up there. It’s mostly me, just expressing myself. It’s been a minute since my last solo drop and I got a lot to say.

What can we look forward to seeing in MJG’s future?

I've got a production company that I just kicked off called Space Age Beats. You'll be seeing a lot of stuff coming out on my label. I will do production for other artists. I’m joining Jazzy Pha’s writing team with The Dream. Look out for me and 8Ball all over the game—just putting ourselves out there. I’ve been here long enough. I want to stay a part of music and help it grow into what it’s going to be. So, that’s why in every shape, form and fashion; I want my hand in it.

Anything else you want to add or you  just want your fans to know?

Shout out to everyone that rides with me and 8ball. Look us up on myspace and check my website www.mjgmuzik.com to check out what I’m doing. Look out for 8Ball and MJG later this year and look out for projects coming soon. There will be three or four this year and we will continue to keep doing it. All the new comers, keep doing it. You can be where we at, it’s just a day away. Just work hard and put one foot in front of the other and look up you'll be there soon.