Jim Jones Says Dipset Had The Most Influential Style In Hip-Hop

Jim Jones could care less about being on the cover of a magazine.

Slouched over on a sofa inside of The Heatmakerz’ Diamond District Manhattan Studios last week, Jones is listening to unmixed tracks off his upcoming EP. The intimate room is filled with marijuana smoke and a few producers, lending their expertise to the Dipset Capo. It's past midnight, but Jones isn't really tired. Vampire hours have just begun.

His black and white snapback hat reads New York “Diplomat” USA. Besides his tight-fitting Vampire Life T-shirt, the rest of his attire isn’t as modest. A sparkling, diamond encrusted bracelet rests on his right wrist and a gold Rolex sits on the other. On each of his hands there are rings—his left bears the $12,000 engagement ring his fiancée Chrissy Lampkin purchased for him three years ago, during the inaugural season of Love & Hip-Hop. The black and yellow Jordan 14’s on his feet haven’t even been released to the public yet. At 37, Jones isn’t the same flashy provocateur he once was, but his trendsetting tendencies have become habitual, which means even late night trips to the studio warrant such a getup.

"Why me?" he asks, perplexed at the premise of this interview. It's been three years since he released his last album. Tensions between himself and his childhood friends Cam'ron and Ma$e have died down, and his chart-topping crew, the Diplomats, have reunited...sort of. Despite performing together as a clique on several occasions, each of the rappers are working on projects individually and Jones won't say whether or not there is a compilation in store.

“It just feels good that we can be out there and in the same room, high-fiving. It’s a great inspiration to have ya brother’s back,” he says. “It’s a different type of organic that goes on when we’re all together. It’s something that I can’t explain.”

By 1:30 in the morning, Jones has just finished previewing a raw version of his entire EP. His eyes are nearly shut, but he'll be in the studio until six a.m. He’s ready to press pause on his recordings for now, to chat about his new EP, Dipset, fashion, and going from Harlem to Hollywood. – Christopher Harris