In Our Lifetime marks the point at which Memphis duo 8Ball & MJG went from being Southern rap heroes to Southern rap elders. For their fourth full-length, these well-respected veterans adopted the low, soulful sound of Outkast and Goodie Mob (Atlanta production team Organized Noize contributed tracks), and created an album that was contemplative, not sentimental; mature, not mellow. If one could introduce the world to 8Ball & MJG with a single song, it would be “Paid Dues.” The pair raps about all the guts and soul that has gone into their ten years of making rap music and, reitering their message, deliver their gutsiest, most soulful song to date. MJG reflects on a lifetime of dedication to the Dirty South: “Strictly stickin’ to my dreams, but feelin’ like I'd be the last dude / Who can make it in this rap, I thought that they ain't gonna see me in Memphis / It was like a time they looked over Tennesseee, and didn't know hip-hop was in it.” In Our Lifetime is the duo’s affirmation of their place in the rap world, and all the hard work it took to get them there. Their determination to expand their legacy is the album’s theme, and the pair has never sounded as confident or in control.