Saturday marked a day set aside specifically for a pair of Memphis legends. We’re referring to longtime rap duo 8Ball & MJG. City officials and the community celebrated the two in a street renaming ceremony.
“Across this country when they talk about Memphis, they’re gona mention Elvis, but they’re also gona mention 8ball and MJG,” said Memphis City Council Chairman JB Smiley.
“We appreciate y’all. We love y’all and keep on putting on for the city of Memphis,” Smiley is heard saying while preparing to issue a signed resolution.
The rap moguls were honored over the weekend in their hometown of Memphis and, best of all, in the community they grew up in, Orange Mound.
In an honorary street renaming ceremony, Memphis city leaders issued a resolution naming Park Avenue in Orange Mound, MJG Avenue, and Airways Boulevard will be known as 8Ball Boulevard.
“Aye look, the significance of that corner is that MJG lived his first 18 years of his life on Sample Street right there at Park Avenue and Airways. MJG Avenue, literally he grew up right there,” rapper 8Ball acknowledged.
The pair, who say they are still mostly here in Memphis, met when they attended Ridgeway Middle School. They would rise to fame and record eight studio albums together and leave fans with hits like Space Age Pimpin’ and many other creations, including the album Comin’ Out Hard.
Now decades later, the group is still taking in the support from loyal fans.
“The amount of time that we’ve been doing this, it’s just unbelievable that people are still interested, and they still love our music and they still keep us relevant,” MJG told FOX13.
Following the loss of a fellow legendary icon, the November 2021 murder of South Memphis rapper Young Dolph, FOX13 asked the group their thoughts on the conclusion of the Young Dolph murder trial and the guilty verdict issued for suspect Justin Johnson.
“My homeboy, my big bro from Georgia said Memphis need a hug. Memphis, we need a hug and that’s what we got today ‘mane’. This thing today, what happened with me and G, the Mayor, it was a great day and Memphis needed that today,” 8Ball said. S:Fox13
