AllHipHop.com: Okay, what’s really good with you and Swishahouse?
Mike Jones: I just felt that Swishahouse did some foul stuff. I still got respect for those guys. It was just the business; they did a lot of stuff I didn’t agree with. Now, I got my own thing. If you look, there’s nobody on the Swishahouse team doing what I’m doing, you know what I’m saying? I got much respect and love for everybody over there, but we going to see how everybody move without Jones.
AllHipHop.com: Can you elaborate on the alleged foul stuff that went down?
Mike Jones: Man it was just a lot foul stuff. A lot of people didn’t believe in the Who Is Mike Jones project. But when the album started taking off, everyone wanted to have their hands in on it. I couldn’t be around stuff like that, know what I’m saying? People will tell you, ‘Oh this s**t is tight,’ and when they turn they back, want to say the album is wack. That’s why “Back Then” made so much sense and why a lot of people took up on it. A lot of people go through ‘back then.’ On The American Dream, you are going to see a whole different side of Jones. I’m still going to represent the street side, but I’m just going to hold it down.
AllHipHop.com: What’s cracking with Ice Age?
Mike Jones: I’m with Warner and Asylum, but now that everything is up I’m going to get a big Ice Age deal. I’m about to get a 20 million for this Ice Age deal! It’s going to be crazy. We in talks with [Lil’] Mo, I got King Mello, he up next. We had the D4L which was really really big [with “Laffy Taffy”].
Allhiphop.com: You had a big hit with “Back Then.” Does that song have more significance now that you sold 1.5 million?
Mike Jones: It’s not really the groupies; it’s everybody from guys to girls. People want to holla at me and show me love, they all on me now like, ‘Man, remember we used to go to school together?’ Everybody want to be all cool. “Back Then” is something everybody can relate to; kids, grown ups, old people. That’s just how it is.
AllHipHop.com: Was there any money issues included in your dissatisfaction?
Mike Jones: Nah, the money issue was cool. But sometimes it’s not always about money. Dave Chappelle, he passed up $50 million to be happy. I rather be happy any day. I was making money coming into this game. I was already over a half a million in the bank saved before I even got signed. That was the most important thing to me. I got to make sure I’m somewhere comfortable where I love being at. I got full control of marketing and everything here. I’m cool with everyone over there. I’m cool with Paul [Wall]. I’m cool with [Lil’] Keke. I’m cool with everybody. It was just the heads [of the company] that was I going back and forth with. I really respect those guys. I hope they do their thing. I’m taking my project over with [my label], Ice Age. As of now in Houston Texas, I’m the only one that went platinum. People saying they platinum, but I’m the only one that sold platinum over. I sold 1.5 million.
AllHipHop.com: So to get this all the way overstood, it’s not really beef but it’s just a better situation for you?
Mike Jones: Yes. Just like you said- it’s a better situation. It’s basically the idea of people not believing in your project and then they want to believe in it when they see the record sales going up is crazy. Now y’all do your thing over there, they got some stuff they got going on; I got a lot of stuff going on my end. [So] we both going to work hard.
AllHipHop.com: That’s what’s up. I think the beef stuff is played out.
Mike Jones: I totally agree with you on that. Even me and Chamillionare, we were going at it at one time, but I seen him not too long ago, we shook hands and we put it to rest.
AllHipHop.com: The Source did a photo shoot with a lot of the prominent Houston rappers and both of you guys were there. I was wondering how did everything go?
Mike Jones: Yeah, we was there. Actually, we shook hands after that. The Source magazine came out a little late. I mean I know people be shooting [darts] at me, but as long as we know that when we see each other, it’s all good [I’m cool]. Bun B invited me to a party. He invited Cham too. I didn’t know that. So Cham came on stage and basically said that all of this s**t was crazy. I looked at him and he looked at me and we shook hands. We gave each other dap and showed each other love. So it’s all good man.
AllHipHop.com: “Still Tippin’” put the stamp on the Houston Rap explosion. How did the recording session go down for that song?
