50 Cent, Juelz Santana and Jim Jones
Photo: Thisis50.com

The O.D.: A Mixtape Daily Exclusive

50 Cent and Jim Jones said they used the good old 'hood barter system when it came to the Diplomat Capo performing at Saturday's ThisIs50 Music Festival on Governors Island in New York.

"The craziest thing with Jim, I just said Jimmy is gonna be there [in advertisements for the show]," 50 said. "Then he squeezed me. [Laughs.]"

"I said, 'I need something for that,' " Jones added with a grin. "Word up, I said a favor for a favor, we gonna do this old-school. How we feeling?"

Juelz Santana was onboard too. "It's a couple of mutual friends. I said, 'Let's do it. Why not?' " Santana said.

"We got the official 007, 'Mission Impossible' concert of the year," Jones said. "Plane to the train to the automobiles."

Almost, Jim. To get to the show, you had to drive to the pier and take a ferry to Governors Island. Besides the Dips, D-Block, Uncle Murda, Cory Gunz, Red Cafe, Wyclef Jean, Maino, Slaughterhouse, Papoose, Kid Cudi and Wale performed.

"Everybody is definitely enjoying themselves," 50 said. "This is a great example of us being together and having a successful concert without anything happening. Just like '40 Day/ Forever Young.' We got everybody coming through here. Everybody is gonna be out here tonight."

Don't Sleep: Necessary Notables

Independent Album: First Impressions

Headliner: Really Doe

Key Collaborations: "Plastic" (featuring Kanye West) and "Fabrics" (featuring GLC and Malik Yusef)

Essential Info: "First Impressions is my first look to the world. It's my baby," Chicago native Really Doe said about his independent debut. "It's how people will judge me. Nowadays, people only give you one chance, so here it is — all of me!"

Doe has been wicked with the raps for years. Our first real dose of his bars came on Kanye West's Late Registration LP alongside 'Ye and Nas for "We Major." Signed to West's G.O.O.D. Music label, Doe said working with the Louis Vuitton Don is natural.

" 'Ye is my n---a, has been for over 15 years," he said. "So anytime I can make music with my fam, it's always fun. He has given me the opportunity to learn about biz."

Kanye appears on "Plastic," while Doe said another favorite of his from the tape is "Checkin' In." "In entertainment, we're always on the road, so I wanted to create something that my people on the go can relate to," he said.

First Impressions is out now.

Other Heat This Week

» Rum - The Switchspot
» Young Money - No Ceilings Prequel and Young Money Movement
» Jae Millz - The Virgo Mixtape
» Whiteowl - Whiteowl Drop That 87

For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines.

• Mixtape Daily: Slaughterhouse, Drake, Diddy And More

• 50 Cent, The Diplomats, The LOX And More At Governor's Island, New York, 10.03.09

• 50 Cent
• Jim Jones

Jim Jones
Photo: Charles Eshelman/ Getty Images

Jim Jones pleaded guilty in a New York courtroom on Monday (October 5) to a misdemeanor assault charge stemming from an incident last December involving a member of Ne-Yo's entourage, according to The Associated Press.

According to police, Jones allegedly kicked and punched someone traveling with the R&B star. Police did not release the man's name at the time, but it was widely believed to be someone (now identified as Jayvon Smith) who was related to an associate of Jay-Z's (Tyran "Ty Ty" Smith). The two rappers have long been at odds.

The scuffle occurred in front of the Louis Vuitton store on Fifth Avenue in New York, though according to the AP, Jones' attorney denied that his client initiated the December 22 fight.

"I don't know what this is for," Jones told MTV News weeks after the incident. "All I know is I was shopping. I don't know what happened."

The rapper's lawyer, Scott Leemon, said Jones pleaded guilty to avoid probation or potential touring restrictions if convicted in a trial.

