A pioneering artist from Memphis, 8Ball was among the first wave of Southern rappers to blow up nationwide, and has released a gang of good music alongside his partner in rhyme MJG, going back to the early ‘90s and their classic work on Suave House Records. After a successful stint on Diddy's Bad Boy label, 8Ball relaunched his own 8Ways Entertainment to release more personal, independent projects. American N***a is short and sweet, really just four songs, along with clean, explicit, and extended versions. The title track is a thought-provoking examination of what it means to be Black in America, complete with dramatic spoken-word breakdown on the nine-minute long mix. "Get This Money" is pretty self-explanatory; "Oh Yea" flips a nice skittering beat with bluesy guitar snippets, while the best offering, "Stop Us" is a triumphant anthem loaded with Three 6 Mafia-style synth strings and a grimy sung chorus. Solid jams from a Tennessee titan.