8Ball & MJG: Before the emergence of OutKast, Goodie Mob, Three 6 Mafia or Cash Money Records, there was 8Ball & MJG. The influential Memphis duo was among the originators and cornerstones of southern hip-hop, with arguably only the Geto Boys proving as influential in the first half of the ‘90s. Their 1993 debut, Comin’ Out Hard, is an early classic of the region. But it wasn’t just that 8Ball & MJG was early, the pair was also inarguably great — both collectively and on their own — at the craft of rapping. Their longevity and influence were such that it wasn’t until 2005, when they joined fellow Tennessee group Three 6 Mafia for “Stay Fly,” that they reached their peak chart success. But almost every Southern rapper of the last 30 years is in their debt.👑🖤❤️