Instead, Jones was sentenced to time served. The time served will coincide with the amount of time he was held in custody in January after he turned himself in to police regarding the matter. Since the fight, Jones has avoided being entangled in any instances of breaking the law.

After he turned himself in to police, Jones said in order to continue his success he would have to reevaluate some of his decisions.

"Being a gangsta rapper or a 'hardcore' rapper, you find yourself stuck between a rock and a hard place," he told MTV News. "It's a thin line, because there's things I've done in my career to get where I am today, and I've benefited off it. For me to make a transition and take my career to the next level, there's some things I can't obviously do anymore. What I mean by that is, you play the tough guy and put yourself into those positions, and things can happen. You end up like this, [with] a big inconvenience."

• Jim Jones

Max B and French Montana
Photo: MTV News

Former Dipset affiliate Max B was found guilty of manslaughter and conspiracy to commit robbery Tuesday (June 9) after a judge ruled over the case in a New Jersey courtroom.

According to the rapper's attorney, Gerald Saluti, Max B (born Charles Wingate) was found guilty on nine of the 11 counts he was facing. The charges stem from a theft that involved the rapper, Kelvin Leerdam and Max's former girlfriend Gina Conway. Conway eventually turned state's evidence against the men.

Max B was accused of leading the trio to steal upward of $30,000 from two men. The incident went awry, however, when Leerdam allegedly shot one of the men.

Conway testified in the case that Max B wasn't present at a hotel room he rented at the time of the crime. The rapper's attorney spoke to MTV News on Tuesday and expressed frustration about Conway's testimony.

"They found him guilty of conspiracy to commit robbery. There's a very specific definition of robbery, by force," Saluti explained. "Then they found him guilty of aggravated manslaughter, instead of unintentional murder. The theory on which they convicted him leads to conspiracy.

"It's boggling," Saluti continued. "The witness [Conway] said the plan wasn't to rob but to go in there and steal money with no one there."

Saluti previously filed a motion on Max's behalf to separate his case from Leerdam's since the second man was allegedly believed to be the shooter. The attorney said he feels his client should be facing lesser charges based on the evidence presented. He has filed an appeal with the court, and a motion should be made within 10 days, Saluti said.

Sentencing for Max B is set for July 31.

The news is undoubtedly a huge disappointment for Max's fans, who have been waiting for his official album since he was introduced as a member of Jim Jones' Byrd Gang crew some years ago. Max made immediate impact on the chorus of Cam'ron's Jay-Z dis record "You Gotta Love It." Jones featured Max on a string of underground songs and mixtapes until Max was arrested on his charges in 2006.

Jones posted $2 million bond, but things fell apart between the two from what Jones called disloyalty and jealousy. Max claimed he was wronged financially. The feud has yet to be resolved, despite B still being signed to Jones' record label.

B has kept himself visible in the streets. He has hundreds of songs on mixtapes circulating over the past few years.

Max formed an alliance with French Montana, who built a strong name for himself in the mixtape and street-DVD circuits. Max and French branched out to work with G-Unit's Tony Yayo, who told MTV News he would have loved to sign B if he could get the business straightened out with Jones. Besides more mixtapes, Max had a deal with Amalgam Digital to release an LP, which has yet to see the light of day.

• The Diplomats
• Jim Jones

Jim Jones (file)
Photo: MTV News

Jim Jones had an eventful Tuesday (March 24). In the morning, the Diplomat crew boss started out with a visit to the Manhattan Criminal Court in connection with his alleged altercation with Ne-Yo manager Jayvon Smith at a Louis Vuitton store in Manhattan over Christmas.

Then, later in the day, the MC was scheduled to do an in-store at the soon-to-be-shuttered Virgin Megastore in New York in support of his just-released fourth album, Pray IV Reign.

Though details about the incident are still a bit sketchy, police believe that Jones and/or some members of his crew got into a physical altercation with some members of Ne-Yo's entourage at the LV store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan on Christmas Eve.

