Joseph Guillermo Jones II (born July 15, 1976), better known by his stage name Jim Jones (formerly Jimmy Jones), is an American rapper, music video director, and record executive. He is an original member of the hip hop collective

the Diplomats The Diplomats (also known as Dipset) is an American hip hop collective formed in 1997 by childhood friends Cam'ron and Jim Jones in Harlem, New York. The group was originally composed of Cam'ron, Jim Jones and Freekey Zekey, all of whom grew u ...

(also known as Dipset), alongside longtime friend and fellow Harlem native,

Cam'ron Cameron Ezike Giles (born February 4, 1976), better known by his stage name Cam'ron, is an American rapper, record executive, and actor from Harlem, New York City. Beginning his career in the mid-1990s as Killa Cam, Giles signed to Lance "Un" ...

. In 2004, he released his debut solo album ''

On My Way to Church ''On My Way to Church'' is the debut studio album by American hip hop music, hip hop recording artist Jim Jones (rapper), Jim Jones. The album was released on August 24, 2004, by Diplomat Records and Koch Records. The album debuted at number 18 o ...

''. The release of his second album, '' Harlem: Diary of a Summer'' in 2005, coincided with Jones landing an executive position in A&R at

Entertainment One Music MNRK Music Group (pronounced "monarch", formerly known as Koch Records and eOne Music) is a New York City-based independent record label and music management company. It was formed in 2009 from the music assets of Koch Entertainment, which had b ...

. A year later he was on his third album ''

Hustler's P.O.M.E. (Product of My Environment) ''Hustler's P.O.M.E. (Product of My Environment)'' is the third studio album by American rapper Jim Jones. The album was released in the United States on November 7, 2006 under Diplomat Records and Koch Records. The album features guest appea ...

'' (2006), which spawned his biggest single to date, "

We Fly High "We Fly High" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Jim Jones, released as the lead single from his third studio album, '' Hustler's P.O.M.E. (Product of My Environment)'' (2006). The song is Jim Jones' highest-charting single to date, ...

". The song reached number five on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and was

certified platinum Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

(RIAA). Jones' first major-label album ''

Pray IV Reign ''Pray IV Reign'' is the fourth studio album by American hip hop recording artist Jim Jones, released on March 24, 2009, under E1, Columbia and Sony Music Entertainment. The album, his first not to be released under Diplomat Records, also serve ...

'' was released in March 2009 by

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

. The album spawned the hit single "

Pop Champagne "Pop Champagne" is a song by American hip hop recording artists Ron Browz and Jim Jones, officially released as a single on September 4, 2008 by Columbia and Universal Motown Records. The song features a guest appearance from fellow American rap ...

" (with

Ron Browz Rondell Edwin Turner (born December 6, 1982), better known by his stage name Ron Browz (), is an American recording artist and record producer from Harlem, New York Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded r ...

featuring

Juelz Santana LaRon Louis James (born February 18, 1982), better known by his stage name Juelz Santana, is an American rapper and member of East Coast hip hop group The Diplomats, also known as Dipset. He is best known for his appearances on Cam'ron's 2002 si ...

). In April 2011, Jones released his fifth album, '' Capo'', which was supported by the lead single, " Perfect Day" (featuring

Chink Santana Andre Parker, known by his stage name Chink Santana, is an American R&B musician and producer from Washington, D.C. His achievements include co-producing '' Ashanti'', the debut album from the singer of the same name, as well as working on he ...

). He returned in May 2019, for his sixth album titled ''

El Capo ''Marlon Moreno El Capo'', commonly known as ''El Capo'', is a television series made by Fox Telecolombia and written by Gustavo Bolivar for RCN Television, based on its namesake book. The series follows the story of the fictional drug lord Pe ...

''.

Early life

Jones, son of an Aruban mother and Puerto Rican father, was raised in

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street (Manhattan), 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and 110th Street (Manhattan), ...

mainly by his maternal grandmother.

