Listening to Jim Jones talk is one of the most fascinating things you can do as a hip hop fan. He can be really funny on the surface, but his ego and exaggerated sense of worth is absolutely mind-boggling at times. Here are a few tidbits from his latest interview with Complex Magazine, theres also a special appearance by Dame Dash, who is focusing on petty beef rather than the fact he owes the state of New York several million dollars in back taxes.

You’ve said that there’s no more Rocafella, but Kanye has had great success, and he still claims the Roc.

Jim Jones: I don’t know if he’s actually with Jay-Z from the looks of things. From what I’ve been seeing from since we were signed until now, I think Kanye actually hates Jay-Z. [Dame Dash interrupts:] No, he actually does. He hated Jay-Z ever since he wouldn’t give him a fucking Rocawear chain in Chicago! I’m telling you.

Jim Jones: I don’t know if the song “Big Brother” was correct, but he might’ve hated him since he didn’t give him those tickets to Madison Square Garden.

Damon Dash: This was before that. He was already in full hate by that time. [Laughs.] This nigga [Kanye] was like, “Wow, he ain’t going to give me the chain.” I had to take off my chain and give it to him, and I was heated. I had the real canary diamonds. That shit cost $40,000! I told Kanye, “Yo, you got to give that back when we get off this stage!”

Jim, do you have any theories?

Jim Jones: Jay-Z never sells as much as Kanye. Jay-Z wishes he could sell as many records as Kanye. So he’s only beating him with terrible swag. Like over there, their swag is terrible. They having a terrible swag contest. It’s really bad over there.

You warned Kanye to keep your name out of his mouth after he said some things about you and Juelz closing Summer Jam. Would you ever fully go at him?

Jim Jones: Kanye?! I like making jokes about him, but Kanye is somebody you can just punch his chest old-school style, cave his chest in and shit like that. Like don’t ever, ever, ever talk about me again in your life! It’s just a joke to me. I’m just having fun. I heard him ranting and raving about my name and shit. How would I look having an issue with Kanye? I’d love to work with him. I need a beat from him. I think that’s why I’m most mad. Matter fact, I’ma fuck you up if you don’t give me a beat! [Laughs.]

It’s going to be hard to follow up the success of “Ballin’.” How do you respond to people saying you’re still riding the coattails of that song?

Jim Jones: People are going to say that. Most people think that I started from “Ballin’” and that I’m on top of the world because of that song. But this has been 12 years in the making. I’m doing this for a long time, and for the most part everything I’ve done only got better, so I’m not going to stop now. I don’t think this 12-year run is about to stop this year. We’re going to ride into real music on my album, that I think will solidify my spot as a contender in the game, especially because I’m coming out on Columbia.

How high are your expectations for the new album? 50, Jay and ’Ye are all dropping in December as well.

Jim Jones: Oh, shit, welcome. You’re all welcome to drop. I win off top. Whether or not, it doesn’t matter. I come from a different place. I came from nothing. First album was 300,000, second album 400,000, this album gold. Shit, anything over that, I win. Ballgame. I’ll look like a genius. I might crack platinum, and then I’ll get to laugh at people. I’d look like…. Nah, I’m not even going say, because that’s blasphemy.

He's only had one hit song in his career, and loves to badmouth Kanye & Jay-Z in every interview.

Shout out to Eli Porter!

I've been listening to rap music since birth, and I've never seen hip hop so involved in the political process as I have this year. It was incredibly important for the most visible figures to the youth of the black community to inspire their notoriously apathetic fanbase.

The efforts were not confined to any particular kind of artist, "conscious emcees" like Common spoke out, as well as blinged out MTV-icons like Diddy. Street rappers like Killer Mike and corporate masterminds like Jay-Z put their weight behind the push to get urban America to cast their ballots.

In the end, we got to play a part in the most historic election of our generation and a day we'll never forget. Pat yourselves on the back for a job well done.

For some reason, everyone was pretty sure that Jay-Z's "Blueprint 3" would actually make it to store shelves before the end of '09, but it doesn't seem like it's gonna happen. MTV's Mixtape Monday is reporting that there's been no indication Jay is nearing completion, and Kanye West will not be producing the entire thing like previously though. They caught up with Pharrell Williams who tried to give as much info as he could.

We've been hearing a bunch of rumors about other producers Jay is collaborating with (who shall remain nameless — we don't do rumors, just facts). But one of those guys spoke to us recently: None other than Pharrell Williams, one of Jigga's main go-to guys.

"Of course," he said when asked whether Jay had called him to work on Blueprint 3. He then took a long pause before refusing to divulge any more info. "He don't like for you to say so much."

While on the subject of Pharrell... he had this to say about recent beats he's doing for people.

"[Lil] Wayne and I had an interesting conversation," he added about his slate of production work. "We just did Fall Out Boy. We did Cassie, Jadakiss, going in with Fab. ... I can't think. It's a bunch of stuff." ...

So I guess this means theres no more drama between Lil Wayne and Pharrell. I'm sure everyone knows Lil Wayne and The Clipse (who are very close to Pharrell) don't see eye to eye. Do you guys remember when Weezy said this:

“I don’t see no fucking Clipse. This is a fucking legend you’re talking to right here. How many years them niggas been around? Who the fuck is Pharrell? Do you really respect him? That ni**a wore BAPE and y’all thought he was weird. I wore it and y’all thought it was hot.

Glad to see they've put the petty stuff behind them.

Some of the best diss tracks are the ones where the artist can shut their haters up without resorting to "I'll murder you and your mother's dog with a blunt spoon" type of rhymes. I mean sure, the hardcore diss tracks had their moment in the sun (Hit Em Up etc.) but I love to hear someone dismantled without the threat of physical violence.

There's lots of examples, but the most recent is T.I.'s video for "What Up, What's Happenin" that was released a month or two ago. Seeing him lounging around in Bowen Homes was priceless, the only thing that could have made it better was seeing the look on Shawty Lo's face as he watched.




Jay-Z's track "Oh My God" off the Kingdom Come album had a verse (the 3rd one) I believe could have been aimed by Cam'ron. He doesn't call out any names, he simply illustrates why he's on an entirely different level in life than a two-bit rapper. Like "I'm meeting with government officials in Africa...and all you know is a 12 block radius in Harlem....fall back".

Now these baby ballers toy rappers
Calling out my name to bring the boy backwards
Shooting air balls at the basket
What you call money I paid more in taxes
I got crowned King down in Africa
Down in Nigeria do you have any idea
Sold out shows in Seoul Korea
Jo-berg, Dublin, Tanzania
Lunch with Mandela, dinner with Cavalli
Still got time to give water out to everybody
Every-body ..... fall back
Y'all rapping .... I'm reenacting
CNN you see it's accurate
ESPN see me in action
Monday nights when the half ends
When you ten years in holla back then