Jones' attorney, Scott Leemon, told MTV News on Tuesday that the rapper appeared in court briefly as the prosecution turned over medical records that allegedly catalog Smith's injuries. Leemon said Jones was offered and turned down a plea deal down to a misdemeanor assault charge that would have come with 10 days of community service or 15 days in jail. "There are witnesses who've stated that Mr. Jones did not start the physical altercation," Leemon said. "This is clearly a setup for a civil suit."

In fact, Jones is not only facing criminal charges for the alleged incident, but also reportedly a $7 million civil lawsuit brought by Smith, who claims the rapper seriously injured him in the alleged fight. Leemon said he's read about the suit, but has not yet seen any paperwork related to it. Jones pleaded not guilty to the assault charges on February 4. The trial is scheduled to begin on April 21.

• Jim Jones

DJ Infamous
Photo: MTV News

ATLANTA — The hottest place in ATL on Sunday nights has to be the Velvet Room.

You're bound to see a superstar — from Jay-Z to R. Kelly to T.I. — there during any given week. They say the capacity is 3,500 people, but anyone on the dance floor will feel like there are probably three times as many people in the building. It's so packed you can barely move, but nobody seems to care. The music is banging, the drinks are flowing and everybody came out the house looking fly.

A couple of weeks ago, it seemed like 3,500 people were in the VIP section alone. Picture it: A cross-section of hip-hop kings from all over the country. Hometown hero Young Jeezy and his Corporate Thugz Entertainment crew. Fat Joe, Diamond D and DJ Khaled and their entourage. Playaz Circle were in the house. Singer Trey Songz was there, as was Fonzworth Bentley, DJ Drama, DJ Don Cannon, Rich Boy and Jim Jones and his Goonies.

Clearly, a regular night won't bring all these guys out. So is it a concert? Nope. Afterparty for an awards show? Nah. They all came to help DJ Infamous celebrate his fourth year of spinning on the radio.

"Infamous, happy anniversary," Def Jam South President DJ Khaled screamed. "Def Jam had to come rep Infamous real quick. We in ATL. Velvet Room. It's going down. Let's get it."

"A-Town gets in," DJ Drama said. "You can go anywhere in the world, and you're not gonna see all this star power in one room."

"DJ Infamous, that's my brother right there," Fat Joe said. "I had to come out for him. He's one of the hottest DJs in Atlanta. I respect him big time."

"Let me tell you, Sunday night in the Velvet Room ... it was crazy, man," Inf, a.k.a. "the youngest in charge," said as he drove to downtown Atlanta two days after his party. "It was basically special for me. Being professionally on the radio for four years and that many people come show me love like that. These are cats that's been in the game for years. They didn't just show up, they came down and performed. It makes me feel good. These are real cats, man."

	It's Atlanta Week on MTVNews.com! Stay locked here for all we have to offer from the city's heavyweights.
	»Young Jeezy Boosts His Homies: Mixtape Monday
	»DJ Infamous Is Taking Over Atlanta
	»T.I. Says It's A 'Great Pleasure' To Help New Atlanta Artists
	»Shawty Lo Sets Up Shop In ATL For New LP
	»Ludacris On 'Battle Of The Sexes' Album
	»Gucci Mane: Atlanta's Next Mainstream Star?
	»Shawty Lo Recalls Fast-Paced Youth
	»Atlanta's B.o.B Seeks 'The New Thing' In His Music
	»Young Jeezy, T.I. Among Atlanta Hawks' ATL Favorites

Infamous seems destined to follow in the footsteps of DJ Drama (a Philadelphia transplant) as the next big spinner to come from ATL. The 26-year-old got his career going five years ago, going to school in Alabama in the day and spinning on the radio and clubs out there in his free time. He felt he couldn't get any bigger in such a small market, so he moved to Atlanta. He was commuting to ATL on the weekends anyway, because one of his friends, Botchey, was a club promoter and got him work at the clubs in A-Town.

