Jim Jones Reveals Jay-Z’s Reaction To Seeing 20 Blood Gang Members In His Studio

Jim Jones and Dipset’s tenure on Roc-A-Fella Records was successful, but tenuous due to Cam’ron’s rivalry with Jay-Z, resulting in the group’s departure from the label after only one album release. During a recent interview with Chuck “Jigsaw” Creekmur of AllHipHop, Jones recalled instances in which we would bring dozens of bloods gang members into Baseline Studios, where Jay-Z and the other artists on Roc-A-Fella recorded.

“Dipset, we was [fiends] for studio time and making music, and we right in Harlem so we ain’t have to cross no bridges or nothing to get there,” he said on a recent episode of the outlet’s podcast. “It was literally a seven-minute ride to get down there, so we used to come in there all the time.” An affiliate of the bloods gang, Jones says the incessant presence of gang members in the studio resulted in a conversation between he and Hov, who pulled him to the side to share his feelings on the situation.

More from VIBE.com

• Jim Jones Thinks Jadakiss Didn't Capitalize On 'Verzuz' Success With New Album

• Jim Jones Recalls Being "Punked" By Dr. Dre During Studio Session

• Jay-Z Listed As Only Rapper On Forbes 2023 World's Billionaires List

“Me, probably in there with like 20 bloods with me,” he says of the atmosphere at the time. “Jay looking at me like, ‘He crazy.’ I remember one day I came in, there was so many bloods, he said, ‘Yo, come here, come here, come here,’ like he was my uncle. ‘Let me holla at you.’ Like, ‘Listen, I’m not crazy about all the bloods you bring here, I don’t care about none of that. But if you bring the gangstas in here, make sure the gangstas holla at me before anything else because this is my house.’ I was like, ‘You got that, champ.’ Smooth like that.”

Dipset made the move to Roc-A-Fella in late 2001 after Cam signed on with the label, releasing his third studio album Come Home With Me, on the imprint the following year. In 2003, The Diplomats released debut album Diplomatic Immunity, which debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 and reached gold certification.

Capo’s exchange with Jay-Z wasn’t the only memorable studio experience he recalled during the podcast, as he spoke on the time The Diplomats recorded with Dr. Dre and how it was the first time he ever felt “punked” by a producer.

“It was the first time I ever had somebody really make me do my verse over like 20 times,” he said. “The first time I got a piece of that, it had made me think about 2Pac and Snoop and all the others that had to get the beats from Dre.”

“Dre was punking ni**as like, ‘Man, go back in there and spit that shit over, bro. You bugging the f**k out,’” he continued. “Every time he told me, ‘Nah nah, do that over, man.’ Like, ‘Bro you’re cursing at me. You don’t even know you’re cursing at me. You’re punking the sh*t outta me right now ’cause ni**as is looking at me like, ‘You’re telling Capo to do his sh*t over? This is crazy.’ Ni**a, you fucking it up for me.”

Watch Jim Jones’ appearance on The Amazing AllHipHop podcast below.

Click here to read the full article.