NobodySmiling.com : What has been one of the most significant changes that you both have experienced over the course of your career?

8 Ball : The most significant change would be how the game has evolved. There is a lot more Southern artists that are doing it big. They’re getting the exposure in the media and are able to get their music out and it being appreciated by the mainstream public. There wasn’t that many when we were first out until Cash Money and No Limit came out and changed the game.

MJG : It was a simpler time when we first came out. There are alot more things you can do in hip-hop now. There are more jobs out there now for us in this music game. Business is definitely bigger. People are becoming entrepreneurs out of this and making a way for themselves and their families.

Also, considering your recent experience on Bad Boy Records, what do you have to say to those that believe Diddy only focuses on promoting himself, not his artists?

Well, it is his label. He is the biggest artist on his label. So usually the biggest artist gets all the attention or at least most of the attention. That’s the way I look at it….me and MJG…[laughs]. We’re not moving in with him. We’re just doing our business trying to make good music and put our stuff out there. I don’t know, maybe we don’t get everything that we should get at Bad Boy but I think sometimes the blame lies on us too because there’s a lot we could do sometimes to make that happen. For people who have b******* and bad s*** to say about Diddy…I wasn’t there for their experiences and I can only speak from my experiences at Bad Boy. I’m not trying to be politically correct with my answer or none of that b*******. I’m just trying to say what I feel without cluttering or clouding s***. We focus on 8ball and MJG and Diddy is just another artist on Bad Boy to us. There isn’t much more I can say about it.

Speaking of Bad Boy, the streets are waiting for your upcoming LP, Ridin’ High, which is to be released in 2007. What can we expect from the new album?

Well, as far as features we got Pimp C, Bun B,.Jazzy Pha, Juvenile, Killer Mike, 112, Project Pat, DJ Nasty, Three 6 Mafia…Montana Tracks production. It’s just a real tight 8ball and MJG album. This album is a big mixture of everything that we are...from the beginning to end.

1. Intro
2. Relax and Take Notes
3. Cruzin'
4. Whatchu Gonna Do
5. Take It Off
6. Runnin' Out of Bud
7. Ridin' High
8. Like This, Like That
9. Stand Up
10. F*** That
11. Get Low
12. For an Outfit
13. Memphis
14. Pimpin' Don't Fail Me Now
15. Turn Up the Bump
16. No Joke, No Lie
17. Pimpin' Interlude
18. Alcohol P**** Weed

WordofSouth.com: So let’s talk more about the album. Whom do you have lined up for features and production?

MJG: We got production by Lil Jon, Jazzy Pha, DJ Nasty from Orlando, Cool & Dre…

8Ball: Timbaland, Midnight Black, B-Rock, Montana Trax from our camp. We got Juvenile on the album, Killer Mike, 112, Three 6 Mafia, Pimp C, Bun B, Slim Thug, it’s something else. ...

WordofSouth.com: A lot of your fans enjoyed the last album, but felt it had more of a commercial feel to it then previous work. Did you hear anything about this? if so, did you take that into consideration with recording the new album?

MJG: It was new for everybody, for us, the label, and the fans. We expected to hear that no matter what because of the new label situation and how different it was. You have to expect that type of criticism because it takes some getting used to. I think on this project everybody including us, the label, and the fans have gotten used to us being on Bad Boy and understand that we still are 8Ball & MJG. Everybody understand the situation a little better now and this next project will come across a whole lot different.