With rumors swirling about his possible “music retirement,” Mike Jones is setting the record straight about his future plans.
In an in-depth interview with the Houston Press, Mike Jones defended himself against accusations from former friends and associates that he squandered his career and took advantage of them.
“People hate on Mike Jones and what he done, but I sold 2 million. People hated on Mike Jones back then, but I still sold all my CDs. So I don’t trip. Because you could hate, but at the end of the day the numbers prove that Mike Jones is still relevant and supposed to be here…You know what I’m saying?”
The 2 million sales Jones references is the breakout success of his 2005 debut, Who Is Mike Jones?
Power by a unique promotional campaign that included the rapper’s own personal phone number and the chart-topping success of “Still Tippin’,” Jones became an overnight superstar.
Unfortunately, the Houston native could not capitalize on the success, and others speculate it was due to the rapper’s work ethic becoming erratic.
It’s alleged that Jones alienated promoters but reneging on shows agreements, and DJ s began to refuse to play his records after breaking commitments with them as well.
Additionally, label issues stalled the rapper’s sophomore album The Voice for over 3 years.
Undeterred, Jones explained his plans to drop another LP entitled Expect the Unexpected later this year, and will focus on building himself back up through endorsement deals with Subway – he claims to have shed 100 pounds – and Cricket Wireless.
“It’s just my fan appeal lost a little bit,” Jones admitted to the Houston Press. “The buzz, the momentum, lost a little bit. I was on Unsolved Mysteries. They don’t know what happened to Mike Jones. He ain’t dead. I’m in that glass six feet under trying to get y’all attention. Y’all walking right over me. I’m these dominoes right here. And I seen all y’all faces as y’all spit on me, and walked past me, and laughed, and said f**k me. Somehow I got out of that motherf**king coffin, though.”
Mike Jones last album The Voice was released earlier this year, and charted in Billboard’s Top 20.
