Jim Jones does Complex

November 19, 9:36 PMNY Hip-Hop Music ExaminerSamantha Greaves

You have a guest role on the Starz show Crash. What else are you getting into for ’09?

Jim Jones: Well, the sky’s the limit, man. There are so many things I want to do. We just started a comedy division together: me, Dame and Mike Epps. We’re getting ready to do the big concert with Epps, and we got a soundtrack to the comedy show. It’s called From Hollywood to Harlem—it should be really funny. Mike Epps is brilliant. I want to explore the movie world through comedy and try to get in that way. Not too many people know me in Hollywood, and that’s the place I need to be. I need everybody to know me.

Meanwhile, your relationship with Cam’ron is at a standstill. It seems like that souring has had the most effect on you.

Jim Jones: It’s definitely hard, because that’s my *****, that’s my brother. We rolled together for a very long time, and there are things I remember we said that we would never do. And now that we’ve got so much success, we’re doing all the things we watched people do and said that wouldn’t be us. It’s the ego; it has to be. This is a question I’ve asked myself over and over again. That’s the only way I see it. Amongst everything else, there was a couple things said on my part, but I can do that if I want to. Above all, I kept it fair; I could really expose ****, but that’s not what I’m here for. Once your ego becomes bigger than money, you can’t get anywhere. It’s a sad thing—we’ve built so much. Everywhere around the world, people know the Diplomats as a strong entity. And it’s at a halt due to the fact we’ve been going back and forth through this minute ********.

In the documentary, there’s mention that Jay-Z stole the beat for “Izzo (H.O.V.A.)” from you and Cam, that Kanye agreed to give the beat to you guys. What’s the story behind that?

Jim Jones: Kanye came to our studio session at Sony, and he was playing some beats back when we were all signed to Rocafella. Cam was about to come out with Come Home With Me, so we told Kanye we wanted to buy the song “H to the Izzo.” It was an understanding we had between us and Kanye because we were all under the same label. So then, I’ll never forget it, we’re at Cam’s house and this hip-hop award show comes on [BET Awards, 2001], and Cam and I are watching it on his couch, and we’re like, “Next year we’re gonna be up there.” So they announce that Jay-Z is about to perform his new single off The Blueprint, and the dude comes out with the “H to the Izzo” beat. Cam and I look at each other like, Oh, we’re going to kill Kanye. Oh my God, when we catch this *****,we’re going to do something terrible to him. And that’s how Cam ended up getting the “Down and Out” beat. Kanye gave it to him free of charge as payback.

You hear it all the time, but NY rap is still not back to being at the forefront of rap. Who else would you enlist to bring the game back?

Jim Jones: Without my own personal hatred—I got to put all my feelings aside—to bring NY back properly, I would definitely put the Lox as a whole. Definitely 50. I **** with 50, and beyond everything we got a mutual understanding. I think we think alike in some ill twisted way. But, it’s still aggressive competition above all, because we all trying to eat out the same pot.

 

So even with personal hatred aside, Nas and Jay are still not on the roster?

Jim Jones: To bring New York back? ****, why they ain’t bring it back already? It would’ve been back. I didn’t even think about them. The integrity of their music right now is not where we come from any more. Nas is still stuck in Africa, and Jay is talking about way too much money and Merrill Lynch talk and **** like that.

 You’ve said that there’s no more Rocafella, but Kanye has had great success, and he still claims the Roc.

Jim Jones: I don’t know if he’s actually with Jay-Z from the looks of things. From what I’ve been seeing from since we were signed until now, I think Kanye actually hates Jay-Z. [Dame Dash interrupts:] No, he actually does. He hated Jay-Z ever since he wouldn’t give him a ******* Rocawear chain in Chicago! I’m telling you.

Jim Jones: I don’t know if the song “Big Brother” was correct, but he might’ve hated him since he didn’t give him those tickets to Madison Square Garden.

Damon Dash: This was before that. He was already in full hate by that time. [Laughs.] This ***** [Kanye] was like, “Wow, he ain’t going to give me the chain.” I had to take off my chain and give it to him, and I was heated. I had the real canary diamonds. That **** cost $40,000! I told Kanye, “Yo, you got to give that back when we get off this stage!”

You warned Kanye to keep your name out of his mouth after he said some things about you and Juelz closing Summer Jam. Would you ever fully go at him?

Jim Jones: Kanye?! I like making jokes about him, but Kanye is somebody you can just punch his chest old-school style, cave his chest in and **** like that. Like don’t ever, ever, ever talk about me again in your life! It’s just a joke to me. I’m just having fun. I heard him ranting and raving about my name and ****. How would I look having an issue with Kanye? I’d love to work with him. I need a beat from him. I think that’s why I’m most mad. Matter fact, I’ma **** you up if you don’t give me a beat! [Laughs.]

It’s going to be hard to follow up the success of “Ballin’.” How do you respond to people saying you’re still riding the coattails of that song?

Jim Jones: People are going to say that. Most people think that I started from “Ballin’” and that I’m on top of the world because of that song. But this has been 12 years in the making. I’m doing this for a long time, and for the most part everything I’ve done only got better, so I’m not going to stop now. I don’t think this 12-year run is about to stop this year. We’re going to ride into real music on my album, that I think will solidify my spot as a contender in the game, especially because I’m coming out on Columbia.

Hmmm someone sure seems bitter, and I think I smell the faint scent of desperation (ahem damon). An interview filled with threats and B.S. remarks and statements; I am now fully convinced that Jim Jones has the IQ of a coffee bean and Damon that of a cotton ball. There most definitely was liquor in heavy rotation during this interview because I refuse to believe that Jimmy boy was in the right state of mind or even sober giving the responses he did. I am still trying to understand what he meant by Nas still being stuck in Africa *scratching head* I think he doesn't even know what he meant by it.

Oh! and Jay-Z is talking too much about money?! Did you not just do a song about all the things you can buy? Did I completely miss the boat on what "Ballin" was about?! Did you not say, and I quote, "Ya boy gettin paper (Money)/ I buy big cars (Foreign)
I need fly rides to drive in my garage (Choose 1)" or how about "I keep 20 in the pocket (Light Change)/ Talk a buck 80 If the bentley is the topic (That grey poupon)". Wow,  i'm so confused. 

Clearly, Jim and Damon are living on another planet because here on planet earth the Jim Jones I know isn't that good ( I'm sorry, but i'm not running to turn my radio up a few notches to get a good ear full of  "Pop Champagne" i'm actually reaching to turn it off) and if we are depending on Jim Jones, 50 Cent, or The Lox ( sorry to bring you into this guys) to put NY back on the map as the "rap city" of the world then we might as well take hip hop off of life support and say farewell from now.

A friend of mine suggested that Kanye West should challenge Jim Jones to a Pay-Per-View fight; and I concur. I would pay $49.95 to watch Kanye pummel Jim Jones to a pulp, lyrically of course; oh touché. Lol Jim Jones lol. On a brighter note, Jim's style is impeccable. That metrosexual swag is definitely on point minus the scruffy look, kudos to him.