In Our Lifetime (Eightball & MJG album)

In Our Lifetime
Studio album by Eightball & M.J.G.
Released	May 18, 1999 (1999-05-18)
Recorded	1998–1999
Studio	Urban House Studios, Inc. (Houston, TX) The Dungeon Recording Studios (Atlanta, GA) Digital Services (Houston, TX)
Genre	Hip hop
Length	1:01:53
Label	Suave House Universal
Producer	Mr. DJ T-Mix
Eightball & M.J.G. chronology
Lyrics of a Pimp (1997) In Our Lifetime (1999) Memphis Under World (2000)

In Our Lifetime is the fourth studio album by American hip hop duo Eightball & MJG. It was released on May 18, 1999, through Suave House Records under a new distribution deal with Universal Records. The recording sessions took place at Urban House Studios, Inc. and Digital Services in Houston and at the Dungeon Recording Studios in SWATS. The album was produced by T-Mix and Mr. DJ, with Tony Draper serving as executive producer. It features guest appearances from Big Duke, Thorough, CeeLo Green, Nina Creque, Outkast, and Toni Hickman. The album debuted at number 10 on the Billboard 200 and topped the Top R&B Albums charts, selling 95,000 copies in its first week in the United States. ^[1] A music video was made for "We Started This". The album would be the duo's last recording for the Suave House Records label.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Los Angeles Times	[3]
Rolling Stone	[4]
The Source	[5]
USA Today	[6]

In Our Lifetime received critical acclaim from music critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic called the album "an appealing variation on the Dirty South sound" and thought it was the duo's best album to date. ^[2] Soren Baker, in his review for Los Angeles Times , called In Our Lifetime "another stunning collection" which is "[m]ore musically subdued than their solo releases". He complimented its "dramatic sonic atmosphere" and the use of live instrumentation rather than samples, while also praising the duo for their "precision rhymes" and a variety of topics they discuss on the album. ^[3] Kris Ex of Rolling Stone also noted the album's wide range of topics, while also highlighting "a sincerity absent from most hip-hop discs". Talking about the instrumentals, the journalist described them as "thick-battered bass grooves, molasses-like instrumentation and even jazz and rock guitars". ^[4] The Source 's Miguel Burke called the album "surreal, airy, futuristic funk over tales of hard times and easy women", praising its "mind-blowing production". ^[5] Steve Jones of USA Today wrote that the duo's "edgy street rhymes are gritty and grooving". ^[6]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Intro"	Premro Smith Triston Jones	T-Mix	3:08
2.	"We Started This"	Smith Marlon Goodwin Jones	T-Mix	4:05
3.	"Paid Dues" (featuring Cee-Lo)	Smith Goodwin Thomas Callaway David Sheats	Mr. DJ	5:12
4.	"Do It How It Go"	Smith Goodwin Jones	T-Mix	3:54
5.	"Don't Flex"	Smith Goodwin Sheats	Mr. DJ	5:08
6.	"Belly" (featuring Big Duke)	Smith Goodwin Lee Dixon Jones	T-Mix	4:51
7.	"Daylight"	Smith Goodwin Jones	T-Mix	4:45
8.	"We Don't Give a Fuck"	Smith Goodwin Sheats	Mr. DJ	4:09
9.	"Get It Crunk" (featuring Thorough)	Smith Goodwin Rex Robeson Jones	T-Mix	4:03
10.	"Armed Robbery" (featuring Thorough, Gillie da Kid, Toni Hickman and Big Duke)	Far'd Nasir Toni Hickman Dixon Jones	T-Mix	4:06
11.	"Love Hurts" (featuring Nina Creque)	Smith Goodwin Nina Creque Jones	T-Mix	4:42
12.	"Nobody But Me"	Smith Goodwin Jones	T-Mix	4:58
13.	"Throw Your Hands Up" (featuring Outkast)	Smith Goodwin André Benjamin Antwan Patton Sheats	Mr. DJ	5:25
14.	"Speed"	Smith Goodwin Jones	T-Mix	3:27
Total length:				1:01:53

Personnel

• Premro "Eightball" Smith – vocals
• Marlon "MJG" Goodwin – vocals, keyboards (track 3)
• Thomas "CeeLo Green" Callaway – vocals (track 3)
• Lee "Big Duke" Dixon – vocals (tracks: 6, 10)
• Rex "Thorough" Robeson – vocals (tracks: 9, 10)
• Far'd "Gillie da Kid" Nasir – vocals (track 10)
• Toni Hickman – vocals (track 10)
• Nina Creque – vocals (track 11)
• André Benjamin – vocals (track 13)
• Antwan "Big Boi" Patton – vocals (track 13)
• Preston Crump – bass (tracks: 3, 5, 8, 13)
• Eric Gales – guitar (track 6)
• Donny Mathis – guitar (track 8)
• Marvin "Chanz" Parkman – keyboards (track 8)
• Triston "T-Mix" Jones – producer & recording (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9-12, 14)
• David "Mr. DJ" Sheats – producer & mixing (tracks: 3, 5, 8, 13)
• John "Bernasky" Wall – recording (tracks: 3, 5, 8, 13)
• James Hoover – mixing (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9-12, 14)
• Simon "Crazy C" Cullins – mixing (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9-12, 14)
• Josh Butler – mixing (tracks: 3, 5, 8, 13)
• Tony Dawsey – mastering
• Tony Draper – executive producer

Charts

Chart (1999)	Peak position
US Billboard 200 [7]	10
US Top R&B Albums ( Billboard ) [8]	1

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [9]	Gold	500,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

• List of Billboard number-one R&B albums of 1999

References

1. Boehlert, Eric (May 26, 1999). "Backstreet Boys Debut At Platinum Plus". Angelfire . Retrieved October 8, 2023.
2. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "8Ball and MJG - In Our Lifetime Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic . Retrieved October 8, 2023.
3. Baker, Soren (May 15, 1999). "Record Rack". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved October 8, 2023.
4. Ex, Kris (July 8, 1999). "Eightball and M.J.G. – In Our Lifetime Vol. 1". Recordings. Rolling Stone . No. 816–817. pp. 147–148. ProQuest   220158753.
5. Burke, Miguel (June 1999). "Eightball and MJG – In Our Lifetime, Vol. 1". Record Report. The Source . No. 117. New York. pp. 208, 210.
6. Jones, Steve (May 18, 1999). "Duo's 'Lifetime' of edgy rap". USA Today . p. 4D. Retrieved April 1, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
7. "The Billboard 200". Billboard . Vol. 111, no. 23. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. June 5, 1999. p. 132. ISSN   0006-2510 . Retrieved October 8, 2023.
8. "Top R&B Albums". Billboard . Vol. 111, no. 23. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. June 5, 1999. p. 68. ISSN   0006-2510 . Retrieved October 8, 2023.
9. "American album certifications – 8 Ball & MJG – In Our Lifetime, Vol. 1". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved May 6, 2024.

External links

• Eightball & M.J.G. – In Our Lifetime at Discogs (list of releases)