Infamous soon started interning at radio station V-103 and ended up on the airwaves as he increased his profile in clubs like Vision, 112 and South Beach.

"I was probably in Atlanta seven months, and within seven months I was on the radio heavy," he said. "I was in the biggest clubs, doing Young Jeezy's album-release party and other big functions. ... It just took off. That's how I got the whole 'youngest in charge' name. Here, it's unheard of for a dude that young to come here and start getting clubs and radio like that. I just kept it moving."

Along the way, Infamous briefly joined DJ Drama's Aphilliate family and had a long stint at Jermaine Dupri's Club 72. Infamous' biggest outlet, however, might be his offerings on the mixtape circuit. In just a few months, he's put out CDs with Rick Ross, Bow Wow and Young Jeezy.

"I didn't take it seriously until Jeezy called me and said, 'I want you to do this Prime Minister mixtape.' When he called me for that, I saw the outcome of it. I said, 'I need to put some mixtapes out.' It was 150,000 downloads on ThisIs50.com the first day and 160,000 downloads on USDA2day.com. That's what sparked it off. I was like, 'Now people in other areas know who I am. People in New York know me. People in Cali know me.' After that, I had the wave."

Infamous' next mixtape is Risky Business with Jim Jones. You can find out more about that project in this week's Mixtape Monday.

• It's Atlanta Week!

• DJ Infamous Celebrates His 4 Year Anniversary With Fat Joe, Jim Jones, Young J

• Jermaine Dupri
• Young Jeezy
• Jim Jones

Young Jeezy
Photo: MTV News

Artists: Young Jeezy and Corporate Thugz Entertainment

Representing: The trap and beyond

Mixtape: Shield Gang 2: In the Shield We Trust

411: It's Atlanta Week on MTVNews.com. We couldn't choose anybody better to kick it off than Young Jeezy. If you're in ATL, you might see Young's baby-blue Lambo flying down I-85. You might catch him holed up in Club Miami. You're probably going to see him at Spondivits getting his grub on. But more often than not, the homie is in the studio.

The Snowman just dropped Shield Gang 2: In the Shield We Trust with DJ Folk and all the artists on his roster. Jeezy said the focus for the street CD is really on the CTE team and not him.

"Shield Gang was crazy. You got everybody on there from the homie Slick Pulla — free Slick Pulla — Blood Raw, Roccet, 211. The family is growing. We here. One life, one love."

While in Atlanta, we caught up with Young and three members of the camp he says to look out for: Screwww, Bama and Boo Rossini.

"Screwww been a beast sine day one," Jeezy explained. "He's been grinding independently anyway. He's been doing his thing since I was doing my thing. He's just getting his just due. The streets gotta look out for him. Bama is a beast. He's one of the youngest, one of the wildest cats in Atlanta. He's representing that Southside Mafia. My partner, Boo, we go so far back it ain't even funny. Boo Rossini, he's been doing it since Trap or Die."

	It's Atlanta Week on MTVNews.com! Stay locked here for all we have to offer from the city's heavyweights.
	»Young Jeezy Boosts His Homies: Mixtape Monday
	»DJ Infamous Is Taking Over Atlanta
	»T.I. Says It's A 'Great Pleasure' To Help New Atlanta Artists
	»Shawty Lo Sets Up Shop In ATL For New LP
	»Ludacris On 'Battle Of The Sexes' Album
	»Gucci Mane: Atlanta's Next Mainstream Star?
	»Shawty Lo Recalls Fast-Paced Youth
	»Atlanta's B.o.B Seeks 'The New Thing' In His Music
	»Young Jeezy, T.I. Among Atlanta Hawks' ATL Favorites

Now that he's established in the game, Jeezy said he wants to make sure his crew is given the proper spotlight.

"That was my goal. Nobody gave me a ladder to climb," Young explained. "When I got there, I said, 'I'm gonna throw the ladder down for my homies and keep the door open.' Ain't nothing up here fabricated.

