ROC Solid w/ Memphis Bleek – Jim Jones (Part 2)

Date: October 12, 2025
Podcast: ROC Solid
Host: Memphis Bleek
Guest: Jim Jones

Episode Overview

This episode of ROC Solid brings together two veterans of the hip-hop game—Memphis Bleek and Jim Jones—for a deep, raw, and personal conversation. They dive into untold Roc-A-Fella stories, the evolution of hip-hop, hard lessons from the road, the realities of music business, loyalty, competition, and personal growth. It's artist-to-artist, unfiltered and real, with both legends reflecting on their journeys, correcting misconceptions, and sharing wisdom for the next generation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Kanye West’s Rise & Early Roc-A-Fella Days

• Kanye’s Beginnings: The guys recount their first impressions of Kanye, the producer who insisted "I rap, J." At first, no one took his rapping seriously, but his persistence and raw talent impressed the crew.
  • "Kanye used to come in the room rapping to us... all of us looking at that like, damn, son, got some—what?" — Memphis Bleek [04:23]
• Clowning to Respect: They share stories of clowning Kanye until he proved himself, including freestyling at parties—actions which finally got him recognized beyond just beats.
  • "He would get on the table in the middle of the spot... start freestyling, going crazy. And that's when I think niggas started paying him attention." — Memphis Bleek [05:01]
• Kanye’s First Credits: Revealed his first production was for Mase's group album, not his solo project. [07:12]

2. The Reality of Hustle and Survival in Hip-Hop

• Studio Beat Politics: The urban legend about Cam’ron taking the “Oh Boy” beat is addressed. Bleek clears the air: if Jay really wanted a beat, he’d have locked it in on the spot—no hard feelings, no drama.
  • "Jay didn't let beats sit. If he really fucked with it, he finished that shit right there." — Memphis Bleek [07:42]
• Tunnel Nightclub Tales: The infamous NYC club is depicted as a place of real danger and lessons—bulletproof vests, brawls, and street-level survival instincts.
  • "I went to give one of the twins a hug in the tunnel, and he had a vest on... I looked at that nigga and was like, I don’t think my beef that serious." — Memphis Bleek [08:42]
  • "That was the best lesson I learned in my life in the tunnel." — Jim Jones [11:39]

3. Life on the Road: Tales from the Grind

• Sketchy Promoters & Streets: Both share stories of being robbed, carjacked, or in life-threatening situations in cities from Miami to Chicago to Detroit. The road isn’t all glamorous—a recurring theme.
  • "As a rapper moving around this country, if you not tied in... be careful." — Jim Jones [13:58]
  • "I remember we got left at Club 112 in Atlanta... had to hitchhike with some girls from the club back to the hotel." — Memphis Bleek [16:58]
  • "I end up jumping out the window, bro." — Jim Jones recounts a risky weed run in Detroit [18:02]
• Fake Shows, Stand-Ins, and Getting the Bag: Sometimes the grind gets so tough, you have a homie put on your durag and perform as you to get paid.
  • "I had a act like he was me on stand. I’m backstage watching him, he on stage... lip syncing." — Memphis Bleek [21:49]

4. Roc-A-Fella/Diplomats Tension and Breakup Myths

• Tour Exclusion & Rumors: Jim and Bleek clear rumors about the Roc breakup being due to tour snubs—sharing the truth that internal fires were burning way before that.
  • "Nothing to do with the Brock breaking up anyway, period." — Jim Jones [27:21]
  • "We may have definitely helped speed things up." — Jim Jones [27:36]
• Dame Dash and Harlem Bonds: Jones describes how Dame aligned with Harlem’s Diplomats, but wishes Dame had introduced them more as family to strengthen the crew.
  • "He should have introduced us a different way to make it stronger and made it family, because that’s how it was in the baseline when we first... we was all fam, bro." — Jim Jones [29:50]

5. Pride, Competition, and Early Roc Encounters

• Anecdotes from the Beginning: Jim shares tense early encounters with Roc-A-Fella—such as Mase asking Jay for cab fare, and realizing how pride and appearance mattered as much as talent.
  • "Whether we getting money or tough or bugging, we supposed to look like we doing something, leave out of here with our dignity." — Jim Jones [35:17]
• Jewelry as Status Symbol: Mase vs. Jay in a platinum chain showdown, showing the hunger and competitiveness of young artists.
  • "I’m just showing like the—that we were doing when we were younger, leading up to where we at now... we got to show this that we getting money." — Jim Jones [38:52]

6. Business Lessons, Trust, and Losing Out

• Verbal vs. Paper Contracts: The musicians reflect on how their trust and lack of business savvy let others profit off their work, and why they now value transparency and education in the industry.
  • "I’m dame in the situation that never got writing credits on none of the albums. I’m dame in the situation that got cheated out of so much thousands..." — Jim Jones [46:03]
  • "Don’t pay somebody to read something for you. Pay somebody to teach you what’s gotta be read for you." — Memphis Bleek [72:27]
• Giving Back & Breaking the Cycle: Jim refuses to exploit his artists, determined not to repeat mistakes made against him.
  • "How I treat artists that I deal with... I don’t even take money from my artist deals." — Jim Jones [50:29]

