Unfortunately with no publicity before this album dropped in January and no press kit to accompany this review, I’m a bit perplexed as to how this release came about. In that respect “Classic Pimpin'” is a love letter to all of the people who ride for the Orange Mound duo from Memphis. While OutKast lapped up the critical acclaim and UGK fans still continue to mourn the late Pimp C, both of those groups have been inactive longer than Ball & G yet seem to get more love in the mainstream. Speaking personally for a moment that was disappointing to me as I’ve long considered 8Ball & MJG to be one of the most underrated and overlooked Southern rap acts. In the interim both artists had released solo albums like “ Life’s Quest” in 2012, but it otherwise felt like the group was on an extended if unintended hiatus. The last 8Ball & MJG album “Ten Toes Down” came out almost ten years ago. If past sales are any indicator of future success, the bullets from the gunplay rapped about in 8-ball’s album won’t be the only metal he will be accustomed to seeing.Īnother platinum effort will go a long way in making the “fat mack” ‘almost famous.’ Competition in the hip-hop industry might find itself in a very uncomfortable situation…behind the eightball.“ Classic Pimpin’ (Live)” snuck up on me. While other lyrics are a bit raw, adding authenticity. The space age pimp demonstrates his versatility and R&B’s continued collaboration with hip-hop on the track “Holla Back,” featuring soulful crooner, Carl Thomas.Ī healthy dose of pimping whores and errant gunplay find their way into a great deal of the album’s subject matter. The lyrically tight rapper salutes his Southern heritage with phrases like, “When I open up my mouth you can hear the South, packing guns, stacking funds, f- – – selling out.” Diddy.Ĩ-ball stays true to his urban roots in tracks like “No Sellout,” on which rap newcomer Koncrete makes his debut. “Almost Famous” features a number of cameos from heavyweights in the rap industry the likes of Ludacris and P. This gritty, true-to-life style of gangsta rap is particularly refreshing in a time when so many R&B artists, and a few select rappers, seem to only be able to capture the “street” element within the friendly confines of a recording studio. “I was 12-years-old when I bought my first stone and 13 when I bought my first gold herringbone, MJ knew how to cook it up and I supplied the kitchen, my momma wasn’t working, didn’t really pay attention.” “Live This” opens with a verse that illustrates his hard life. The album’s debut track, “Thorn,” chronicles the hard road 8-ball had to endure to earn respect and maintain longevity in an industry that seems to change as frequently as a runway model at a fashion show.Ĩ-ball sets it off with the opening verse, “Temptation talking to me, I try my best not to listen, the world f– – – with me, trying to stop my ambition.”Ī native of Memphis, Tenn., 8-ball brings real and hardening experiences of life to the creative table on tracks like “Slab rider” and “Live This.” Behind the eightball a familiar place for the “fat mack” Rapper, 8-ball aka the “space age pimp” or the “fat mack,” prescribes the recipe for extended success in the hip-hop game with his most recent album entitled “Almost Famous”.Ĩ-ball continues to bring the same brand of lyrical heat to the mic that earned him past musical fame when partnered with longtime associate MJG.
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