Music career

2004–05: ''On My Way to Church'' and ''Harlem: Diary of a Summer''

'' is Jones' debut album. The album spawned two singles that made the US ''Billboard''

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...

chart: "

Certified Gangstas "Certified Gangstas" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Jim Jones (rapper), Jim Jones, released as his solo debut single as well as the lead single from his debut solo studio album ''On My Way to Church''. The song features vocals from ...

" (featuring Cam'ron, Bezel and The Game), which reached number 80, and "

Crunk Muzik "Crunk Muzik" is a song by rapper Jim Jones from his debut studio album '' On My Way to Church''. It was produced by The Blackout Movement and features rappers Juelz Santana and Cam'ron. It was also featured on The Diplomats' album, '' Diplomat ...

" (featuring his Dipset cohorts Cam'ron and

), which reached number 84. The album peaked at number 18 on the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart, number three on ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'''s

Independent Albums The Independent Albums chart (previously titled Top Independent Albums) ranks the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays (EPs) in the United States, as compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by '' Billboard'' maga ...

chart, and number four on the

Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated J ...

chart. '' Harlem: Diary of a Summer'', Jones' second album, reached number five on the ''Billboard'' 200 and topped the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Independent Albums charts, selling 350,000 copies. Three of its singles placed on the ''Billboard'' R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart: "Baby Girl", which reached number 58; "Summer Wit' Miami", which reached number 78; and "What You Been Drankin' On?" (featuring Diddy,

Paul Wall Paul Michael Slayton (born March 11, 1981), better known by his stage name Paul Wall, is an American rapper and DJ. He has spent much of his career affiliated with Swishahouse Records, and has released several albums under the label and collabor ...

, and Jha Jha), which reached number 106.

2006–09: ''Hustler's P.O.M.E.'', ''Pray IV Reign'' and ''The Rooftop''

Jones' third album ''

'', was more commercial and once again featured Dipset members along with

Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman (rapper), ...

. The album spawned Jones' biggest single to date, "We Fly High". Jones introduced a signature dance move in the "We Fly High" video, throwing up a fake jump shot every time the ad-lib "Ballin!'" was stated in the song. This dance move became so popular that it inspired

Michael Strahan Michael T. Strahan ( ; born November 21, 1971) is an American television personality, journalist, and former professional football player. He played his entire 15-year professional career as a defensive end for the New York Giants of the Nation ...

and

Plaxico Burress Plaxico Antonio Burress (born August 12, 1977) is a former American football wide receiver who played 12 seasons in the National Football League. He played college football at Michigan State, and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers eighth ove ...

to do the dance move after big plays during a ''

Monday Night Football ''ESPN Monday Night Football'' (abbreviated as ''MNF'' and also known as ''ESPN Monday Night Football on ABC'' for simulcasts) is an American live television broadcast of weekly National Football League (NFL) games currently airing on ESPN, AB ...

'' game in 2006. From 2006 to 2008, Jones released a collaborative album with his rap group ByrdGang, titled '' M.O.B.: The Album'', which peaked at number 29 on the ''Billboard'' 200, selling 16,000 the first week in stores and eventually selling 65,000 units. He has two Christmas

compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several Performing arts#Performers, performers. If by one artist, then generally the tr ...

s, ''

A Dipset X-Mas ''A The Diplomats, Dipset X-Mas'' is an album by Jim Jones (rapper), Jim Jones and his ByrdGang music group, released on December 5, 2006. This album features the remix of Jim Jones' "We Fly High." Track listing Charts References

J ...

'' and '' A Tribute To Bad Santa Starring Mike Epps'', and a load of

mixtape A mixtape (alternatively mix-tape, mix tape or mixed tape) is a compilation of music, typically from multiple sources, recorded onto a medium. With origins in the 1980s, the term normally describes a homemade compilation of music onto a cassette ...

s, including ''

Harlem's American Gangster ''Harlem's American Gangster'' is the sixth mixtape by American hip hop recording artist Jim Jones released to digital retailers on February 19, 2008 under Koch Records. The album peaked at number three on the ''Billboard'' Top R&B/Hip-Hop Album ...

