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 gre ...
(also known as Dipset), alongside longtime friend and fellow Harlem native,
Cam'ron.
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. 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 serves ...
'' 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. He initially gained major recognition after producing the Jay-Z diss track, "E ...
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''
''
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 ...
'' 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
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 ...
), which reached number 84. The album peaked at number 18 on the US
''Billboard'' 200 chart, number three on ''
Billboard''
'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 ''
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 ...
'', 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 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, A ...
'' 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'', which peaked at number 19 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart and spawned his single "Love Me No More".
Jones' fourth studio 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 serves ...
'', released March 24, 2009, was his
major record label 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 "
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 ...
", producer
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. He initially gained major recognition after producing the Jay-Z diss track, "E ...
, and
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 ...
. 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 style of rapping and for once holding the title of fastes ...
,
NOE, and
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), ...
, 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". It is his first solo album under
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 ...
. 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 ...
. 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 ...
's ''
106 & Park'' 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](_blank)
. 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
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 ...
. 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
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 ...
on a track titled "Salute", marking the return of
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 gre ...
. 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 entitled Splash Records. On April 5, 2011, Jones' released his fifth studio album, ''
Capo'', on
E1.
[Capo: Jim Jones: Music](_blank)
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
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 ...
and LOGiC, was released on
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 ...
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 th ...
,
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
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 ...
,
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 mo ...
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 9 ...
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 ...
's
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 ser ...
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 choreographed ...
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 co ...
,
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,
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 ...
,
2 Chainz,
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 B ...
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
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 9 ...
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
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 ...
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
Damon Dash 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 Diplo ...
''.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
Damon Dash and Footage Entertainment.
Reality television
Jones also appears in seasons 1 and 2 of the
VH1 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
VH1 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 on ...
.
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 vari ...
, 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"](_blank)
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 / Russian: ''Борат'') (also stylized as ''BORДT'', or simply ''Borat'') is a 2006 mockumentary black comedy film directed by Larry Charle ...
-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'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 l ...
. Jay Z responded with a "diss" track called "Brooklyn High" over the beat from Jones' "
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, ...
".
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 fashion house and company founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton. The label's LV monogram appears on most of its products, ranging from luxury bags and leather ...
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 ...
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
* ''
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 ...
'' (2004)
* ''
Harlem: Diary of a Summer'' (2005)
* ''
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)
* ''
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 serves ...
'' (2009)
* ''
Capo'' (2011)
* ''
Wasted Talent'' (2018)
* ''
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 ...
'' (2019)
Collaboration albums
* ''
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 ...
''
(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 ...
) (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 ...
.
See also
*
List of Puerto Ricans
*
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 gre ...
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