Style and Class: 8Ball and MJG

I wish more people would stay on top of mid-‘90s hip-hop videos. This little gem by 8Ball and MJG is a prime example of how much nostalgia some of these videos create. It’s hard not to think of something like 8Ball and MJG’s “Just Like Candy” or Biggie’s “Hypnotize” and not remember the time or place in one’s life during the release of these videos. The quick cuts and the fade-ins and outs were staples of ‘90s hip-hop videos, especially the more laid back summer suave cuts.

This was before Southern hip-hop became immersed in clap-style snares and a much more narrow topic base—these were innocent party hits that play out over time as classics with style and class. 8Ball and MJG are two of the South’s kings—and its tracks like “Just Like Candy” that keep them on that throne. The Dirty South has changed quite dramatically, but it only takes a look back on tracks like these to realize the kind of soul there was at the party long before the youngsters hit the streets.