'', which peaked at number 19 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart and spawned his single "Love Me No More". Jones' fourth studio album, ''

'', released March 24, 2009, was his

major record label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produc ...

debut. The album peaked at number nine on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart. On July 8, Jones released a promotional single titled "The Good Stuff" featuring NOE. The album features "

", producer

, and

. A bonus track on the album is "Jackin' Swagga From Us" with

Twista Carl Terrell Mitchell (born November 27, 1973), better known by his stage name Twista (formerly Tung Twista), is an American rapper and record producer. He is best known for his Chopper (rap), chopper style of rapping and for once holding the t ...

, NOE, and

, which takes shots at T.I. and

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...

for allegedly stealing their styles and mocking their song "

Swagga Like Us "Swagga Like Us" is a song by American hip hop recording artists Jay-Z and T.I. The song features guest verses from fellow American rappers Lil Wayne and Kanye West, the latter of whom also produced the song, constructing primarily around a ...

". It is his first solo album under

. In 2009, Jim Jones became Vice President of Urban A&R at Koch Records, which is now

E1 Music MNRK Music Group (pronounced "monarch", formerly known as Koch Records and eOne Music) is a New York City-based independent record label and music management company. It was formed in 2009 from the music assets of Koch Entertainment, which had b ...

. On June 11, Jim Jones appeared on

BET Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los A ...

's ''

106 & Park ''106 & Park'' is an American hip hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that was broadcast on weekdays at 6:00 pm ET/5:00 pm CT on BET; it aired on a one-day delay on BET International. It was the network's highest- rated ...

'' along with

DJ Webstar Troy Ryan (born October 25, 1986), better known by his stage name DJ Webstar (or simply Webstar) is an American DJ and record producer. In 2006, his song "Chicken Noodle Soup", became popular and became an Internet meme, with fans uploading ama ...

and announced that they will be releasing an album together titled ''

The Rooftop The Rooftop may refer to: * ''The Rooftop'' (album), a 2009 album by Webstar and Jim Jones * ''The Rooftop'' (film), a 2013 Taiwanese musical film See also * Rooftop (disambiguation) {{DEFAULTSORT:Rooftop, The ...

''.Video: Jim Jones & DJ Webstar on 106 & Park
. Nahright.com (June 11, 2009). Retrieved on 2012-01-11. He also announced that his documentary, ''This Is Jim Jones'', will be released June 30, 2009. The first single from the album is " Dancin on Me", featuring

. It was officially released via

iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...

on April 28. On September 22, hip hop website, RapRuckus, stated the album was scheduled for an October 6, 2009 release. The second single is titled "She Can Get It". In late 2009, Jones left Columbia. According to XXLMag.com, Jones signed a deal to release his next solo album on E1, as well as a mixtape.

2010–present: ''Capo'', Dipset reunion and ''Vampire Life'' series

The mixtape, titled ''The Ghost of Rich Porter'', was released March 23, 2010. In April 2010, Cam'ron and Jim Jones announced they ended their feud. On June 26, 2010, Jones reunited with Cam'ron and

on a track titled "Salute", marking the return of

. They have begun working on an album together, and have been reportedly working with

Dr. Dre Andre Romelle Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper and record producer. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and previously co-founded, co-owned, and ...