Mike Jones: Really, they say the song was big because there were three big Houston artists on it. My buzz was already big [though]. First, it was really me and Chamillionare on the song. And then they took Cham off and threw Paul Wall on the song.
AllHipHop.com: What’s The American Dream looking like?
Mike Jones: It’s looking crazy, man. I got Jamie Foxx on there, Chris Brown on there. I got a joint with Lil’ Mo that’s sick. And when I say the song is sick, you can quote me that we’re going to the Grammy’s with that one. I got some stuff with Slim Thug. I’m talking to worst rapper ever. I’m trying to hook up with Mary J. [Blige]. A lot of people been showing me love. A lot of people out here in Houston hate on your boy, but they know that they can’t take it away from me that I sold all these records.
AllHipHop.com: How did you link up with Lil’ Mo?
Mike Jones: I met her in Indianapolis. She was a fan of mine and I definitely was a fan of hers. That song “Put It On Me” with Ja Rule was one of my favorite songs at the time. I mean, I loved that song. The way she sang on it, she really put surgery to that song. I wanted to do a song like that. And the song we got it’s crazy. It’s called “I Know.”
AllHipHop.com: With T.I. selling Gold first week, do you feel pressured now?
Mike Jones: That’s my dude. T.I. showed a lot of love to me. Matter of fact, I got him on a track on the album with Bobby Brown. It’s a “Tendoroni” remix. It was for his album, but he didn’t use it. I asked him if it was cool [for me to put the song on my album] and he said it was cool. So the track is fire. So when he [sold those numbers], I was happy, because he still doing him. He motivated me to at least move around that number.
AllHipHop.com: With a lot of the Houston rappers talking about grills, candy paint and slabs, do you think the outside markets like New York and California will get tired of it?
Mike Jones: A lot people are tired of it. On American Dream, you are going to hear it, but not as much on Who Is Mike Jones. That was every line; paint, lean, grills. There’s a meaning to it. I got the American Dream album on me. I could let you hear some s**t.
Check out part two of AllHipHop.com's Mike Jones interview...
AllHipHop.com: What’s good with Paul Wall? I heard he just had a baby.
Mike Jones: Yeah. Congrats to Paul Wall. He just had a little boy. I hit him on the day he was born.
AllHipHop.com: Can you get into your Punk’d episode?
Mike Jones: You know what’s funny? Bow Wow accidentally told me, so I was prepared for it. I was just getting my acting on. I knew about it before hand. We were shooting the “Freshazimiz” remix and I was on it, and I was only in LA for a day. Once somebody gets punked, they ask them who they want to punk. They punked him and asked him who he wants to see get punked and I guess he said me. When I got to the video shoot, he was like, “Oh, they punked you, huh?” He was like they told me they were going to punk me before I left LA. And I just got to LA and I had to leave the next day so I knew it was coming. I was just getting my acting on. During the beginning of the show, I kept asking where’s Ashton Kutcher, y’all trying to punk me. They bleeped all of that out and they edited it real good.
AllHipHop.com: How did you finesse the shoe deal? Did Reebok approach you with the idea?
Mike Jones: Man, Reebok been watching me for a minute. They showed me a lot of love. They’ve seen my grind, they’ve seen my hustle, so they came on with it and I got down with them. After they saw all the records I sold, it was a no brainer. A lot people say they platinum and say they gold, but their numbers don’t show it, you know what I’m saying? They put that in my ear, and I was like ‘Damn, that is true.’ When I say I’m platinum, you can check soundscan and see I sold 1.5 million.
AllHipHop.com: Who designed the kicks?
Mike Jones: Reebok came up with the design and wanted to know how I accepted it. First time I saw it, I fell in love with it.
AllHipHop.com: Do you think the kicks represent your style?
Mike Jones: Most definitely. It’s something that’s very casual. Something you can throw on any time.
AllHipHop.com: Let’s talk about that Ice Age piece you’ve been rocking. That joint it sick. It look like a dinner plate.