"Everybody do what they do in some other way to make a living, but they love music," he added about his artists. "That's why we here. I was the same way six, seven years back. I felt like it was only right to give them their just due."

Jeezy has his own solo mixtape with DJ Infamous dropping soon, but he's keeping the info close to the chest.

"I got a mixtape coming out too, but I don't know the name yet," he said. "I just been grinding, homie, making sure the homies get in. We way stronger than this. It's a lot of homies that represent CTE, but we are the streets. You talking to the cat that comes from mixtapes. I wouldn't have a job if it wasn't for mixtapes. I passed out tapes. I respect the game."

Joints To Check For

» "Comeback" by Boo Rossini. "Me, I got a lane where I deal with the females. I do the [street] thing in my sleep, but I'm in my own lane where I'm hollering at the females," Boo said. "My [solo] mixtape is Feed the Streets. It's a drought, so we gonna feed the streets."

» "It's Gone" by Bama. "You could be selling your CDs in the trunk of your car, you can get it off. You're doing your thing in the streets, you get that off too. This song is for you. My [solo] mixtape is called Street ID, Volume One. It's real big. Big brother looked out for us, and we gonna look out for him and bring hit records to the table."

» "Down for the Cause" by Screwww. "I appreciate the homeboy Jeezy," Screwww said. "He put that ladder out and said, 'Climb up.' We sure need it, because you know what's going on out here. We appreciate all that. My solo mixtape is with Bigga Rankin. It's called As Real as It Gets. The title is self-explanatory."

Don't Sleep: Other Notable Selections This Week

» Icadon and Rockwilder - Robot-ic
» Oschino - The Appetizer Vol. 3
» Superstar Jay and Maino - Black Flag City (The New Religion)
» Greg Street - Sertified Worldwide

'Hood's Heavy Rotation: Bubbling Below The Radar

» Fabolous (featuring The-Dream) - "Throw It in the Bag"
» Fat Joe - "Hey Joe"
» Jim Jones (featuring Ludacris and NOE)- "How to Be a Boss"
» Rhymefest (featuring Queen Latifah) - "Goin' In"
» Slim Thug (featuring UGK) - "Leanin' "
» Young Dro (featuring Yung LA) - "Take Off"

Celebrity Favorites

Chris Tucker has made so much money in Hollywood, he obviously isn't worried about starring in films on a consistent basis. Despite all the cream he's accumulated in La-La Land, however, Tucker still has love for his hometown of Atlanta, so we had to include him in our ATL Week. Chris has his heart in the streets, and one of his favorite rappers right now is Jay-Z.

"He's the Frank Sinatra of rap. He's got a style of his own, and he's just good," the comedian said recently in Arizona during Jay and LeBron James' Sprite Green "2 Kings" dinner and afterparty.

Tucker also talked up the "Swagga Like Us" performance at the Grammys, featuring Jay, T.I., Kanye West, Lil Wayne and M.I.A. "I told him it was one of the best performances I ever saw," Tucker said of a conversation he had with Jay. "All them together was entertaining. It was great."

Tucker's favorite performer right now, though, is his good friend MJ. "It's always Michael Jackson," he said. "You'll catch Michael Jackson in my iPod or CD changer. I'm pretty sure he's gonna come back soon. [He was right!] He's just sitting there probably strategizing and waiting."

The Streets Is Talking: News & Notes From The Underground

It's only fair that new Atlanta rappers have a new DJ to push their records in the clubs and the streets. DJ Drama ushered in T.I.'s reign with a number of landmark mixtapes, and DJ Scream helped break Shawty Lo's post-D4L career.

DJ Infamous is next at bat, and the young multitasker is getting plenty of recognition in a hurry.

Jim Jones recently connected with Infamous for their Risky Business mixtape. The Harlem-bred rapper and record executive told us he thinks Infamous could join the ranks of DJ Khaled and DJ Clue as record spinners-turned-industry influencers.

