8Ball and MJG

When Southern rap was far from fashionable, 8Ball & MJG -- from the unlikely locale of Orange Mound, TN -- gave the burgeoning subgenre brash bravado and a strong identity that would influence the stars who would make the genre enormously popular a decade later. Comin' Out Hard, their debut, was a minimal affair: electro-influenced, the beats were stark,and the lyrics -- street bravado with a wry Southern perspective -- were just as unadorned. Songs like "Armed Robbery" (which interpolates the Mission Impossible theme) and "The First Episode" are classics of the genre, just as potent as anything by the Geto Boys (who were at that time the most highly regarded rap group in the South).

The pair stuck to their tried-and-true themes of pimping and drug hustling on their next two albums, which included such influential songs as "Break-A-Bitch College," "Crumbz 2 Brixxx" and "Space Age Pimpin'." (The pair also released solo albums. 8Ball's debut Lost was, like the man himself, notable for its heft: it was a whopping triple CD.) Space Age 4 Eva (2000) proved the duo had aged well, despite being relegated to hip-hop's margins. On songs like "Buck Bounce" and "Pimp Hard," they showcased nimble lyricism over cutting-edge production. After a few years of label difficulties, the duo signed to P. Diddy's Bad Boy Records for 2004's Living Legends, a not-quite-up-to-snuff statement of their importance to the game, though next-generation stars like Ludacris and T.I. appeared to pay their respects. (JON CARAMANICA)

From 2004's The New Rolling Stone Album Guide