8Ball - When I was growing up in Memphis in Orange Mound it was like Black Neighborhood USA. Orange Mound and Memphis we got our own vibe. It's like one of the oldest Black neighborhoods in
Memphis where black people owned their own houses. I thank God I made it this far. Fatherless household, Momma’s only and she did the best with what she had. I always loved music and gravitated towards hip hop.
KM - What was it like at home and what type of music was Momma playin’ in the house?
8Ball - My Mom listened to a radio station in Memphis called WBIA. It was a AM station and they really played all types of music, like I might of heard rappers delight for the first time on WBIA. But other than that my Momma was the type of Momma who used to clean the house every Saturday morning and she used to listen to that Marvin Gaye and Al Green stuff like that in the background you know what I'm sayin..
KM - So you had that feel good real good soul in the house?
8Ball - Yeah you know that was the music of the times, that's what my Moms used to listen to.You know I came up on all that soul music, me and MJG as a matter of fact. I always tell the story of how when we first went to Houston, Texas when we were young and created “Comin’ Out Hard”. A lot of those samples came from racks albums and 45's. I know a lot of young kids now don't even know what 45's are, so those reading this interview Google 45 inch records. So we went to Houston with a small bag with a lot of our clothes in it and our Moms’ records .Plus MJG’s father plays a lot of Brass like you would hear in the band, that's where a lot of where his musical influences come from. But a lot of those records you heard on the album came from our Moms’ record collection.
KM - It's good to hear that you took your musical interest so seriously and what you were brought up on created your sound. You weren't just putting it together based on what you thought the people wanted to hear, it was based on what molded you.
KM - So when did you and MJG actually meet?
8Ball - We like met in middle school 7th grade and we had a lot of the same classes together. We kicked it with a lot of the same people and we found out we stayed about 10 blocks away from each other and then found out that both of us loved shooting pool. After school every day we would go shoot pool at this little cafe where they would let kids come in there in the day and we'd shoot pool ‘til they kick us out.
KM - So you’re saying you got a mean game on the pool table 8 ball?
8Ball - Lol! Man sometimes..sometimes. Where you say you from?
KM - I'm from Benton Harbor, Michigan.
8Ball - Ask DJ World who is out of Indianapolis about me, I done spanked him a few times. Lol.
KM - Lmao! I know I beat the breaks off of Flavor Flav.
8Ball - Yeah I ain’t gonna brag about it man but I'm not an easy win. Lol
KM - That's what up, I look forward to trying to beat the legend. Lol
KM - When did you and MJG decide rappin’ is what y’all wanted to do?
8Ball - We both enjoyed hip hop music and at that time it was the break dance B-bop era. Joggin’ suits, link ropes you know. He was doin’ it with his friends and I was doin’ it with mine too. When we was around 14/15 we met DJ Squeaky and MJG's group of friends and my group of friends start hanging out together. We were pretty much the alphas out the pack and that's pretty much how we got together. After friends disappearing and friends going to jail and not interested in the music anymore it was 8 ball and MJG.
KM - How did you and MJG end up on Suave House [label]?
8Ball - Tony Draper who owned Suave at the time and us had mutual friends in business and he had already started Suave House. Folks in Memphis had told him you need to do somethin’ with Eight Ball and MJG. We had become a household name around Memphis and with knowing some of the same folks, it was history.
KM - What was it like making that first album?
8Ball - We flew out to Houston and stayed With Tony Draper’s girlfriend with 2 mattresses on the floor in a room in an apartment with a Tascam mixer and a keyboard. We made the “Comin Out Hard” album in 3 months.
KM - You did two more albums and then went on to solo projects. Was there any beef between you and MJG?
8Ball - Nah, that's my brother. There was never any beef. If you notice when you listen to “Comin Out Hard” and the other 2 albums we each had solo songs on the album. MJG’s solo album came out first with Pimp Tight then Eight Ball’s “Lost” album was next.
KM - I loved the “Lost” album, it seemed that you had some personal records on the album, which one was your favorite?
8Ball - I loved all the records but the ‘My Home Boys Girlfriend’ was actually my manager’s girlfriend. I was workin’ a job and the situation happened so I wrote about it and changed the named to ‘My Homeboys Girlfriend’ to make it more entertaining for the listeners.
KM - How did you end up on Bad Boy with Diddy?
8Ball - We were done with the situation at Suave House and Diddy was starting up Bad Boy South. What other perfect way to start up the label than with the South’s very own Eight Ball and MJG? We had success with Didd and he played a great role in the videos and image and let us be free to create in the studio. ‘Don't Make Me’ was a big record with Diddy, it was a great experience but after two years it was time to move on.
KM - You guys left in 2007 and did a big record with Three Six Mafia. What was that like?
8Ball - It was the one of the biggest records to come out at that time. With everyone being from Memphis (Three Six Mafia, Young Buck & 8Ball and MJG) made it epic.
KM - Has the game changed since you came in the game?
8Ball - Most of it you can do yourself but the labels are looking for artists who are already together and have a buzz and a fan base so they don't have to do as much work.
KM - What about stage presence and performance?
8Ball - No, it hasn't changed. You got your Jay-Z's who stand there and deliver. Then you have your dancing rappers who dance around on stage. That's something that they've always done from then to now and you have audiences that gravitate to that.
KM - So what else has changed from then to now?
8Ball - My personal life has changed, I used to have to schedule my life around my career but now I schedule my career around my personal life.
KM - Who would you like to work with dead or alive?
8Ball - Dead, I would Love to work with Biggie, but I would love to work with Marvin Gaye. Man I mean just kick back with Marvin and blow some of that loud with a room full of bad women and just enjoy the environment. LOL! Alive, Kanye West. Now y’all know ya boy Eightball is a real cat in the streets and don't ride no man’s jock ya dig. But I'd like to work with Kanye. His first album I wasn't feelin’, but every one after that I’ve loved.
KM - So what do you have coming up?
8Ball - Me and MJG have a live album/tour coming this year with new material and a mixtape with Bun B.
KM - What!!!!??
8Ball - Lol. Yeah it's coming this year.
KM - I appreciate the time fam can't wait to get the music.
Interview by: Ellis B
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