Mike Jones: Wooooo. Man I had to do everything big. I got a bigger plate now. I got the Ice Age label and I had to let you know the name of the label was. So I knew if got the piece upgraded [that would do the job done].
AllHipHop.com: Do you think the grills are getting played out?
Mike Jones: I think so. I haven’t been wearing my grill lately. I haven’t been wearing it for a while. I mean, it’s all about value in this game. If you come out with the same album, everybody going to get tired of hearing it. So everybody got grills now, everyone looking for the next big trend to do. So the grill thing is definitely on the way down. Next thing out of Houston is the Grilling Lady. If you don’t know what the grilling lady is: on a car, that’s when you got a customized grill and the lady hanging off the car. That’s that new shit. You know on the [Rolls Royce] Phantom when the chrome thing come up on the hood, in Houston we got something like that called the grilling lady. The grill be a billy grill. Above the grill, you usually see an ornament like the Mercedes Benz logo or the Lexus logo right there. Once you put that right there, the lady going to be leaning forward. So when you pull up they going to be like that boy got that grilling lady!
AllHipHop.com: Do you feel like the South has gotten so popular that the East Coast has started to hate?
Mike Jones: I got respect for the East Coast. I got respect for everybody. I really just think that a lot of people listening to some songs and they aren’t feeling them. Nobody has said anything negative to me. Everyone entitled to their own opinion. I don’t take it as anyone hating or whatever.
AllHipHop.com: In a recent interview Raekwon was referring to the South as “country” and ‘bamas.” Do you take offense to that?
Mike Jones: Nah, because when I met Raekwon, he showed me love. He was like, ‘Dude, you doing your thing.’ I was like, “I appreciate it. I’ve been a fan of yours for years.” When I talked to him it was all love. I got love for dude.
AllHipHop.com: I saw Big Tigga on 106th and Park rocking an Ice Age piece. Is he down with y’all?
Mike Jones: Yeah, I know you seen that. He got down with us. That was like a week ago or so. He had put down a verse on the album, and said he really wanted to get down with us. We still putting everything together, so it’s still not set in stone, but we went ahead and gave him the piece, because we know it’s about to definitely go down. Big Tigga with the Ice Age boys! Ice Age Entertainment finna take over. You thought the cartoon did 71 million? Wait and see what I got coming out. We about to freeze the game up; we call ourselves Ice Age because we keep that ice on us and we live big. I got a big house, I got twelve cars. All of them black.
AllHipHop.com: Why the color black?
Mike Jones: That’s my favorite color. Black is power.
AllHipHop.com: What kind of whips are you working with Mike Jones?
Mike Jones: Oh man. I’m at my house now. I got a ‘07 and a 2006 Bentley four door. I got a 2005 Dodge Charger in all black. I got a ‘07 Cadillac black. I got the Hummer black. I got an Excursion black. I got a ‘95 Chevy Caprice black. I got the Ferrari black. I got the Lambo’ black. I got the Range black. I got a lot of cars. I got the S-600 coming in next week black. I got the 747 [BMW] black. I also got the Aston Martin. I’m not playing any games with these boys, man.
AllHipHop.com: Funny how you got all the whips in black but you stay spitting about candy paint.
Mike Jones: Because, I mean, the slabs are for entertainment. But when I pull up in that train of nine to eleven cars deep, it’s a problem!
Allhiphop.com: Were the rumors true about you cell phone bill? People were saying it got out of hand…
Mike Jones: Yeah, my bill was crazy man. It was a little over $100,000, but we got the lawyers in on it. So we got it straight. I was getting around 40,000 calls a day before the album came out. They was charging me still, when I told them to cut it off since I didn’t need the number anymore. I had an old number and that was a whole different number. I got the 281-330 number. I kept that number on to have all the clientele call. I kept on the phone on for three months, so all the fans can call me. After three months, I told the company to cut it off and they never cut it off. All I had to is pay for three months. The number is still the same though. 281-330-8004.