"I think he's gonna be the next one," Jones said. "I'm actually trying to do business with him right now from an A&R standpoint. I think he can be just as relevant as a DJ Khaled, or like when DJ Clue [was doing it].

"Shouts to Scream, shouts to Drama, but [Infamous] just has that energy," Jones continued. "He's young, he's up-and-coming. He paid his dudes. He sat back, he learned the craft, he learned his area from an Atlanta standpoint. He got next to the right people, as far as Young Jeezy and how important he is to the hip-hop industry. Jeezy endorsed him. So as far as his grind and work ethic, it worked for him. He's in the club six days a week in Atlanta. Six days a week is heavy when you in the club. It's easy to take over like that, especially when people are coming to your party by the boatload. And he knows how to break a record. He's on the radio every day and things like that. He has a lot going on for him — as does everybody else from Atlanta — but right now, he has it going on."

Infamous reeled in another current ATL track killer, DJ Don Cannon, for the Risky Business set, and the former Aphilliate laced Jim with several beats.

For other artists featured in Mixtape Monday, check out Mixtape Mondays Headlines.

• Mixtape Monday Video: Jim Jones, Young Jeezy & More

• Young Jeezy
• DJ Khaled
• Jim Jones

Jim Jones
Photo: Frank Micelotta/ Getty Images

Jim Jones has managed to make his way to the top of the rap world. His improbable journey from Cam'ron's second fiddle to leader of the Diplomats has been chronicled in a Damon Dash-produced documentary called, "This is Jim Jones."

The project is due May 12, and features a number of hip-hop luminaries like Hot 97's Funkmaster Flex and Angie Martinez, DJ Clark Kent, Russell Simmons and others speaking about Jones' life and career.

MTV News viewed a director's cut of the project on Tuesday. Among the topics discussed at length, of course, was Jones' estrangement front Cam'ron.

"I seen a lot of groups break up, but none affected me as much as Dipset not moving together," Flex said.

In a separate interview, Dash said he was frustrated by the crew's division, citing his own break from Jay-Z as a reason the Dips shouldn't have had such a rift.

At one point, Jones explained he once told Cam they would eventually part, due to reasons he said he wasn't sure of at the time.

"I told him it was part of the plan for a separation," Jones recalled. "Not sure why. ... But also part of the plan is to get back. I'm just waiting for the get back [now]."

The film stretched out over 10 chapters, following Jones from childhood through the formation of Dipset to their time at Roc-A-Fella. In the final chapter, titled "Purification," Jones opens up about his father, who died due to an illness related to HIV/AIDS. The rapper chooses his words carefully and expresses remorse over the lack of time he shared with his father.

Jones and Dash recently held a listening party for his upcoming album, Pray for Reign, with the staff of fashion magazine Vogue. Angie Martinez served as a reality checker for Dash, who claims Jones' LP will be a classic and wanted the on-air jock to offer her opinion. "I'm not so much a fan of you," she said to Dash, when he asked her if he should appear in Jones' videos like he did in Jay-Z's during the Roc-A-Fella heyday.

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

• Jim Jones
• Cam'ron

Jim Jones
Photo: Amy Sussman/ Getty Images

It seems like that recent phone call between Cam'ron and Jim Jones that fans were excited to hear about last week is a point of contention. After Cam told MTV News of the conversation, Jim Jones denied that the two had talked at all.

"I don't know what that's about," he told satellite radio's "Lip Service" hosts Angela Yee and Leah Rose Monday night. "Everyone's been telling me about that. I'm the only one who doesn't know about it. I don't know what he's talking about."

The Capo, who is gearing up to release his album Pray for Reign soon, said he is willing to have a call with Cam — "If the money's right. Hell, yeah."

