Jim Jones Signs to Roc Nation
Contracts seemed to be brewing last month when Jim Jones published a number of Instagram posts from the Roc Nation offices, asking his followers, “If I told you I was in the Roc Nation office, how would you feel about that? You’d think I was lying?" He played to any inherent skepticism regarding a union between himself and Jay Z, since the two rappers traded verbal shots toward the end of the 2000s.
The sneak peek Jimmy gave back then was foreshadowing a series of Instagram photos published Tuesday (Feb. 7) that confirm Jones as the latest member of Roc Nation. "It's a done deal... Jim Jones/Roc Nation," wrote Roc Nation's Vic Medina under a photo of Jones signing his name on the dotted line. Jim himself posted a photo of a bottle of D'usse next to a bottle of Ace of Spades, Roc Nation stationary to the side.
Jay Z, OG and Ty Ty organized the deal, which will allow Roc Nation to handle all of Jimmy's business endeavors moving forward, including in music, acting, fashion and more.
“The fact that people are ready to forget the past and help me move forward to the next step of my career is very inspiring,” said Jones. “As you get older you realize that most of your peers are either dead or in jail. The fact that we can move past the BS is a testimony to how much we have grown.”
The unlikely pairing follows a history that goes back to the Roc-A-Fella days, when The Diplomats were signed to Hov’s label. The break-up between Jay and co-founder Dame Dash left the roster divided, feuds flaring up between various affiliated acts. In July of 2009, Jay threw shots at Jones, rapping from The Palms in Las Vegas and dissing him on “Brooklyn High,” a “We Fly High” remix, with lines like, “Your bank versus mine/If you’re ballin’, nigga what I’m doing can’t be defined/The Joneses can’t keep up.”
Check Jimmy sorting through the paperwork below, with a gallery of other rappers who have signed to Roc Nation recently a bit further down.
9 Rappers Jay Z Has Signed to Roc Nation in the Past Two Years