Mike Jones: I just felt that Swishahouse did some foul stuff. I still got respect for those guys. It was just the business; they did a lot of stuff I didn’t agree with. Now, I got my own thing. If you look, there’s nobody on the Swishahouse team doing what I’m doing, you know what I’m saying? I got much respect and love for everybody over there, but we going to see how everybody move without Jones.
AllHipHop.com: Can you elaborate on the alleged foul stuff that went down?
Mike Jones: Man it was just a lot foul stuff. A lot of people didn’t believe in the Who Is Mike Jones project. But when the album started taking off, everyone wanted to have their hands in on it. I couldn’t be around stuff like that, know what I’m saying? People will tell you, ‘Oh this s**t is tight,’ and when they turn they back, want to say the album is wack. That’s why “Back Then” made so much sense and why a lot of people took up on it. A lot of people go through ‘back then.’ On The American Dream, you are going to see a whole different side of Jones. I’m still going to represent the street side, but I’m just going to hold it down.
AllHipHop.com: What’s cracking with Ice Age?
Mike Jones: I’m with Warner and Asylum, but now that everything is up I’m going to get a big Ice Age deal. I’m about to get a 20 million for this Ice Age deal! It’s going to be crazy. We in talks with [Lil’] Mo, I got King Mello, he up next. We had the D4L which was really really big [with “Laffy Taffy”].
Allhiphop.com: You had a big hit with “Back Then.” Does that song have more significance now that you sold 1.5 million?
Mike Jones: It’s not really the groupies; it’s everybody from guys to girls. People want to holla at me and show me love, they all on me now like, ‘Man, remember we used to go to school together?’ Everybody want to be all cool. “Back Then” is something everybody can relate to; kids, grown ups, old people. That’s just how it is.
AllHipHop.com: Was there any money issues included in your dissatisfaction?
Mike Jones: Nah, the money issue was cool. But sometimes it’s not always about money. Dave Chappelle, he passed up $50 million to be happy. I rather be happy any day. I was making money coming into this game. I was already over a half a million in the bank saved before I even got signed. That was the most important thing to me. I got to make sure I’m somewhere comfortable where I love being at. I got full control of marketing and everything here. I’m cool with everyone over there. I’m cool with Paul [Wall]. I’m cool with [Lil’] Keke. I’m cool with everybody. It was just the heads [of the company] that was I going back and forth with. I really respect those guys. I hope they do their thing. I’m taking my project over with [my label], Ice Age. As of now in Houston Texas, I’m the only one that went platinum. People saying they platinum, but I’m the only one that sold platinum over. I sold 1.5 million.
AllHipHop.com: So to get this all the way overstood, it’s not really beef but it’s just a better situation for you?
Mike Jones: Yes. Just like you said- it’s a better situation. It’s basically the idea of people not believing in your project and then they want to believe in it when they see the record sales going up is crazy. Now y’all do your thing over there, they got some stuff they got going on; I got a lot of stuff going on my end. [So] we both going to work hard.
AllHipHop.com: That’s what’s up. I think the beef stuff is played out.
Mike Jones: I totally agree with you on that. Even me and Chamillionare, we were going at it at one time, but I seen him not too long ago, we shook hands and we put it to rest.
AllHipHop.com: The Source did a photo shoot with a lot of the prominent Houston rappers and both of you guys were there. I was wondering how did everything go?
Mike Jones: Yeah, we was there. Actually, we shook hands after that. The Source magazine came out a little late. I mean I know people be shooting [darts] at me, but as long as we know that when we see each other, it’s all good [I’m cool]. Bun B invited me to a party. He invited Cham too. I didn’t know that. So Cham came on stage and basically said that all of this s**t was crazy. I looked at him and he looked at me and we shook hands. We gave each other dap and showed each other love. So it’s all good man.
AllHipHop.com: “Still Tippin’” put the stamp on the Houston Rap explosion. How did the recording session go down for that song?
