Music festivals are different (RiverBeat, not Beale Street), but the hometown love hasn’t changed and it’s a sign that as Memphis rap duo 8Ball and MJG made a rain-delayed entry to the Budweiser stage late Sunday afternoon With the group’s first performance at Tom Lee Park since 2014.
If the audience’s enthusiastic response didn’t already prove the duo’s illustrious place in Memphis hip-hop history, the presence of one famous fan did: Paul Young occupied the VIP space near the front of the stage throughout the show, occasionally Shake hands and pose for selfies with citizens who cross the metal barrier to greet Memphis’ first mayor.
The rappers grew up in Orange Mound, became friends at Ridgeway High School, and later found musical success on Suave House Records in Houston, Texas. The love of Memphis. 8Ball, the larger member of the group (“Fat boy from the underground / From the mound,” as he raps on “You Don’t Want Drama”), wore a shirt emblazoned with the late Wu-Tang Clan Graphic T-shirt of the rapper “Ol’ Dirty Bastard,” but on his head is a baseball cap with the classic University of Memphis Tigers logo.
Backed by five musicians (including a turntablist) and two singers, 8Ball (born Premlo Smith) and MJG (Marlon Jermaine Goodwin) perform on a modest stage , an ideal setting for their earthy but not simplistic or unmotivated music. As the musicians strut like titans and recreate live versions of classic soul samples that appear on some of their records, 8Ball and MJG trade lyrics while retrieving tales of tough street life, playful sexual boasts and uplifting ‘s hymn.
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The hour-long performance was both nostalgic and fresh. As they sang in “Paid Dues” from their 1999 album In Our Lifetime: “I had to give up the streets for the beat.”
Many of the hundreds in attendance joined the rapper in reciting lyrics ranging from “Got a family in Memphis / Got a gang in Texas” to “Why don’t you dress up and show love / Shake your ass in the club.”
8Ball acknowledged the anti-social or obscene behavior documented in some of its songs, while reminding people of its often escapist purpose, commenting: “We’re all here for the same reason – to have some fun and listen to some music.” Later, he added: “I don’t want the little white girl in the front row to not shoot. I know what music does to you.”