Don't expect a long rebuttal from Killa Cam anytime in the future. He told MTV last week that he's not into having that kind of exchange, when asked about his staggering allegation in XXL magazine that Juelz Santana had become addicted to cough syrup. Santana vehemently denied those claims.

"He's upset; hey, I understand him being upset," Cam said of Santana's reaction. "I don't want to go back and forth with Juelz. ... Somebody asked me a question, 'Why did you and Juelz stop speaking?' or whatever the case may be. I don't know what happened on his behalf. That was the reason on my behalf, why I stopped speaking to him. That situation, I don't know if he's addicted or how much he was taking.

"I knew it going on, and I kinda shied away from him," Cam added, continuing to assert that his allegations were true. "If he's upset, I'm sorry he's upset. I wish him the best of luck, and I hope everything turns out. I'm not going back and forth with him."

The Diplomats haven't been on the same page since 2007. In the midst of musical battle with 50 Cent, Cam took an abrupt hiatus from his career to take care of his ailing mother who had suffered from more than one stroke. Even before then, though, things in the once tight-knit camp was starting to fall apart. Juelz accused Cam'ron of taking advantage of him in their business dealings, while Jim Jones has said the lack of communication wasn't healthy for the crew's cohesiveness. Juelz and Jim appearing onstage with 50 Cent in the summer of 2007 didn't help matters either. Cam said in interviews at the time that it was a signal for him to move on.

Still, last week Cam'ron sounded like he was leaving the door open for a reunion one day. "[I]n the immediate future, I'm just doing Cam," he said after recounting the conversation that Jones now denies. "But you never know what can happen down the line."

• Cam'ron
• Jim Jones

Jim Jones
Photo: MTV News

NEW YORK — Following an alleged fight with a member of Ne-Yo's entourage, Jim Jones said Monday morning (January 5) he's fortunate to be a free man.

"I guess I got lucky," Jones said after coming out of Manhattan's 18th Precinct. "I got a DAT." Jones was issued a Desk Appearance Ticket instead of a trip behind bars for the misdemeanor assault charge.

The altercation took place at the Fifth Avenue Louis Vuitton store, where police say Jones punched and kicked someone who was traveling with Ne-Yo. Although police have yet to release the victim's name, Internet reports have widely identified him as a man named Vaughn, the brother of Tyran "Ty Ty" Smith, who works with Ne-Yo. Ty Ty is the longtime best friend and colleague of Jones' lyrical nemesis, Jay-Z.

"I don't know what this is for," Jimmy said when asked about the fight. "All I know is I was shopping. I don't know what happened.

"How my LVs [Louis Vuitton logos] look?" the Diplomat Capo, wearing a Louis V scarf, asked. "They say it was an incident at the store, but I don't know." Monday morning on Power 105.1 in New York, Jones' mother called up to speak to morning radio host Ed Lover. Mrs. Jones acknowledged the altercation and called for peace in the hip-hop community.

"I'm tired of all these rappers not doing their jobs," she vented. "They're getting into all types of crazy stuff. ... Your job is called 'rapping' for the audience, for the people. Get paid, and take your behind home."

When asked specifically what took place at the Louis Vuitton store, she said she didn't have all the information, but just the fact that an incident took place has taken its toll.

"It ain't too hot," Mrs. Jones offered. "Everybody's worried."

Jim Jones said the altercation gave him another sobering look at his life and career.

"Being a gangsta rapper or a 'hardcore' rapper, you find yourself stuck between a rock and a hard place," he said. "It's a thin line, because there's things I've done in my career to get where I am today, and I've benefited off it. For me to make a transition and take my career to the next level, there's some things I can't obviously do anymore. What I mean by that is, you play the tough guy and put yourself into those positions, and things can happen. You end up like this, [with] a big inconvenience.

"Sometimes the notoriety works in your favor, but I shouldn't be here at this point," he continued. "As long as no one is physically doing something to you or being that much of an aggressor, sometimes you can let these things go. I've grown to realize that, and I see it's not gonna be the same for me as far as my travels in this industry. My last few situations, it seems like I've ended up in jail and people have used that as a way to put civil suits on me. That's the new wave of getting money. They say snitching is big business."