Mike Jones: Really, they say the song was big because there were three big Houston artists on it. My buzz was already big [though]. First, it was really me and Chamillionare on the song. And then they took Cham off and threw Paul Wall on the song.
AllHipHop.com: What’s The American Dream looking like?
Mike Jones: It’s looking crazy, man. I got Jamie Foxx on there, Chris Brown on there. I got a joint with Lil’ Mo that’s sick. And when I say the song is sick, you can quote me that we’re going to the Grammy’s with that one. I got some stuff with Slim Thug. I’m talking to worst rapper ever. I’m trying to hook up with Mary J. [Blige]. A lot of people been showing me love. A lot of people out here in Houston hate on your boy, but they know that they can’t take it away from me that I sold all these records.
AllHipHop.com: How did you link up with Lil’ Mo?
Mike Jones: I met her in Indianapolis. She was a fan of mine and I definitely was a fan of hers. That song “Put It On Me” with Ja Rule was one of my favorite songs at the time. I mean, I loved that song. The way she sang on it, she really put surgery to that song. I wanted to do a song like that. And the song we got it’s crazy. It’s called “I Know.”
AllHipHop.com: With T.I. selling Gold first week, do you feel pressured now?
Mike Jones: That’s my dude. T.I. showed a lot of love to me. Matter of fact, I got him on a track on the album with Bobby Brown. It’s a “Tendoroni” remix. It was for his album, but he didn’t use it. I asked him if it was cool [for me to put the song on my album] and he said it was cool. So the track is fire. So when he [sold those numbers], I was happy, because he still doing him. He motivated me to at least move around that number.
AllHipHop.com: With a lot of the Houston rappers talking about grills, candy paint and slabs, do you think the outside markets like New York and California will get tired of it?
Mike Jones: A lot people are tired of it. On American Dream, you are going to hear it, but not as much on Who Is Mike Jones. That was every line; paint, lean, grills. There’s a meaning to it. I got the American Dream album on me. I could let you hear some s**t.
Check out part two of AllHipHop.com's Mike Jones interview...
AllHipHop.com: What’s good with Paul Wall? I heard he just had a baby.
Mike Jones: Yeah. Congrats to Paul Wall. He just had a little boy. I hit him on the day he was born.
AllHipHop.com: Can you get into your Punk’d episode?
Mike Jones: You know what’s funny? Bow Wow accidentally told me, so I was prepared for it. I was just getting my acting on. I knew about it before hand. We were shooting the “Freshazimiz” remix and I was on it, and I was only in LA for a day. Once somebody gets punked, they ask them who they want to punk. They punked him and asked him who he wants to see get punked and I guess he said me. When I got to the video shoot, he was like, “Oh, they punked you, huh?” He was like they told me they were going to punk me before I left LA. And I just got to LA and I had to leave the next day so I knew it was coming. I was just getting my acting on. During the beginning of the show, I kept asking where’s Ashton Kutcher, y’all trying to punk me. They bleeped all of that out and they edited it real good.
AllHipHop.com: How did you finesse the shoe deal? Did Reebok approach you with the idea?
Mike Jones: Man, Reebok been watching me for a minute. They showed me a lot of love. They’ve seen my grind, they’ve seen my hustle, so they came on with it and I got down with them. After they saw all the records I sold, it was a no brainer. A lot people say they platinum and say they gold, but their numbers don’t show it, you know what I’m saying? They put that in my ear, and I was like ‘Damn, that is true.’ When I say I’m platinum, you can check soundscan and see I sold 1.5 million.
AllHipHop.com: Who designed the kicks?
Mike Jones: Reebok came up with the design and wanted to know how I accepted it. First time I saw it, I fell in love with it.
AllHipHop.com: Do you think the kicks represent your style?
Mike Jones: Most definitely. It’s something that’s very casual. Something you can throw on any time.
AllHipHop.com: Let’s talk about that Ice Age piece you’ve been rocking. That joint it sick. It look like a dinner plate.