. In 2010 it was confirmed that Jones had started up a new record label imprint with

Damon Dash Damon Anthony Dash (born May 3, 1971) is an American entrepreneur and record executive. Dash is best known as co-founder of Roc-A-Fella along with Jay-Z and Kareem Burke. Early life Born in New York City, Dash swept the floors of a local barbe ...

entitled Splash Records. On April 5, 2011, Jones' released his fifth studio album, '' Capo'', on E1.Capo: Jim Jones: Music
Amazon.com. Retrieved on January 11, 2012. On November 3, Jones released a mixtape, titled ''Capo Life'', to promote the album and celebrate the launch of hi
new website
The lead single off ''Capo'', " Perfect Day" featuring

and LOGiC, was released on

December 7, 2010. The album is the first to feature Cam'ron since ''Hustler's P.O.M.E. (Product of My Environment)''. Other guest appearances include rappers

Game A game is a structured form of play (activity), play, usually undertaken for enjoyment, entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator s ...

Lloyd Banks Christopher Charles Lloyd (born April 30, 1982), better known by his stage name Lloyd Banks, is an American rapper. He began his career as a member of East Coast hip hop group G-Unit, alongside childhood friends 50 Cent and Tony Yayo. After the ...

Prodigy Prodigy, Prodigies or The Prodigy may refer to: * Child prodigy, a child who produces meaningful output to the level of an adult expert performer ** Chess prodigy, a child who can beat experienced adult players at chess Arts, entertainment, and ...

Raekwon Corey Woods (born January 12, 1970), better known by his stage name Raekwon The Chef, or simply Raekwon (), is an American rapper. He rose to prominence as a founding member of the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, which achieved mainstream success ...

and R&B singers Rell and Ashanti among others, and features notable production from longtime collaborator

Aaron LaCrate Aaron LaCrate is an American music producer, recording artist, disk jockey, DJ, fashion designer of Milkcrate Records and Milkcrate clothing, and a film director. He was born in Baltimore, Maryland and grew up in Highlandtown; East Baltimore. Aar ...

Wyclef Jean Nel Ust Wyclef Jean (; born October 17, 1969) is a Haitian rapper, musician, and actor. At the age of nine, Jean immigrated to the United States with his family. He first achieved fame as a member of the New Jersey hip hop group the Fugees, a ...

Drumma Boy Christopher James Gholson (born August 11, 1983), better known by his stage name Drumma Boy, is an American record producer. Early life Born in Memphis, Tennessee, and raised in Cordova, Tennessee, he was exposed to music at a young age. His mot ...

and Lamont "LOGiC" Coleman. The album peaked at number 20 on the ''Billboard'' 200, selling 21,000 copies in its first week, making ''Capo'' his lowest charting album to date. On October 1, 2011, when

Funkmaster Flex Aston George Taylor Jr. (born August 5, 1968), professionally known as Funkmaster Flex, is an American DJ, rapper, record producer, and host on New York City's Hot 97 radio station. In 1992, he became host of the first hip hop radio show on Hot ...

premiered a song on

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

Hot 97 WQHT (97.1 FM, ''Hot 97'') is a commercial radio station, licensed to New York, New York, which broadcasts an urban contemporary music format. The station is owned by Mediaco Holding and operated by Emmis Communications under a shared service ...

titled "It Ain't My Fault" featuring rappers T-Rex, Boogie Black and Sen City, it was revealed that it was the first offering from Webstar and Jones' upcoming second collaborative effort ''The Rooftop 2''. In the summer of 2011, he was featured on Randyn Julius "Party Tonight" with

Teyana Taylor Teyana Me Shay Jacqueli Shumpert ( Taylor; born December 10, 1990) is an American singer, actress, dancer and choreographer. In 2005, she signed a record deal with Pharrell Williams' Star Trak Entertainment imprint. Afterwards, she choreographe ...

and fellow Dispet member Cam'ron. On October 30, 2011, for the

Halloween Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observanc ...

holiday, Jones released a mixtape titled ''Vampire Life: We Own the Night''. The tape features twenty-four songs, including

bonus tracks An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records coll ...

