Along with OutKast's Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik (1994) and Goodie Mob's Soul Food (1995), Eightball MJG's debut, Comin' Out Hard, is one of the most influential rap albums to come out of the South. It wasn't as widely heard as those others albums, nor was it as professional-sounding; however, its independent release by Suave Records, based in Houston, and its basement-level production were influential in their own way. A generation of underground Southern rappers would arise by the end of the '90s, many of them following the template of Comin' Out Hard: underground hardcore rap modeled after West Coast gangsta rap yet delivered in a distinctly Southern manner, released via an indie label with major ambitions. Even the cover artwork of Comin' Out Hard, courtesy of Pen & Pixel Graphics, was influential, as the company would go on to design all the bling-blinging No Limit and Cash Money albums of the late '90s. Unfortunately, Comin' Out Hard is more historically significant than it is impressive from a strictly musical point of view. The production is admittedly lo-fi, credited to the rappers themselves, and while the raps are effective, the hooks leave room for improvement. Eightball MJG would indeed improve in the years that followed, ultimately releasing a classic at the end of the decade, In Our Lifetime, Vol. 1 (1999). Comin' Out Hard pales in comparison, yet it's an interesting album to hear from a historical perspective and is certainly noteworthy for its widespread influence, especially throughout the South. ~ Jason Birchmeier, Rovi

1		Intro
2		9 Little Millimeta Boys
3		The First Episode
4		Armed Robbery
5		Pimps
6		Comin' Out Hard
7		Mr. Big
8		Nigga's Like Us
9		Pimps in the House

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