Jim Jones Albums (9)
What The Critics Say
A teenage rapper has a minor novelty hit -- in Webstar's case, 2006's "Chicken Noodle Soup" -- and usually that's about the end of the story. However, there was a spark in Webstar that caught the ear of Jim Jones, and the Dipset mogul called in the fellow Harlemite to whip up one duet. The pair clicked so well (or so the story goes) that Jones decided to take his new friend under his wing for a whole record, 2009's The Rooftop. Both rappers have had a beef with Jay-Z and others during the Brooklyn rapper's assault on Auto-Tune, and points on this album feel like a protest-too-much defense as the engineers go into tweaking overdrive, particularly on the centerpiece single, "Dancing on Me," a standard-issue strip club extolling jam. While the topic's been done (and done and done, etc.) and the Auto-Tune on steroids is a bit grating, it's nevertheless an appealing cut, as the beat lingers in the background -- hypnotic, never trying to do too much -- and Jones' growl has a knack for making even the most corny rhymes appealing. And most of the record is Auto-Tune-free, and while the lyrics rarely rise above stale tales of love, haters, and the MCs' mutual obsession, Internet life, the production is solid, if simple, making the record enjoyable, if inessential. ~ Jason Thurston, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The three years between Hustler's P.O.M.E. and Pray IV Reign saw a slew of Jim Jones releases -- mixtapes, Christmas EPs, plus LPs with his Byrd Gang crew -- but there's little doubt that this is the proper follow-up to the album that gave the world the massive hit "We Fly High." One listen to the epic intro and it's obvious it also aims higher artistically, influenced by the passing of Byrd Gang member Stack Bundles, beefs with members of the Dipset crew, plus the creation of the man's off-Broadway production, The Hip Hop Monologues: Inside the Life and Mind of Jim Jones. Reign is basically the soundtrack to Monologues but it stands alone just fine, successfully mixing straight-up club anthems like "Pop Champagne" and "Na Na Nana Na Na" with much deeper numbers. Bundles is mourned on the moving "My My My," which features the perfectly Jones aside "I hope there's a Harlem in Heaven." A question mark must have been dropped off the title of "This Is the Life," as the rapper's unsure "There's no regrets in life/How's that sound?" rides over the background singers' hook of "Is there a Heaven for us?" Since it's directed at his son ("A miracle on Flatbush Avenue/I still made it back to say 'Push!' when she was havin' you"), "Rain" doesn't question these contrasts and presents them as the cold hard facts of life. It's affiliate NOE who really lays it on the line during "Rain," offering "Had to be a felon/Hated bein' pauper/Read the book of life/Satan was the author." Even with special guest Ludacris on the cut, NOE also wins on key track "How to Be a Boss," and as "Frienemies" addresses Jones' volatile relationships with Cam'ron and Max B, the grand victory of Reign becomes how well it shakes the past and presents the current Byrd Gang crew as true players. Success has always been Jones' revenge, and while his ringleader ways allow this autobiographical album to sometimes go wildly off concept, it's clearly his most inspired set of songs to date. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
With Dipset brothers Jim Jones and Cam'ron showing little brotherly love for the past year or so, 2008 seemed the right time for Jones to face the "What color is your parachute?" question, because there's a chance it isn't Diplomats purple. Jones is in the weird position of being half hype-man, half rapper with a massive crossover hit -- "We Fly High" -- two years previous. He followed it up with the Dipset Christmas EP, a bad idea featuring a "We Fly High" remix, plus the underwhelming full-length Harlem's American Gangster. M.O.B.: The Album gets him back on track, not by aiming for the charts but by focusing on the hood and the quirky gutter rhymes that launched the man's career. Besides putting Jones in a comfortable, complementary setting, the album also introduces his crew, Byrd Gang, who are talented and hold plenty of promise. While listening to the on-point opener, "I'm the Man," and hearing lines like "We got money like the Reagan era," it's easy to imagine members Freekey, Chink Santana, Sandman, Mel Matrix, and the great NOE as an eventual replacement, or at least an alternative, to Dipset. They offer the addictive hits -- "Splash" and "Byrdgang Money," which originally appeared on Harlem's American Gangster -- along with the deep album cuts that bring some experimentation to street music. Jones' love of different sounds is found in the skittish, computer malfunction beat of "Throwin BG's" and the radiant "Money Right," a track brightened by Majik's innovative -- busy sequencer, slithering melody -- production and lines like "I feel like the constitution/I got the law on me." Producer Green Lantern brings a G-Unit flavor and nocturnal bump to the NOE showcase "Mobbin'," and Chink Santana helms a handful of tracks with skill. The album could do a better job sorting out the individual personalities within Byrd Gang, but a little overanxiousness is to be expected. Jones, on the other hand, is the big benefactor, proving he can return to the streets and thrive whether or not Cam and his purple gang still have love for this aloof, accidental platinum master of the ringtone. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide
'Harlem's American Gangster'
Release Date 1/1/2008
Tracks 16
Label High Note