, freestyles and

guest appearance In show business, a guest appearance is the participation of an outsider performer (such as a musician or actor) in an event such as a music record or concert, show, etc., when the performer does not belong to the regular band, cast, or other p ...

s from

Meek Mill Robert Rihmeek Williams (born May 6, 1987), known professionally as Meek Mill, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he embarked on his music career as a battle rapper, and later formed a short-lived rap group, ...

J.R. Writer Rusty Brito (born May 28, 1985) better known by his stage name J.R. Writer, is a Dominican American rapper and freestyle champion. He was also a member of East Coast hip hop group The Diplomats. Career Writer is from Harlem, New York. He has r ...

2 Chainz Tauheed K. Epps (born September 12, 1977), known professionally as 2 Chainz (or Tity Boi), is an American rapper. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, he initially gained recognition as one-half of the Southern hip hop duo Playaz Circle, al ...

, Maino,

Yo Gotti Mario Sentell Giden Mims (born May 19, 1981), known professionally as Yo Gotti, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record executive. In 1996, Gotti released his debut album ''Youngsta's On a Come Up'' under the alias Lil Yo. He went on to re ...

and

Jadakiss Jason Terrance Phillips (born May 27, 1975), better known by his stage name Jadakiss, is an American rapper from Yonkers, New York. He began his career in the 1990s as a member of the rap trio The Lox, managed by Ruff Ryders and signed with Bad ...

among others. On May 1, 2012, Jones released the second installment of his ''Vampire Life'' series entitled ''Vampire Life 2'', it went on to be downloaded over 300,000 times on mixtape-sharing website

DatPiff DatPiff is an online audio distribution platform that was launched in 2005. It is headquartered in Pennsylvania. It specializes in hip-hop, rap, and urban music. The site was founded in the spring of 2005 by Marcus Frasier. It is owned by Media ...

. On March 11, 2013, Jones announced he was working on two new mixtapes ''V3 (Vampire Life 3)'' and ''The Ghost Of Rich Porter 2''. ''Vampire Life 3'' was released on August 13, 2013. On December 3, 2013, Jim Jones released an

extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.

(EP), titled '' We Own the Night''. The EP was supported by the single "Nasty Girl", featuring American singer

Jeremih Jeremy Phillip Felton (born July 17, 1987), known professionally as Jeremih ( ), is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. In 2009, he signed a record deal with Def Jam Recordings. Jeremih's commercial debut single, "Birthday Sex", ...

. On June 24, 2014, Jones released a single titled "Wit the Shit", featuring American singer

Trey Songz Tremaine Aldon Neverson (born November 28, 1984), known professionally as Trey Songz, is an American R&B singer and rapper. His debut album, '' I Gotta Make It'', was released in 2005 through Atlantic Records. His follow-up album, ''Trey Day'', ...

. In July 2014, Jones revealed he would be releasing another EP, titled ''We Own the Night Pt. 2: Memoirs of a Hustler''; it was released on September 9. On January 1, 2015, DJ

announced via

Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...

that he had spoken to fellow Diplomat members Cam'ron, Jim Jones and

about an upcoming Diplomats mixtape which included fellow member

Freekey Zeekey Ezekiel Giles (born October 13, 1975), better known by his stage name Freekey Zekey, is an American rapper and music executive best known as a founding member of The Diplomats, a group he helped form in Harlem in 1997 alongside his childhood frie ...

. He also stated that he would be hosting the mixtape along with DJs/producers

DJ Khaled Khaled Mohammed Khaled (born November 26, 1975), known professionally as DJ Khaled, is an American DJ, record executive, record producer and rapper. Khaled first gained recognition as a radio host in the 1990s on the radio station WEDR, 99 Ja ...

Swizz Beatz Kasseem Daoud Dean (born September 13, 1978), known professionally as Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, rapper, disc jockey (DJ) and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, Dean embarked on his musical career as a DJ. At the ag ...

and

DJ Mustard Dijon Isaiah McFarlane (born June 5, 1990), known professionally as Mustard (also known as DJ Mustard), is an American record producer and beatmaker. He is a frequent collaborator of fellow California-bred artists YG and Ty Dolla Sign; among var ...