7. Growth, Healing and Unification

• Roc Nation Alignment: Jim opens up about the process and emotional journey of joining Roc Nation, marking a new chapter after former tensions—and what it represented for his legacy and opportunities.
  • "I spent more on a jet to go meet Jay in LA than I made at Rockefeller at Roc Nation." — Jim Jones [60:31]
  • "The moment people see I was able to do that, it would lift the sanction for so many doors moving forward." — Jim Jones [60:29]
• Turning Beefs into Wins: In a memorable moment, Jim tells how he turned Jay-Z's "Ballin" diss into a win by flipping the narrative, celebrating the publicity.
  • "I forced Jay to say my name like four times in his record. Never said nobody else’s name but mine on his records." — Jim Jones [62:03]
  • "You was popping bottles the day he dropped the Ballin' diss... like we won." — Memphis Bleek [62:09]

8. Legacy and Family

• Building Beyond Music: Jim breaks down his venture “the compound”—a content creation facility encompassing music, media, and more, designed to serve his community's future.
  • "This is my final destination for my hip-hop journey, and also moving forward, is my liaison to the rest of the world." — Jim Jones [77:53]
• Bleek’s Expanding Ventures: Bleek details his entrepreneurial moves—restaurants, weed business, barber shop—and stresses diversifying beyond rap.
  • "People need to know what you got going on... look at Bleek and don’t understand the business he’s doing." — Jim Jones [80:12]

9. Santana, Lost Potential, and Renewal

• Check-in on Juelz Santana: Jim speaks about his relationship with Santana and plans to help him launch a show about intervention and healing.
  • "Him going through his battles... and to see him gaining control, focusing up... Wells has been damn near millionaire as a teenager." — Jim Jones [65:42]
  • "He’s always been my favorite rapper. I think that if we’d got it in the right way... Santana could have been just as influential as Jay." — Jim Jones [69:56]
• Youth, Pressure & Industry Traps: They acknowledge the overwhelming difficulties of being artists from a young age, facing temptations and business pitfalls.

10. Wisdom, Survival & Future Outlook

• Spirituality & Survival: Jim reflects on escaping countless dangers, attributing survival to the grace of God and lived wisdom.
  • "There’s no way I escaped the...that I escaped to be here today. I promise you." — Jim Jones [75:46]
• Documenting Life Lessons: Plans for future books, movies, and content that tell the real stories—warts and all.
• Artist Empowerment: Both stress the need for artists to control their business, educate themselves, and "never take it for granted."

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the grind:
  "Every time I get on the plane, I just prepare for a mission...until you get to that bag—you’re like, I got the bag, I’m getting the fuck out of here." — Jim Jones [21:59]

• On the myth of artists getting taken care of:
  "Ain’t nobody taking care of niggas over here, baby. Nah, you good... We live, we getting money." — Memphis Bleek [81:01]

• On love and loyalty:
  "If I say I love you, it’s up forever." — Jim Jones [64:46]

• On humility and wins:
  "That show right there was so powerful that they was going to play the diss record as much as they was going to...I said, wrap that up as a remix. Let’s go." — Jim Jones [62:16]

• On teaching the next generation:
  "Don’t pay somebody to read something for you. Pay somebody to teach you what’s gotta be read for you." — Memphis Bleek [72:27]

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Kanye & early Roc stories: [03:01]–[07:12]
• Beat politics/Cam’ron & “Oh Boy”: [07:14]–[08:03]
• Tunnel nightclub stories: [08:35]–[11:43]
• Deadly situations on tour road: [12:49]–[18:02]
• Fake shows & grinds for the bag: [21:01]–[21:49]
• Roc-A-Fella/Dipset tour rumors & breakup: [27:03]–[31:16]
• Early encounters with Roc-A-Fella (pride, competition): [33:01]–[39:32]
• Cheated in business & learning publishing: [46:03]–[47:44]
• Jim joining Roc Nation & meaning: [57:46]–[60:28]
• Flipping Jay-Z “Ballin” diss: [62:03]–[63:17]
• Jim’s “compounds” and Bleek’s businesses: [76:39]–[80:13]
• Juelz Santana, responsibility, and healing: [65:28]–[71:14]
• Artist business wisdom: [72:27]–[73:58]

Final Reflections

This episode stands out for its honest, streetwise storytelling and unspoken codes of loyalty. Both Bleek and Jim Jones openly address old rumors, personal missteps, and hard-won wisdom with humor, humility, and a sense of duty to hip-hop's future. It’s not just a retrospective—it’s a blueprint for navigating a world where talent, trust, and survival are never guaranteed.

Memorable Ending: "Let’s put this fucking pain out here, man... You my brother. Continue success, continue health, and continue winning, my brother. Love, artist to artist. Roc solid." — Memphis Bleek [82:12]

For hip-hop aficionados and newcomers alike, this episode is a masterclass in authenticity, endurance, and the unbreakable bonds forged in music and hustle.