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Diplomats member Jim Jones began 2007 with the number one single/number one ringtone "We Fly High," then spent the rest of the year suffering a series of setbacks. His Byrd Gang crew stalled with main member and Jones protégé Max B sitting in jail, then Jones and his Dipset brother Cam'ron stopped talking, putting the future of their purple crew in question. Then there's the way his rival Jay-Z dominated the end of the year with his American Gangster soundtrack, an album Jones' Harlem's American Gangster apes in great street fashion. No, this isn't a Jay-Z raps over Dipset beats bootleg, but it is a street-level mixtape now liberated, rearranged, and cleaned a bit before seeing official release thanks to Koch. Former Jay-Z associate Dame Dash is brought in to host and upset the Jigga man a little while the Byrd Gang are pimped with the hooky "Byrd Gang Money," which is also the street-worthy highlight. "Love Me No More" is the standout club track, but its short run time is a disappointment repeated throughout the release, with only a handful of tracks allowed to develop past the three-minute mark. If this was still a true street-level mixtape, the short run times would be easier to explain, but with fadeouts and cold endings the flow feels bumpy and ragged. At least the money spent on licensing Schoolly D's "Gucci Time" isn't wasted, since "Lookin' at the Game" rocks that funky beat for four glorious minutes. One track later, Jones spits venom all over the war on drugs and the "Rockefeller Laws," offering something surprisingly substantial in the fourth quarter of this frustrating release. It suggests Jones is growing as a lyricist, but most of Harlem's American Gangster just suggests he had some dues to pay at Koch before moving on to his new deal with Columbia Records. Think of this one as an almost-out-the-door, "hardcore fans only," or everyday stopgap release. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
What makes Jim Jones' A Dipset Christmas worth consideration is the loose charm found on the first half -- the Christmas half -- of the album. The Dipset capo's quirked-out charisma and quippy style are suitably toned down to a surprisingly humble level, supporting both the light, Christmas party numbers and the bittersweet tales of the struggling holiday seasons past. Best of the latter is "Wish List," a believable track where Jones remembers what empty wallets and disappointed families feel like come the end of December. "Ballin' on Xmas" is fun if only for its riffing on Run-D.M.C.'s "Christmas in Hollis," and "Dipset X-mas Time" is a cheery and bright way for any hardcore baller to start his Christmas morn. "The mood is right/And I'm high is hell" isn't for the family gathering, and neither is the thugging second half of the album, which features some random, non-Christmas leftovers of which only the "We Fly High" remix is desirable. It's been a decade since the hood was sorta blessed with the much more throwaway Christmas on Death Row, so even with the abundant filler, A Dipset Christmas serves a purpose. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide
'Hustler's P.O.M.E. (Product of My Environment)'
Release Date 10/31/2006
Tracks 20
Label Koch
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
The lazy-mouthed co-CEO and co-founder of the Diplomats empire had some serious momentum rolling before he released this one. Besides the ever-growing Dipset fanbase there was "We Fly High," Jim Jones' highest-charting single to date and the unofficial theme song of the New York Giants' defensive line. Team members would imitate the jump shot move from the song's video every time they executed an especially brutal sack or tackle, and the crowd would respond with the song's "Baaaaaallllllin!" catch phrase. Hustler's P.O.M.E. (Product of My Environment) doesn't squander the buildup and offers great single number two, "Reppin' Time," which already makes the album twice as powerful as Jones' previous full-lengths. He's an iffy lyricist who can drop a witty line and then spin his wheels for a verse, so P.O.M.E. plays to his strengths and surrounds him with flash. Add "Pin the Tail," "Get It Poppin'," "My Life," and "Weatherman" with Lil Wayne to the aforementioned tracks and you've got a hefty bag of hooky club music, something that suits this charismatic baller just fine. Slick production throughout from folks like Chink Santana, the Runners, and Jim Bond makes this one of the more polished efforts in the Dipset universe. A couple soul-searching numbers paint life as a bleak survival game and borrow way too much from 2Pac's style to be taken seriously. If Jones could meet that legend's insight halfway, P.O.M.E. would be a champion. As it is, it's a contender and a serious step up for this scrappy hustler. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide
'The On My Way to Church'
Release Date 8/24/2004
Tracks 21
Label Koch
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Fellow Diplomat and Cam'ron's partner in crime finally gets around to releasing his first solo album after nearly a handful of guest appearances, productions, videos, and whatever else there is in this rap Renaissance man's oeuvre. All of the lyrical topics du jour are covered in great detail here, with an emphasis on the concept of church and religion playing the dominant role throughout the record. Nearly a survey of rap styles is evident here: Dirty South, East Coast, West Coast, hip-hop -- and yes, a predictable lift from Kanye by speeding up obscure soul records and using them as a basis for a whole track, but that's the one tired flat to be found in the entire album's production. However, that's not all in the knockoff department. There's also the obligatory Neptunes/Asian/Indian knockoff with "Spanish Fly," a track that not even Chico DeBarge can help resuscitate. Guest appearances by Cam'ron, everyone's favorite "no-homo," are abundant and help to strengthen the album at most points. But On My Way to Church stretches things so much musically and lyrically that at over an hour's length it can leave a feeling of exhaustion about midway through. ~ Rob Theakston, All Music Guide