Other ventures

Byrd Gang

Jones introduced Byrd Gang in 2008. The group released their debut album, '' M.O.B.: The Album'' on

Asylum Records Asylum Records is an American record label, founded in 1971 by David Geffen and partner Elliot Roberts. It was taken over by Warner Communications (now the Warner Music Group) in 1972, and later merged with Elektra Records to become Elektra/As ...

Fashion designing

Jones and

co-own "Vampire Life Clothing".

Acting career

Jones made his acting debut in the film ''

State Property 2 ''State Property 2'' is a 2005 American crime film directed by Damon Dash and produced and distributed by Lionsgate Entertainment. A sequel to 2002's ''State Property'', the film stars rap artists and other musicians such as Cam'ron, The Diplomats ...

''.He also appeared on the show ''Crash: The Series''. Along with releasing the album ''Capo'', Jones headlined in an off-Broadway musical called ''Hip-Hop Monologues: Inside the Life and Mind of Jim Jones'', produced by

and Footage Entertainment.

Reality television

Jones also appears in seasons 1 and 2 of the

VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism of Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network based in New York City and owned by Paramount Global. It was created by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Commun ...

show '' Love & Hip Hop: New York'' (which premiered March 14, 2011 and November 11, 2011, respectively); the show loosely follows events in his personal life and that of his fiancée, Chrissy Lampkin. Jones also stars in season 1 of the

show '' Chrissy & Mr. Jones''; the show follows him and Lampkin, focusing on their personal lives.

Sports management

In December 2017, he became part owner of the

Richmond Roughriders Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, a ...

of the

American Arena League The American Arena League (AAL) is a professional indoor football minor league that began playing in 2018. The league was initiated by a merger between Arena Pro Football (APF) and the Can-Am Indoor Football League (Can-Am), although the AAL o ...

Controversies

Junior M.A.F.I.A.

At an altercation at the Rucker, members of Junior Mafia physically assaulted rap group, the Diplomats including Jim Jones. Jones was seen on camera, fleeing the altercation.

Tru Life

In a 2006 interview

Tru Life Roberto Guzmán Rosado, Jr. (born March 19, 1976), better known by his stage name Tru Life, is an American rapper. He was signed to Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Records briefly but was incarcerated soon after. Before signing he had spent time with variou ...

, responding to rumors, called Dipset bosses Cam'ron and Jim Jones "bitches." Jones responded by challenging Tru Life to

fisticuffs Bare-knuckle boxing (or simply bare-knuckle) is a combat sport which involves two individuals throwing punches at each other for a predetermined amount of time without any boxing gloves or other form of padding on their hands. It is a regulated ...

, with a US$50,000 wager. Tru Life responded by stealing Jones' necklaces and taunting him on the 2007 mixtape ''Tru York'',Tru York Mixtape track listing"
J-loveonline.com. Retrieved on January 11, 2012 which featured "a Photoshopped Jim Jones in a

Borat ''Borat! Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan'' (Kazakh language, Kazakh / Russian language, Russian: ''Борат'') (also stylized as ''BORДT'', or simply ''Borat'') is a 2006 mockumentary black come ...

-style thong and Cam'ron as a Seventh Avenue transsexual hooker" as the cover. The Diplomats retaliated by hacking Tru Life's MySpace page, replacing the faces on the ''Tru York'' cover with True Life's and Jay-Z's.

GUCCI

In February 2022 Jones posted an Instagram video in which he detailed his experience of being racially profiled as a result of receiving poor customer service . He expressed his disappointment in Gucci’s employees by claiming that “These black people are more racist than white people when they get they job”. He goes on to further detail the event that left him a victim by explaining “I still ain’t get no sparkling water, I still ain’t get no champagne. I still ain’t get nothing.”

