Jim Jones and Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson at the IFC Studio in New York City during the latest episode of Scoop B Radio.
Harlem icon Jim Jones sat down for an in-depth conversation on Scoop B Radio, taped at the Intellectual Factory of Content (IFC) in New York City. The IFC is a creative studio space Jones owns in The Bronx, and it has quickly become a hub for artists, podcasters, and visionaries to produce and share content. Jones explained how the IFC was designed not just as a recording studio, but as a cultural landmark for collaboration in today’s evolving media landscape. The reception from his peers in both music and entertainment has been overwhelmingly positive, with many seeing the IFC as an innovative way to connect art and business. Beyond music, the space represents a new chapter in Jones’ career as he continues to evolve as a creative entrepreneur. It set the stage for a candid discussion that ranged from music to wrestling, from legacy to the future of hip-hop.
During our sit-down on the Scoop B Radio Podcast, Jones reflected on his vantage point in the music industry and how it prepared him for success in the podcast space. Now on the other side of the microphone, he has developed a skill for leading conversations and drawing insights from the guests he interviews. He compared the rap game to professional wrestling, calling it a mix of performance, competition, and storytelling. Wrestling, in fact, was his first point of entry into entertainment, and he recalled some of his favorite wrestlers growing up. In a creative twist, he even described which WWE character he would embody if he were placed in the world of hip-hop today. When asked who the wrestling equivalent of The Rock is in rap, he pointed to Will Smith as the closest match.
The conversation also explored the challenges of transition, as Jones broke down the shift from being a rapper to becoming a reality star and actor on Love & Hip Hop New York. While fans often celebrate him for creating one of the biggest anthems of the 2000s with Ballin’, Jones admitted that the hit sometimes led to being pigeonholed. Still, he acknowledged the record’s undeniable impact, calling it a career-altering moment that changed his life forever. The interview examined how Jay-Z frequently references Jones in songs and what that recurring presence in Hov’s music really signifies. He also gave insight into his creative yet combative relationship with Kanye West, a partnership that yielded strong results but often came with tension. Along the way, Jones introduced his concept of a “Teenior Citizen,” emphasizing that hip-hop is the only genre that unfairly imposes an age limit on its artists.
The discussion wasn’t just about the past—it also highlighted the present and future of hip-hop. Jones revealed who he listens to outside of rap and shared the names on his Bronx and Harlem Mount Rushmore of music. He made sure to shine a light on the younger generation of artists, stressing that they deserve their flowers now rather than later. The Harlem MC admitted that at times, people have mistaken him for the late Mobb Deep rapper Prodigy, showing the quirks of being a public figure in the industry. He also weighed in on one of the culture’s biggest talking points: the breaking up of Roc-A-Fella Records, and whether that split was personal or strictly financial. Looking back, Jones expressed that if he could return to an earlier point in his career, there are certain types of music he wishes he had made more of.
Hip-hop debates also came to the forefront, particularly when the conversation turned to Verzuz battles. Jones considered whether a matchup between Wu-Tang Clan and Dipset would have been more compelling than Dipset’s battle against The Lox, which sparked so much discussion in the culture. He also revisited his comments about Nas, admitting that in hindsight he may have phrased things differently. Despite the controversy, Jones listed three Nas tracks—past and present—that he has genuinely enjoyed, bridging respect with reflection. As the interview wound down, he was asked about the highly anticipated collaboration between 50 Cent and Cam’ron for a Paid in Full project. Jones said he was eager to see how it unfolds and what kind of impact it might have on the industry. This forward-looking perspective underscored how Jones stays connected to both the culture’s history and its future.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: What is the IFC?
Jim Jones: The IFC is the Intellectual Factory of Content, and it started with the Influencer’s Club. I found myself in a great position, fully invested into the building, and I have just been blessed with the opportunity. Now we’re building a multi-purpose creation center for music, media, and broadcasting on all levels. Anything you desire to do, you can do it here. We also have tourist destinations like sports bars and gyms… there’s a bunch of stuff that we’re building over here. You could say I’m building my own little city inside of the city.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: What has the reception from your peers been like with the IFC?
Jim Jones: It’s been a great reception. Everybody has been supportive of this new business that I’ve been embarking on. People kinda see the vision now that this is definitely needed in the city, especially with the climate of how the entertainment industry is moving. I feel that I got my hands on the next thing as far as content creation spaces are concerned.
On the Hip-Hop Game
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: You’ve been a player, a coach, and now an owner in the music industry. What’s it like to have that vantage point, especially now with your podcast?
Jim Jones: Awww shit [laughs], I would have all the vantage points. I guess from the experience that I have in the game, I’d still be a player in the game, also coaching the game, also an owner in the game. It’s a great accomplishment for me to be in that position, especially for where we’re at right now with things.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: You’ve compared the rap game to the WWE. If you were a WWE character in hip-hop, who would you be?
