Picture this: you’re in the studio with the legendary Dr. Dre, he’s loving your sound, and you’re recording track after track together. Sounds like a dream come true, right? But for Jim Jones, there was one little hiccup: the iconic producer making him re-record his verse more than a dozen times! Talk about feeling “punked.”
During an interview on The Amazing AllHipHop podcast, the Harlem native looked back on his studio session with Dre and the unreleased Dipset music that they worked on together. According to Jones, he and fellow Diplomats Cam and Juelz created about four or five records with the mastermind behind some of the most iconic beats in hip hop. However, these records may never see the light of day.
Despite the tough experience, Jones remembers the night fondly and even joked about charging a hefty fee if the records ever get released. “Truthfully, he better not put it out ’cause I’m charging $2 million for my verse,” he laughed.
What’s fascinating about this whole scenario is how Jones describes Dre’s relentless pursuit of perfection in the studio. With over 30 years in the game, Dr. Dre’s work with icons like 2Pac, Snoop, and countless others speaks for itself. But for a young artist like Jones, facing that level of intensity was definitely an eye-opening experience.
Jim Jones has spoken about the Dipset x Dr. Dre collaboration before, recalling their session in 2010 during a Breakfast Club interview back in 2014. Even though he hasn’t heard from Dre since then, he’s confident that those four Diplomat records they made together are straight fire.
As for his own music, Jim Jones isn’t slowing down any time soon. The 46-year-old rapper recently released a collaborative project with Hitmaka called “Back In My Prime,” featuring appearances from Jeremih, Ty Dolla $ign, Tink, and others.
So, will we ever hear the mythical Dipset x Dr. Dre tracks? Only time will tell. Until then, we’ll just have to imagine what those beats and verses sound like and enjoy Jim Jones’ hilarious stories about feeling “punked” in the studio.