You just remixed Kid Cudi's "Day N Nite." Are you feeling other new school rappers like Charles Hamilton, Mickey Factz or Wale?
Jim Jones: I'm actually doing a Charles Hamilton remix of "Brooklyn Girls." I like him. He's from Harlem. I like Kid Cudi. I like some of [the Cool Kids'] sh*t. I like the beats they pick out. I f*ck with Sa-Ra. I don't know if
is considered that type of lane, but I love Mos Def. He's one of my
favorite rappers. I never even heard one of his whole albums. But the
way he freestyles and be tearing beats down, I'm a fan. [16 Blocks] with Bruce Willis was ingenious the way he portrayed his character and made it a little Rainman-ish. My favorite thing that he's done was when he was hosting Def Poetry Jam and he did a freestyle for five minutes straight.
A bouncer from the New York nightclub Tenjune sued you a while back because of an altercation at a Chris Brown record release party. What happened?
Just
a little altercation with one of the bouncers. We ended up getting in
and there was a little miscommunication. They said one of the bouncers
ended up getting slapped. I don't know what happened there. They ended
up putting a warrant out for my arrest after that. I got locked up.
[The security guard] had an order of protection but the judge lifted
it. I had to do fucking community service 'cause a n*gg* snitching. It
ain't nothing but some b*llsh*t assault charges. Suing is a form of
snitching when it comes to them type of situations.
Over the years, what's the biggest charge that you've gotten off on?
Probably
the trial that I had going on a couple years ago. It was over a
shooting in Harlem. They said I did some things that I didn't do. My
life ain't a publicity stunt and never would use me getting in trouble
with the law to be more famous or look like a badass. I got vindicated
on the same day that Irv Gotti was acquitted. But you wouldn't know
that. But you definitely know Irv Gotti
got acquitted because it was posted everywhere like it was some type of
stat to be playing with the Feds. I think you should be more humble in
saying your prayers as opposed to making it seem like you beat the
Feds. I'm not referring to no one [in particular]. I'm talking about
gangsta rules.
You had an incident where you were allegedly involved in a shooting.
The
charge was possessing a firearm and shooting a firearm or something
like that. It was unfortunate. A few people did end up getting hit
during that shootout. Two of my close friends and a young kid also got
hit. God bless him because he spared their lives. I helped one of my
friends to the hospital. They tried to say I sent them to do it, and I
had nothing to do with it.
Now that you and Cam aren't really on good terms, is there
regret on your part that you went to bat for Cam and got into a beef
with Nas?
Nah.
F*ck Nas. I don't give a f*ck about Nas. He's a rapper that just lost
his pizazz. When I was in high school, he was the sh*t. He was the
n*gg* that got us hyped. "New York State of Mind," Illmatic and all of that.
Is there any possibility of a reconciliation?
What
kind of reconciliation? I was never cool with him. I seen Nas a few
months ago in L.A. with Dame. We was staying in this hotel right above
the Ferrari dealership. Dame seen him and was talking to him. I was
laying back on a couch laughing. He didn't know what to do. I was
looking dead at him. [Laughs.] And then Dame was like, "You
know Jim?" He started [stammering], "Ah? Ah?" Dame is just burnt out.
He not thinking about none of that frivolous [beef] sh*t. Me neither,
for the most part. Nas was never on my level ever. Ever.
What was your reaction to Cam telling Miss Info he sold Juelz' contract to Def Jam for $2 million?
No
one sold anything, first of all. Juelz has his own equity. He's
becoming a platinum artist under the Def Jam and Diplomats umbrella.
And it was just a business move that came in time for Juelz to do
things on his own because he didn't feel like he was getting dealt with
justly. He signed up at a very young age where a lot of people are
na