I
n the tight-lipped political world of Hip-Hop, perhaps Jim Jones is a revolutionary. The Diplomats’ movement has grown to one of the biggest forces in Hip-Hop, and their Capo still kicks it with street-corner candor. Maybe that’s why, if any rapper’s voyeuristic documentary appeals, A Day in the Fastlife lives up to its name.
In celebration of this realistic look into Jim Jones’ life, AllHipHop decided to follow up on some juicy talk involving Jones and his company. True to his reputation, the Dipset commander dodges nothing. From talking about food, to Hip-Hop cops, to Tru Life, it’s all there in authenticity. Going into his next album, the tentatively titled Bright Lights, Big City, Jim Jones has much to discuss, and plenty of watchers, listeners, and readers along for any ride.
AllHipHop.com: Okay, so your new DVD gives us a glimpse of what your life and Harlem is all about?
Jim Jones: It doesn’t all revolve around Harlem. Harlem’s my birthplace, Harlem’s where I learned to hustle and s**t like that. I take Harlem around the world with me, you understand?
AllHipHop.com: What’s on there?
Jim Jones: The DVD is A Day In The Fastlife. Get you a glimpse of what real life thugging is about. I keep telling people thugging ain’t about how wild you is, or how many n***as you could bust in the face. If you keeping your family fed, you got shelter over your head, and you doing the right thing, that’s first. Anything else after that is what you do, but that’s what you call thugging, n***a. ya nahmean? Keeping your kids fed, clothes on your back, and living like a man, ya dig?
AllHipHop.com: Okay. Where’s the best place to get a plate of food in Harlem?
Jim Jones: The best place to get a plate of food in Harlem. Well, I go to this restaurant called The [Harlem] Grill on Seventh Avenue between 132nd and 133rd Streets. But um, there’s a lot of restaurants in Harlem that I eat at. I eat at Chinese Restaurants, you got Seafood places we eat at, got Jamaican restaurants we eat at.
AllHipHop.com: Nice. On the DVD you curse the “Hip-Hop Cop” Derrick Parker. Why’d you do that?
Jim Jones: Why is everybody asking me about Derrick Parker?
AllHipHop.com: It’s out there, we gotta ask.
Jim Jones: That’s that n***a’s title. If he the f**king Hip-Hop Cop, that n***a’s a pig. [Laughs] [To someone in the room]: I just said I was alright with Derrick. I ain’t got no problem with Derrick, they keep asking me why I’m cursing Derrick out. Derrick’s my man. It was a misunderstanding. [Laughs] That’s my n***a.
AllHipHop.com: I was saying you’ve been outspoken about not snitching. Did you feel that Lil’ Cease was wrong for testifying against Lil’ Kim, but in the case of Busta Rhymes, do you feel he should speak out if he knows who murdered his friend?
Jim Jones: Ay Ay Ay Ay Ay, see? That’s what… see? And now…I fault myself for going too far speaking on behalf of other people’s business when it comes to the law. Like, I shoulda never said that comment about Lil’ Ceasey, that lil’ snitch, uh Lee, uh Lil’ Cease. [laughs] But, I ain’t mean to say that because, not because I didn’t want to, because that was just a lil’ bit far beyond me, ya dig?
AllHipHop.com: Right.
Jim Jones: I… like I tell n***as, don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time, point blank, yanamean? I ain’t liable for nobody else’s mishaps, and I can’t mention about nobody else’s, how they handle they business, ya dig? I know I handle mine, man. I know what lane I’m moving in. So, I take everything that comes with the game and I ain’t mad, ya dig?
AllHipHop.com: True. With Suge Knight currently going through his problems is he a “certified gangsta” to you?
Jim Jones: Suge?
AllHipHop.com: Yeah.
Jim Jones: Uh, I never met Suge.
AllHipHop.com: Okay.
Jim Jones: Smell me? So if you wanna go on heresay, s**t I hear, he’s a pretty hard individual from what’s been going on, but, you know, everybody got they own lil’ s**t, you know. I ain’t really got nothing to say. I know one thing: he do his time like a man and come home like a man. I never hear him snitching so…
AllHipHop.com: Earlier in the year, there were rumors that you and Cam had a little tension, especially since you got the A&R gig. It was said you were outgrowing your role as part of the Diplomats, and Cam was hating on you because, you know…
Jim Jones: [raising voice] Do you believe that?
AllHipHop.com: Nah, I didn’t believe it, but I gotta address the rumors, the speculation…
Jim Jones: Ah, come on, man. Like I told you just now, me and Cam are brothers. This is something we started. This is a movement. This little separation, and this, you know, divide and conquer… money was always second when it came to us, and s**t like that, so for people and the rumors, we don’t even listen to the rumors, that’s why you don’t never hear us say nothing about it. Not going deep into nothing, [but] when we was living our life, it’s nothing I can’t do without [Cam’ron], nahmean? Like me and him go through the whole stretch of this s**t together, like, you see me you see him regardless, n***a.
