Jim Jones

All Music Guide:

Along with fellow Harlem-based player Cam'ron, Jim Jones founded the Diplomat label, home to the Diplomats/Dipset and many of that crew's prolific solo activities. Though more of a businessman and behind-the-scenes figure than an MC (he was also named a director of A&R at Warner Music Group in early 2005), Jones released solo albums in 2004 (On My Way to Church, which hit the Top 20 upon its August release) and 2005 (Diary of a Summer). The 2006 album Hustler's P.O.M.E. (Product of My Environment) took him out of the background and into the spotlight thanks to the massive hit "We Fly High." The track made it to number five on the Billboard Hot 100, topped their Hot Rap Tracks chart, and was adopted by the New York Giants football team as their unofficial anthem. By the end of the year a remix of "We Fly High" landed on Jones' holiday album A Dipset Christmas. The album Harlem's American Gangster appeared in 2008, just as rumors of Jones' exit from Dipset began to spread. His other release that year, M.O.B.: The Album, introduced his Byrd Gang crew. In 2010, his “Salute” single featured a reunited Dipset, with both Cam'ron and Juelz Santana making guest appearances. The track landed on his Capo album a year later.

Wikipedia:

Joseph Guillermo Jones II (born July 15, 1976), better known by his stage name Jim Jones, is an American rapper and actor. He is an original member of hip hop collective The Diplomats, also known as Dipset. He is co-CEO of Diplomat Records, alongside childhood friend and fellow Harlem rapper Cam'ron. Jones is also a noted video director under the name CAPO, for artists including Cam'ron, Remy Ma, and State Property.

In 2004, he released his solo debut studio album, On My Way to Church. The release of his second album, Harlem: Diary of a Summer in 2005, coincided with Jones' landing an executive position in A&R at E1 Music. A year later he was on his third album, which spawned his biggest single to date, "We Fly High" Written By Max B . In 2006, he formed the rap group, ByrdGang. He also has his own freestyle inline skating team, Dipskate, which he plans to take to the X Games in the near future. On April 5, 2011 Jones released his fifth studio album, Capo.

Early life [edit]

Jim Jones was born in the Tremont section of The Bronx and was raised in Harlem. His mom, Nancy Jones, is Aruban and his late father was Puerto Rican and was raised mainly by his maternal grandmother. In an essay for Fader magazine, he stated that his mother would allow him to ride the train from their residence at 176th Street and Jerome Avenue to 110th Street and Lexington Avenue. He attended Catholic school but later began cutting church to loiter and play hooky at the train station. In Jim Jones' The Come Up DVD, Vol. 19, he tells stories about growing up with rapper Freekey Zekey. Jones claimed he would stay at a store a block from the church he attended, and would go in and hang out with the owner; when the owner left, Jones said he took all the money in the register and the candy and would sell it in school; he was later expelled.

Music career [edit]

Beginnings with The Diplomats [edit]

Before forming The Diplomats, Jones performed in the background as Cam'ron's hype man.

2004: On My Way to Church [edit]

On My Way to Church is Jones' debut album. The album spawned two singles that made the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart: "Certified Gangstas" (featuring Cam'ron, Bezel and The Game), which reached #80, and "Crunk Muzik" (featuring his Dipset group members Cam'ron and Juelz Santana), which reached #84. The album peaked at #18 on the Billboard 200 chart, #3 on Billboard's Independent Albums chart, and #4 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

2005: Harlem: Diary of a Summer [edit]

Harlem: Diary of a Summer, Jones' second album, reached #5 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 chart: "Baby Girl", which reached #58; "Summer Wit' Miami", which reached #78; and "What You Been Drankin' On?" (featuring Diddy, Paul Wall, and Jha Jha), which reached #106.

2006–08:Hustler's P.O.M.E. (Product of My Environment) and other projects [edit]

Jones' third album, Hustler's P.O.M.E. (Product of My Environment), was more commercial and once again featured Dipset members along with Lil Wayne. 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 and Plaxico Burress to do the dance move after big plays during a Monday Night Football 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 #29 on the BillBoard 200, selling 16,000 the first week in stores and eventually selling 65,000 units. He has two Christmas compilation albums, A Dipset X-Mas and A Tribute To Bad Santa Starring Mike Epps, and a load of mixtapes, including Harlem's American Gangster, which peaked at #19 on the Billboard 200 chart and spawned his single "Love Me No More".

2009: Pray IV Reign and The Rooftop [edit]

Jones' fourth studio album, Pray IV Reign, released March 24, 2009, was his major record label debut. The album peaked at #9 on the Billboard 200 chart. On July 8, Jones released a promotional single titled "The Good Stuff" featuring NOE. The album features "Pop Champagne", producer Ron Browz, and Juelz Santana. A bonus track on the album is "Jackin' Swagga From Us" with Twista, NOE, and Lil Wayne, which takes shots at T.I. and Jay-Z for allegedly stealing their styles and mocking their song "Swagga Like Us". It is his first solo album under Columbia Records. In 2009, Jim Jones became Vice President of Urban A&R at Koch Records, which is now E1 Music.

On June 11, Jim Jones appeared on 106 & Park along with DJ Webstar and announced that they will be releasing an album together titled The Rooftop. He also announced that his documentary, This Is Jim Jones, will be released June 30, 2009. The first single off the album is "Dancin on Me", featuring Juelz Santana. It was officially released via iTunes, 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: Capo and Dipset reunion [edit]

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 on a track titled "Salute", marking the return of The Diplomats. They have begun working on an album together, and have been reportedly working with Dr. Dre.