Mike Jones: Wooooo. Man I had to do everything big. I got a bigger plate now. I got the Ice Age label and I had to let you know the name of the label was. So I knew if got the piece upgraded [that would do the job done].
AllHipHop.com: Do you think the grills are getting played out?
Mike Jones: I think so. I haven’t been wearing my grill lately. I haven’t been wearing it for a while. I mean, it’s all about value in this game. If you come out with the same album, everybody going to get tired of hearing it. So everybody got grills now, everyone looking for the next big trend to do. So the grill thing is definitely on the way down. Next thing out of Houston is the Grilling Lady. If you don’t know what the grilling lady is: on a car, that’s when you got a customized grill and the lady hanging off the car. That’s that new shit. You know on the [Rolls Royce] Phantom when the chrome thing come up on the hood, in Houston we got something like that called the grilling lady. The grill be a billy grill. Above the grill, you usually see an ornament like the Mercedes Benz logo or the Lexus logo right there. Once you put that right there, the lady going to be leaning forward. So when you pull up they going to be like that boy got that grilling lady!
AllHipHop.com: Do you feel like the South has gotten so popular that the East Coast has started to hate?
Mike Jones: I got respect for the East Coast. I got respect for everybody. I really just think that a lot of people listening to some songs and they aren’t feeling them. Nobody has said anything negative to me. Everyone entitled to their own opinion. I don’t take it as anyone hating or whatever.
AllHipHop.com: In a recent interview Raekwon was referring to the South as “country” and ‘bamas.” Do you take offense to that?
Mike Jones: Nah, because when I met Raekwon, he showed me love. He was like, ‘Dude, you doing your thing.’ I was like, “I appreciate it. I’ve been a fan of yours for years.” When I talked to him it was all love. I got love for dude.
AllHipHop.com: I saw Big Tigga on 106th and Park rocking an Ice Age piece. Is he down with y’all?
Mike Jones: Yeah, I know you seen that. He got down with us. That was like a week ago or so. He had put down a verse on the album, and said he really wanted to get down with us. We still putting everything together, so it’s still not set in stone, but we went ahead and gave him the piece, because we know it’s about to definitely go down. Big Tigga with the Ice Age boys! Ice Age Entertainment finna take over. You thought the cartoon did 71 million? Wait and see what I got coming out. We about to freeze the game up; we call ourselves Ice Age because we keep that ice on us and we live big. I got a big house, I got twelve cars. All of them black.
AllHipHop.com: Why the color black?
Mike Jones: That’s my favorite color. Black is power.
AllHipHop.com: What kind of whips are you working with Mike Jones?
Mike Jones: Oh man. I’m at my house now. I got a ‘07 and a 2006 Bentley four door. I got a 2005 Dodge Charger in all black. I got a ‘07 Cadillac black. I got the Hummer black. I got an Excursion black. I got a ‘95 Chevy Caprice black. I got the Ferrari black. I got the Lambo’ black. I got the Range black. I got a lot of cars. I got the S-600 coming in next week black. I got the 747 [BMW] black. I also got the Aston Martin. I’m not playing any games with these boys, man.
AllHipHop.com: Funny how you got all the whips in black but you stay spitting about candy paint.
Mike Jones: Because, I mean, the slabs are for entertainment. But when I pull up in that train of nine to eleven cars deep, it’s a problem!
Allhiphop.com: Were the rumors true about you cell phone bill? People were saying it got out of hand…
Mike Jones: Yeah, my bill was crazy man. It was a little over $100,000, but we got the lawyers in on it. So we got it straight. I was getting around 40,000 calls a day before the album came out. They was charging me still, when I told them to cut it off since I didn’t need the number anymore. I had an old number and that was a whole different number. I got the 281-330 number. I kept that number on to have all the clientele call. I kept on the phone on for three months, so all the fans can call me. After three months, I told the company to cut it off and they never cut it off. All I had to is pay for three months. The number is still the same though. 281-330-8004.