Jim Jones: Shit! [smiles] If I ruled the word for a day? Who’s the dude that owned it? Vince McMahon? I would be him! Because he did it all. He was the owner, he was a wrestler; he played the game and he molded the game.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: What was your point of entry in wrestling?
Jim Jones: My point of entry in wrestling? I came in through the building in the back door of the building and got the janitor’s position and I gradually learned everything that the building had to offer inside the wrestling arena.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: Who are some of your favorite wrestlers growing up?
Jim Jones: Hulk Hogan (RIP), Koko B. Ware, Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, Andre ‘The Giant’), ‘Hacksaw’ Jim Duggan, the British dudes that used to do the full package [The British Bulldog (RIP)], Brett ‘The Hitman’ Hart, Jimmy ‘Superfly’ Snuka (RIP), The Iron Sheik)… it’s so many.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: Who in hip-hop today is the wrestling equivalent of The Rock?
Jim Jones: The equivalent of The Rock? Will Smith. He was ‘The Rock’ before “The Rock”. Definitely that.
On Career Transitions & “Ballin'”
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: Was it hard to make the transition from rapper to reality star/actor, or was there another transition that was more difficult for you?
Jim Jones: I don’t consider none of this stuff hard. All this shit is a cakewalk considering where we come from and the things that we were up against and the risks that we were taking. So, there’s not even risks to be put in these positions. I don’t take that as that, you know what I mean? Everybody gets a little nervous in anything you do in life, especially when you know it’s important and it could be great. Besides that, I haven’t had any hard transitions doing anything and I’m pretty confident in everything that I like to do.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: Does it bother you that some people pigeonhole you as the guy that made “Ballin’”?
Jim Jones: Why? But 9 times out of 10 people that are telling me that I put out “Ballin’” have nothing going for themselves or never even had the opportunity to know what it is to have a hit like “Ballin’” that’s STILL ringin’ right now off 20 years later. Like, I still get paid to perform that song.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: How did “Ballin’” change your life?
Jim Jones: Tremendously. In a lot of ways it was a gift and a curse. It’s been a helluva blessing. It opened my eyes to what it can be and also me not being responsible enough to know what I had; kinda messed it up also. There’s a point where you get too hot in the game and you feel like that you can do anything, and the game can humble you VERY quickly and things like that, you know what I mean? You gotta take your wins with your losses. I would say that I have way more losses but, my wins have been way bigger than my losses.
On Jay-Z, Kanye, & Generational Gaps
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: Why do you think Jay-Z mentions you so much in songs?
Jim Jones: [laughing] I don’t know! Me and Jay have a great camaraderie. I do know that I’m one of the very few that you can count on half of a hand that he has mentioned in any of his records. He has mentioned me multiple times. I take that as endearment more than anything. I take that as a compliment. It goes to show who I was and how powerful I could be coming up in the game against giants like he was at that time.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: Can you talk about the creative and combative relationship you’ve had with Kanye West?
Jim Jones: We’re both creative monsters and he understands what I can bring to the table in any creative space and he’s seen it firsthand, but the table has to be always fair and the table has to be always even, you know what I mean? I love Kanye. ‘Ye is ‘Ye but he’s a VERY talented person also. He’s a genius when it comes to marketing and commerce, so I respect his handle for what he’s built in the fashion world and the fortune that he’s acquired through his genius.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: What is a “Teenior Citizen”?
Jim Jones: [laughing] I mean, I guess that’s me! I’m not mad at none of these young jokes. I’d rather be called young than old. [laughs]
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: Why do you think hip-hop is the only genre that people put a limit on in time?
Jim Jones: I believe that the music was so young at one time and the stigma sticks from back when it still was young—20 or 30 years old. So naturally, the crowd that listens to music was a young crowd. But, we’re 50-something years in so the music has grown and we gotta make space for everybody that has grown with the music is what people don’t understand. Rock and Roll has been around for a long time. Same as R&B. Hip-hop is an edgy genre of music. We paint it to be a young thing but it’s not so young. It looks young and there are a lot of young artists but, most of the successful artists got some age on ‘em, you know what I mean? It depends on how you paint it. It’s a lot of artists that are older than me that don’t get pegged like I get pegged as far as, Teenior Citizens and old na this and old na that, so you know, I take it with a grain of salt; it means nothing to me, know what I mean?
On Music & Legacy
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: Who else do you listen to outside of hip-hop?
Jim Jones: I just enjoy listening to good music. I don’t really have any favorites. I like good R&B music. I like when I go to parties and [DJ] S&S is DJ’ing, taking me back to my younger days, my teenage days, and I know that he always got the soundtrack to back when we were growing up in Harlem.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: Who’s on your Bronx and Harlem Mount Rushmore in music?