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. On November 3, Jones released a mixtape, titled Capo Life, to promote the album and celebrate the launch of his new website. The lead single off Capo, "Perfect Day" featuring Chink Santana and LOGiC, was released on iTunes 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, Lloyd Banks, Prodigy, Raekwon and R&B singers Rell and Ashanti among others, and features notable production from longtime collaborator Chink Santana, Aaron LaCrate, Wyclef Jean, Drumma Boy 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.

2011-present: The Rooftop 2 [edit]

On October 1, 2011 when Funkmaster Flex premiered a song on New York City's Hot 97 titled "It Ain't My Fault" featuring rappers T-Rex, Boogie Black and Sen City, it was revealed that it was the first offering off of Webstar and Jones' upcoming second collaborative effort The Rooftop 2. On October 30, 2011, for the Halloween holiday, Jones released a mixtape titled Vampire Life: We Own the Night. The tape features twenty-four tracks, including bonus tracks, freestyles, and guest appearances from Meek Mill, J.R. Writer, Chink Santana, 2 Chainz, Maino, Yo Gotti, Jadakiss, and Danny!, 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 March 11, 2013 Jones announced he was working on two new mixtapes V3 (Vampire Life 3) and The Ghost Of Rich Porter 2.

Other ventures [edit]

Music video director [edit]

Through out the early years of his music career Jones was known for being the hypeman of his group The Diplomats, but he was also as well shooting most of the music videos to they successful career. He is known when shooting the videos as CAPO.

Fashion designing [edit]

Though 2007 & 2008 Jim Jones was known for creating the rapper rockstar style which was very popular at the time. So he eventually made his own brand of clothing based off his trend entitled "Nostic".

In late 2011 Jim Jones was thinking of a new clothing line & in early 2012 making it official with his brand entitled "Vampire Life" the clothing line is sold throughout New York, but Jones is looking to expand it worldwide.

Acting career [edit]

Jim Jones made his acting debut in the film State Property 2. Jim Jones also showed his acting skills on the show "Crash: The Series".

Broadway [edit]

Along with releasing the album, 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.

Controversies [edit]

Tru-Life [edit]

According to an interview with Tru-Life in the June/July 2006 issue of Complex Magazine, rumors had spread that Tru-Life was referring to Jim Jones in his diss song "New New York". Jim Jones reportedly began calling several rappers and telling them that he had a DVD of Tru-Life dissing them. Tru-Life responded by calling Dipset bosses Cam'ron & Jim Jones "bitches"

Jones responded by challenging Tru-Life to a brawl with US$50,000 at stake. Months later, Jones told an interviewer that Tru-Life did not respond to the challenge, does not count in the rap industry, and lacked the money and heart to accept Jones' challenge.

The argument continued into 2007, when Tru-Life released his DJ J-Love hosted mixtape titled Tru York with Dipset diss tracks and whose cover superimposes an image of Jim Jones' face over a swimsuit-clad Borat picture.

Jay-Z [edit]

Jones' dispute with Tru-Life may have stemmed from a dispute between Cam'ron and Jay-Z, as Tru-Life was signed to Jay-Z's Roc-La-Familia label at the time. Jim Jones has also dissed Jay-Z's performance as president of Def Jam Recordings.

Jay-Z has since responded with a "diss" track called "Brooklyn High" over the beat from Jones' "We Fly High". On December 1, 2006, BET's Access Granted debuted the video for Jones' "We Fly High" remix, with Diddy, Baby, T.I., Young Dro, and added Juelz Santana's verse from his response on the "We Fly High Beef Mix".

On December 22, 2008, Jones had an altercation with Jay-Z associate, Vaughn "Jayvon" Smith, at a Louis Vuitton store on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue and turned himself into the police shortly afterward. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge and was sentenced to time served – the few hours he was in custody after turning himself in to police in January. Jones' defense attorney, Scott Leemon, stated that Jones didn't start the fight but pleaded guilty because he did not want to risk probation – and potential touring restrictions – if convicted. Jones still faced a civil suit Smith filed after the incident. MTV reports: Smith is the brother of Tyran "Ty Ty" Smith, who works with Ne-Yo and the longtime best friend and colleague of Jones' lyrical nemesis, Jay-Z. In February 2009, Ne-Yo stated on Power 106 radio in Los Angeles that Jones and Smith "have had drama in the past".

Jayvon was shopping with Ne-Yo when the altercation occurred, and initial reports indicated that Jones' altercation was with Ne-Yo. However, it was later revealed that Jones did not get into an altercation with Ne-Yo; the false rumor was intended to increase tension.

Max B & French Montana [edit]

In 2008 it was rumored that tensions was going on with Jones & ByrdGang affiliate member Max B, due to ghost writing payment allegations to Max B. But in 2009 it was confirmed when Jones released the Max B diss track "Frienemies" off his 2009 album Pray IV Reign, in 2009 Max B & fellow New York rapper French Montana responded to the track with Max B stating not only did he help Jones career but he slept with Jones current girlfriend Chrissy. In late 2012 during a recent radio interview it was clear that Jones still had tension with Max B.

Filmography [edit]

Television [edit]

Jim Jones appeared on Season 5, episode 8 of the critically acclaimed TV drama The Wire on HBO on August 29, 2009. He is seen as one of Marlo Stanfield's henchmen.

Jones also appears in seasons 1 and 2 of the VH1 show Love & Hip Hop (which premiered March 14, 2011 and November 11, 2011, respectively); the show loosely follows events in his, and his fiancee, Chrissy Lampkin, personal life.

Jones also stars in season 1 of the VH1 show Chrissy & Mr. Jones the show continues to follow the events of him, and his fiancee, Chrissy Lampkin, personal life.

Awards [edit]

Urban Music Awards