This week news broke that Jim Jones signed to Roc Nation, and shortly following the announcement the Bronx, New York native and onetime The Diplomats mainstay appeared on Funkmaster Flex’s show. During the interview Jim Jones gets tears detailing his sacrifices For Cam’ron & Dipset.
Read on about Jim Jones tearing up while recapping his sacrifices For Cam’ron & Dipset…
In a very interesting interview with Jim Jones he cleared the table on his frustrations with Cam’ron—a friend and business partner dating back to the early 1990s.
CelebNMusic247.com noticed that Jim Jones got very emotional during the interview explaining particular moments that occurred in his life with Cam’ron. He explains that he and Cam were the best of friends. You can tell that Capo is very emotional when he speaks on his life with Cam’ron. Capo spoke about the historical tensions with Dipset and Jay Z, and the implications of his signing. The Vamp Life CEO recalls how challenging French Montana to a fight, and recalling the strong-arm tactics used to get Cam’ron released from his Undeas/Epic/Sony Records contract.
You can see that Jim Jones gets very emotional about The Diplomats and all the things that went a rye during their time in the music industry.
Jim Jones details the trials and tribulations with The Diplomats:
Jim’s response to Cam’ron’s December comments may be the most intriguing. Two months ago, while speaking to Angie Martinez, Cam’ proclaimed Dipset as “over,” and detracted his former partner (and onetime manager’s) rhyme abilities.
“Me and Jim [Jones] always been friends [since the age of 20 or so]—I’m not sayin’ he wasn’t my man or nothin’, but business-wise, we grew as business partners together. And it was dope. All this [success] should be house money for Jim—everything; [he] wasn’t a rapper.
Cam’ron added:
“I wish him nothing but the best. I love his mother; she called me a few weeks ago to come to dinner—even his sisters, I speak to his sisters. I wish him nothing but the best. But I’m not gonna just lie to you and act like something’s gonna happen that’s definitely not gonna happen.”
Jim Jones, born Joseph Guillermo Jones II, explains about the time Cam’ signed his first major label contract, and the two men celebrated newfound wealth and Rap prestige:
“After [Children Of The Corn member] Bloodshed had passed away, me and Cam’ became uncontrollably close. We were brothers; you couldn’t take us apart. He lived with me. We did everything together.”
The VampLife founder adds that he brought Freekey Zekey into The Diplomats’ original quartet, as part of a bigger plan to combine skills with street enforcement. But that changed up everything.
“When Cam’ got his deal, I said we’ve got to form an army around us, ’cause we can’t be running around, lettin’ niggas roll over us. At all. This is a little bit before I really started bangin’ Blood and all that type of crazy shit. Like, I always was affiliated. This is braids [era] ‘Jimmy’,” he says, referring to his look in late 1990s Cam’ron music videos and appearances.
“There were pieces I was putting around us to give us that protection. But that whole time, before I got the pieces together, I was everything. I was the hype-man. I was the road manager. I was the manager. I was security. I was the dough-boy. Everything you can name, I was it for Cam’. I would not let Cam’ put his self in harm’s way on my watch or my clock, as everybody could see.”
Jim Jones Gets Emotional about Sacrifices for The Diplomats:
Fast forward, Jim Jones gets choked up to the point tears on his face while he elaborates he survived shootouts and watched a cousin wrongfully serve years in prison.
Jones says:
“Cam’ was the person who got signed; he was the face card. And I understood that. And I made everybody around me understand that. Like, he’s the prized possession; he cannot be touched, at all. He get touched, we [fall]. That was the method…even with Juelz [Santana]. They all know. I put my life on the line for this. I been on trial for this! I been on America’s Most Wanted for this! I been on Gang Files for this! I [have done] everything you can name. So when people play with me? I get real emotional, ’cause I operate off emotions as [The Diplomats] know from all the times they been with me. It’s never been a time where I backed down from any situation in the world! Except God. And I been up against 20, 30 deep by myself, where [The Diplomats] left me by myself. Ya heard? And I escape those situations and still come back and give niggas hi-fives and ‘what we doin’ today?’”
Had here is where Capo gets emotional:
“I put everything on the line for this, and I took it with a smile. Even when niggas doubted and downed me, even when I was on trial and niggas told me to take the plea. What plea! We don’t take pleas, nigga! Ya heard! And by the grace of God the trial gets dismissed, ’cause they ain’t find enough evidence, of a shootout, that happened Uptown, over Cam’ron!”
He continues speaking as frustrated tears fall:
“Every time you see me in the news, it was over Diplomats! When I get sued and shit like that, it was over Diplomats! When I’m kickin’ ass…when I come to the club 30 deep, it did what? It made The Diplomats look good! When I’m bangin’ Blood, it was good for them, right? It was good when it was good for them, ya heard? When it wasn’t good for them, oh, don’t nobody want to be part of the Bloods. But when the Bloods became poppin’ [and came with] notoriety [The Diplomats] wanted to turn Blood.”
Jim Jones Reveals what caused The Split:
He comes back to Cam’ron’s December statements:
“So when people get on this radio and try to discredit me in any fashion, I don’t do that.”
Jim still compliments his onetime brothers, despite past events:
“Juelz still my favorite rapper to this day; I told him that ever since I met him at age 16.”
Bottom line, Capo states why the fall of the Diplomats occurred:
“A lot of the mistakes that he and the Diplomats made were because of some ego shhhh.”
Its a very intense interview between Jim Jones and Funkmaster Flex. You have to listen to the whole thing because this is hip hop history you need to know about.