Jones has to appear in court February 4, a little less than two weeks before his next LP, Pray for Reign, hits stores February 20. The Harlem native says he's ready to put the latest incident behind him.

"I really think I'm standing in the way of my own self," he said. "I don't believe it's nobody else but me that's gonna f--- my career up, and I don't wanna see that happen. ... I'm done with beefs this year. I'm just gonna become a rapper. I'm just like Vanilla Ice and MC Hammer. I am a rapper. Leave me alone. I am defenseless. It's to a point now if you slap me and I slap you back, you'll be able to sue me.

"I'm Vanilla Ice right now," he reiterated with a chuckle. "I'm a rapper."

[This story was originally published at 4:29 pm E.T. on 1.05.09]

• Jim Jones Turns Himself In To NYPD

• Jim Jones
• Ne-Yo
• Jay-Z

Photo: MTV News

Jim Jones' first order of business in 2009 was to meet with the police. The capo of the Diplomats and leader of the up-and-coming Byrd Gang crew appeared at the 18th precinct in New York on Monday morning (January 5) to turn himself in after an alleged fight.

The details of the event are sketchy at this point: Police believe Jones and/or members of his crew were involved in a physical altercation with Ne-Yo and/or one or more of his entourage at the Louis Vuitton store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. According to several blog reports, including MissInfo.tv, members of Jones' entourage fought with an associate of Jay-Z's who works for Ne-Yo. That associate is said to be the brother of longtime Jay-Z friend and business colleague Tyran "Ty Ty" Smith. (Early reports said it was Ty Ty himself, but those were later refuted.)

"I don't wanna talk about that," Jones told MTV News last week, refusing to comment on the incident. "Nah, we not doing that, let's stop that right there. Let's not do that. We above that."

On Monday, strangely, a representative for the NYPD told MTV News that no report of the incident was on file. A representative for the Louis Vuitton store was unable to be reached for comment.

Over the holidays, Jim certainly wasn't dodging the public eye. He had a slot on December 27 at Hot 97's Holiday Bash concert at the Nassau Coliseum in Long Island, along with Young Jeezy, Ludacris, Busta Rhymes and T.I.

• Jim Jones
• Ne-Yo
• Jay-Z

50 Cent, The Diplomats, The LOX And More At Governor's Island, New York, 10.03.09

• 50 Cent
• The Diplomats
• Jim Jones
• Juelz Santana

Rihanna, Kanye, More Celebrate At Black Eyed Peas' Record-Release Party

• Black Eyed Peas
• Fergie
• Will.I.Am
• Kanye West
• Jim Jones

MTV.com Exclusive: Jim Jones

• Jim Jones

Ciara, LL Cool J, Snoop, More At 2008 Hip-Hop Summit Action Awards

• Ciara
• LL Cool J
• Jim Jones
• Jinx
• Chrisette Michele

50 Cent's 5 Borough Tour Hits Manhattan

• 50 Cent
• Tony Yayo
• Jim Jones
• Lloyd Banks

Best of 2006: The Red Carpet

• Fall Out Boy
• Beyoncé
• Gwen Stefani
• Gavin Rossdale
• Sean Paul

Chamillionaire, Ludacris, Busta, Jim Jones And More At The 2006 BET Hip-Hop Awards

• Chamillionaire
• Ludacris
• Busta Rhymes
• Ying Yang Twins
• T.I.

Sucker Free on MTV: Fall 2006

• 50 Cent
• Hot Rod
• Lloyd Banks
• Chingy
• Jibbs

Nick Lachey, Shakira, 50 Cent, Fall Out Boy, More Arrive At The 2006 VMAs

• Shakira
• Fall Out Boy
• AFI
• Danity Kane
• New Found Glory