AllHipHop.com: That’s good to hear because this industry is good for breaking people up…
Jim Jones: Nah, we here.
AllHipHop.com: Aight. It was also reported that you and Fabolous got into it in Miami during Memorial Day Weekend. What can you tell about what went down?
Jim Jones: Ain’t nothin’ go down, man. Ya dig?
AllHipHop.com: Okay. So y’all relationship’s cool? You’re cool with Fab. You talk to him?
Jim Jones: Shout to Fab. You smell me? We ain’t trippin’.
AllHipHop.com: Aight. We gonna go into another rumor real quick. What’s the deal with you and Tru Life? There was a report that his Roc-A-Fella chain was stolen, and y’all had diss records back and forth. Where’d the bad blood stem from?
Jim Jones: Whoa, whoa, whoa. [a long pause] First of all, [laughing] I don’t have no idea who you talking about. Second of all…
AllHipHop.com: Tru Life is the dude on Roc…
Jim Jones: Who?
AllHipHop.com: Tru Life. He’s from the Lower East Side. He got that record out “The New New York.”
Jim Jones: Who own Roc-La-Familia? Juan? F**k Juan! Put that on there: “F**k Juan!” F**king Mexican ass n***a. I’ll put a cocktail in 40/40, n***a. F**k outta here. F**k Juan, n***a. I get at bosses, n***a, I don’t get at soldiers.
AllHipHop.com: But isn’t it true you challenged [Tru Life] to a fistfight for money?
Jim Jones: [calmly] Yeah, but he ain’t really never holla back. Feel me? I don’t know if he ain’t have the money or… but, you know, that’s here nor there. Smell me? I deal with bosses, so if it’s Roc-a-Fella, it’s f**k Jay-Z! And if it’s Roc-la-Familia, it’s f**k Juan.
AllHipHop.com: This seems personal. A lot of people perceived the beef with Jay as a marketing tool. What do you say to that?
Jim Jones: It ain’t no marketing tool. We been known for kicking ass, so why would we use that as a marketing tool?
AllHipHop.com: Ok. I just wanted to clear that up. What do you think about Nas signing to Def Jam? I know he was another dude you called out in the past…
Jim Jones: Ay Ay. Like I just told you, I don’t give a flying f**k about, um, Nasir. Feel me? I’ll slap the holy living s**t out of him. He got a nice lil’ song right now [“Where Y’all At”] that I kinda like. But, like, I don’t care about him personally. I don’t care who he signed to, or s**t like that. I don’t care if he feeling the movement.
AllHipHop.com: On a lighter note, how did it feel to close out Hot 97’s Summer Jam?
Jim Jones: Yo, that was a beautiful feeling. Now that’s some gangsta s**t. When you mu’f**kin’ talk about headlining and s**t like that, and you think about Run-DMC coming out saying “Who’s house?” you think about B.I.G. at the Apollo, n***a, now n***as gotta think about Dipset when they closed down Summer Jam, ‘cause it was raining and it was still 50,000 people out there waiting for the boys to come out. They stayed around, smoked blunts wit’ us, they got they drink on. It was beautiful. It just felt like a block party out there for us. Imagine how that feel, ya dig? On some old school Run-DMC, Big Daddy Kane come through the park, jump up on the speaker and do something.
AllHipHop.com: That’s great. What made you sign Katt Williams the comedian?
Jim Jones: It was all business. Like, me and Cam been working with comics and comedians and s**t like that for a minute trying to get our whole s**t together. It’s another business venture.
AllHipHop.com: You never planned to rhyme in the past, but now you’re approaching your third album. How do you feel you’ve grown as an artist?
Jim Jones: Um, I think I’ve grown as an artist… I don’t even consider myself an artist, like… I got a chance to be the voice of the people. I’ve seen things go on in the hood, n***as is dying and mothers is crying, n***as is coming up on corners hopeless and s**t like that.
AllHipHop.com: Right.
Jim Jones: I’m trying to be they inspiration, trying to let people know what we going through and s**t like that. I know we perform around the world, but it shows like everybody could get up outta the ghetto, and at the same time, we all like to have a good time, and us as black people we like to stay fly and go through the motions. It’s all about the fast life, making more money. Like B.I.G said, it’s more money, more problems, yeah that may be true and s**t like that, but I’m trying to prepare for the problems. I ain’t trying to get caught up in nobody’s mistakes. I been watching the game, so I learn my lessons from other peoples.