Jim Jones: Big L would definitely be on the Harlem Mt. Rushmore. I would put Diplomats as a whole on the Harlem Mt. Rushmore. We would take up one slot. For entertainment? I would say Diddy, but Diddy’s a hybrid like me. Can’t forget Teddy Riley. On the Bronx side? KRS-One, Fat Joe, J-Lo… I would say Mary but Mary’s from Yonkers.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: Are there any young artists that you pay attention to that you think should get their flowers?
Jim Jones: [laughs] Man, you putting me on the spot with that! Ball Greezy from Miami. I enjoy him very much. I think he really deserves more flowers. A lot of people might not be familiar with him but he’s done tremendous for himself in the last 10 years, not only in his music, but he’s written so many hits, you know what I mean? For so many artists. In Miami, he’s helped shape the sound for the last 20 years damn near. He stays up and current and as you can see he’s got platinum plaques on his wall for some of the biggest hits. That’s one of the artists I truly enjoy and I would love to watch him get the flowers he deserves, especially coming from Miami. He’s super talented and it’s not too many artists that I see who can do music at his capacity.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: Have you and the late Mobb Deep rapper Prodigy ever been mistaken for each other?
Jim Jones: [laughs] All the time. I can’t remember a moment but some of the funny moments are when we were in the same room together and they’re like, “Oh, we finally saw y’all together!” Rest in Peace to Prodigy, one of the TRUE hip-hop legends in the game and will truly be missed. He’s put on for us in so many ways; one of the real groundbreaking MC’s and hip-hop legends. What Mobb Deep did for the game, it can’t be replaced. They came at a pivotal time for a generation like us when we were younger and through it all, our era was a very grimy, grungy and they were shining through from a young age, you know what I mean? They had their own wave undeniably and shit like that, you know what I mean? That’s where we got that thug music from. They definitely put on so we’re definitely gonna miss Prodigy. One of my favorite MC’s and one of my favorite groups also. They don’t mention them too much when the [GOAT] groups conversation comes around and I’m glad I’m bringing it up right now because they’re definitely one of the top tier groups in hip-hop history. Mobb Deep was a bit before us coming out so they paved the way for us as a group and opened a lot of doors for us.
On The Past & The Future
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: Was the breaking up of Roc-A-Fella more personal or financial?
Jim Jones: I believe that it was more of a business discrepancy. I don’t think that his making too much money could be that catty if it was over something personal, and they were very personal people, so I do believe that.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: If you could go back in time in your career, what type of music do you wish you could do more of?
Jim Jones: More Diplomats albums. Especially the early 2000’s. When we had the torch. It was a lot of things going on in between us that started early in our Diplomat days. There were a lot of variables and things like that but, I would love to make some more Diplomats albums. We definitely shook the world up. We didn’t need anybody, we just needed us.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: Would Wu-Tang vs. Dipset have been more of a match than Dipset vs The Lox?
Jim Jones: No because they’re two different eras. But if you look at it from a competitive or camaraderie standpoint, then the Wu-Tang thing would’ve worked from a camaraderie standpoint. Competitive standpoint, I think the LOX was perfect. We’re more or less paying homage to Wu-Tang as opposed to it’s gametime n***a with the LOX because we don’t have the banter with them like we have with the LOX because they are a bit older than us and they’re a generation right before us, you know what I mean?
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: You had some comments about Nas a while back. If you could do it all over again, would you have phrased it differently?
Jim Jones: I wouldn’t have. Why would I have phrased it differently? I said what I said and I said everything with intention.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: Can you name three Nas songs that you’ve enjoyed, past or present?
Jim Jones: “If I Ruled the World,” “New York State of Mind,” and the joint when he’s talking about Jerome’s niece who got shot in the dome-piece on her way home from Jones Beach… y’all know.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: What are you expecting to see with this upcoming 50 Cent and Cam’ron collaboration with Paid in Full?
Jim Jones: I don’t know what to expect from those two suckers. I wouldn’t care to see anything from them but I wish ‘em the best, ya heard? Stay out my way please. That’s it.
Jim Jones’ sit-down at the IFC offered more than just stories—it provided perspective from an artist who has lived through multiple eras of hip-hop. He addressed the highs and lows of his career, from the breakout success of Ballin’ to being a respected voice in conversations about Jay-Z, Kanye West, and Roc-A-Fella. His wrestling analogies and reflections on the WWE showed the theatrical and competitive side of hip-hop that often goes overlooked. His commentary on age, respect, and giving flowers to younger artists also demonstrated his awareness of the culture’s need to honor contributions across generations. Beyond music, his commitment to building platforms like the IFC highlighted his role as both innovator and mentor in today’s creative landscape. The conversation reminded listeners that Jim Jones is not only a Harlem mainstay, but also a figure deeply invested in shaping the future of the culture.