Jay Z

Jim Jones has criticized

Jay Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...

's performance as president of

Def Jam Recordings Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop. The ...

. Jay Z responded with a "diss" track called "Brooklyn High" over the beat from Jones' "

". On December 22, 2008, Jones punched and kicked a "friend and colleague" of Jay Z at a Manhattan

Louis Vuitton Louis Vuitton Malletier, commonly known as Louis Vuitton (, ), is a French high-end Luxury goods, luxury fashion house and company founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton (designer), Louis Vuitton. The label's LV monogram appears on most of its produc ...

store; he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault the following November.

ASAP Mob

In a 2014 interview Jim Jones characterized

ASAP Mob ASAP Mob (stylized as A$AP Mob, ASAP being an acronym for "Always Strive And Prosper") is an American hip hop collective formed in 2006 in Harlem, New York City, that consists of rappers (most of whom carry the "ASAP" moniker), record producers, ...

's style as "not street": " ey're artistic, but they're not from the street... We got bonafide swag and the definition of get fly... Price point and high fashion don't really make it cool." ASAP Mob member

ASAP Rocky Rakim Athelaston Mayers (born October 3, 1988), known professionally as ASAP Rocky ( ; stylized as A$AP Rocky), is an American rapper, music producer and record executive. Born and raised in Harlem, he embarked on his musical career as a membe ...

responded in his solo single "Multiply" by criticizing that characterization as a disingenuous ploy to sell overpriced branded merchandise.

Azealia Banks

In July 2012, a social media-related conflict between Jim Jones and rapper

Azealia Banks Azealia Amanda Banks ( ; born May 31, 1991) is an American rapper, singer and songwriter. Raised in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City, she began releasing music through Myspace in 2008 before being signed to XL Recordings at age 18. In 2 ...

had started after Banks disrespected the rapper for getting more credit for her phrase "Vamp", as in Jones' mixtape series and label of the same name, Vampire Life, or his track "Vamp Life". Enraged, Banks disrespected Jim Jones again via a track titled "Succubi".

Discography

Solo albums * ''

'' (2004) * '' Harlem: Diary of a Summer'' (2005) * ''

'' (2006) * ''

'' (2009) * '' Capo'' (2011) * '' Wasted Talent'' (2018) * ''

'' (2019) Collaboration albums * ''

'' (with

) (2009) * ''The Fraud Department'' (with

Harry Fraud Rory William Quigley (born January 26, 1987), known professionally as Harry Fraud, is an American record producer. Primarily a hip hop producer, Fraud began producing at an early age and began interning at a recording studio after graduating hig ...

) (2021) * ''Gangsta Grillz: We Set The Trends'' (with

DJ Drama Tyree Cinque Simmons (born April 22, 1978), professionally known as DJ Drama, is an American DJ, record executive and music promoter. He is the co-founder (with Don Cannon) of Generation Now, an Atlantic Records imprint with artists including ...

) (2022) * ''The Lobby Boyz'' (with Maino) (2022)

Filmography

Awards and honors

"Pop Champagne" was nominated for Best Collaboration at the 2009

Urban Music Awards The Urban Music Awards (UMA) is a hip-hop, R&B, dance, and soul music awards ceremony which was launched by Jordan Kensington in 2003 and is now held in several countries. The US version of the award ceremony, the Urban Music Awards USA, was ...

References

External links

Official website
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Jim 1976 births American rappers of Caribbean descent American music industry executives American music video directors American people of Aruban descent American people of Puerto Rican descent Businesspeople from New York City Columbia Records artists MNRK Music Group artists Hispanic and Latino American male actors Hispanic and Latino American rappers Living people People from Harlem The Diplomats members Rappers from the Bronx Rappers from Manhattan Gangsta rappers Participants in American reality television series African-American male rappers 21st-century American rappers Bloods