Customer Reviews

Who Is Mike Jones

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(43)

 

 

I used to live in San Antonio, Texas between 2000-2004. Somewhere around that time one of my friends put in some chopped & screwed mixtape by some guy named Mike Jones. I thought it was okay at best, although he did have somewhat of a flow. One thing I seemed to notice in his songs was the repititon of his name "Mike Jones. WHO? Mike Jones. WHO?", as well as repeating the same line 4 times so he can have his verse the full 16 bars. I thought, "Okay...maybe he is trying to do something different. I don't know..." Well then his debut dropped in 2005, and guess what? His flow has not changed one bit. He still shouts out his name throughout his tracks and repeats the same line four times in many of his songs. Now he had brought a new gimmick, saying his phone number in his songs as well (I guess I wasn't the only person who dialed that number). So really his flow really hasn't changed at all since I first heard him, which was somewhere in late 2003 (which is funny because he said at that time "Who Is Mike Jones" comming soon).

I won't lie though. I was hyped up to see Texas artists finally get their albums out (Slim Thug, Pall Wall, Chamillionare, and of course Mike Jones). I bought this the same week it came out for my support, only to be dissapointed. And to the day I'm typing my review, I've only played this a total of three times, and had very much trouble making it to the end of this album. A lot of these songs have absolutely no replay value. "Type Of N**** U Need" and "Cuttin' (remix)" are some of the worst tracks that I've heard from Mike Jones.

There are some tracks that I liked. Ironically the two singles were the best songs on his album. "Still Tippin'" with the help of Slim Thug and Pall Wall was probably the best song on the album. And a close second was "Back Then" which if you haven't already noticed, the chorus is from "Still Tippin". "Five Years From Now" is okay, so I'll call that my honorable mention track.

So "Who Is Mike Jones?" was a horrible CD, although I admit it was catchy (that might explain why it went platnum). I really can't recommend this to anyone, except those of Texas music as well as Chopped & Screwed music (the version I had came with a chopped & screwed CD). Even so, I know for a fact Texas is more capable of this. If you want anything from Texas, give Slim Thug, Chamillionare, Lil Flip, or even UGK a listen. I just cannot recommend this to anyone else. Hopefully while he is recording his next CD, he thought about changing his flow. Word.

Lyrics: D
Production: C+
Guest Appearances: C
Musical Vibes: D-
Overall: C-

Favorite Tracks: Still Tippin, Back Then

Honorable Mention: 5 Years From Now

Peace Everyone!!!

I'm rather surprised that there are so many low ratings for Mike Jones' album. It's not that I disagree with them, though; it's just that it's usually MY review that's the odd one out. Anyway, I really don't think many people are asking Who Is Mike Jones any more because Mike made sure that people would know who he is.

I'm going to start things a little differently this time around and first talk about the album's final track, "Grandma". This memoriam to Mike's second-generation matriarch has good intentions, but unfortunately, it really only comes off as average. Mike says in the song that his grandmother is the person that told him to get his name out there any way he could, and he really took that to heart because, well, remember how B.G. always used to say "I'm known as the B.G." in most of his songs? That's not as annoying as in Mike's case, because as I'm sure everyone knows by now, he takes time to say, "Who? Mike Jones! Who? Mike Jones!" on EVERY SINGLE TRACK.

But even worse than that is something else he does on every track: shout out his phone number. As to why a musician would just give out his phone number is a head-scratcher, but in any case, Mike reserves 4 to 12 bars per song for his telephone announcement (if I heard "(281) 330-8004" one more time, I was going to go insane). And sometimes he even repeats old songs within new songs; his verse on the otherwise good "Still Tippin'" ends with the entire chorus to "Back Then".

Because of this redundancy, it's really hard to tell if Mike has any skills at all. But most of the songs aren't worth hearing anyway, especially the obligatory song for the ladies, "Type of N U Need". And it doesn't help that Paul Wall outshines him whenever he shows up (see "What Ya Know About..." and the aforementioned "Still Tippin'"). It's one thing to promote yourself; it's another thing to OVERpromote yourself. The way things are going NOW, the next time people hear Who Is Mike Jones, chances are they'll say, "Who cares?"

Anthony Rupert

Stay away from this album, literally. When you're in the record store stay 10 feet away. The repetitive lyrics, I said, the repetitive lyrics, are... the repetitive lyrics. Who? Repetitive lyrics. The repetitive lyrics plague the album like a virus. We get it, you drink grape soda with codiene and promethyzine. You smoke blunts full of Purple dank. Girls like you know that you got scrilla (which doesn't make you a pimp you idiot, it makes you a trick, didn't you hear 'Pac?). And what's your name again? Oh yeah, Mike Jones. Good thing you reminded me 215 times throughout the album. Why do you keep giving me your number if it doesn't work? We have heard you on cameos with other artist and it seems like your flow is actually decent. So why don't you show that instead of bore us? Imagine how devestated people would be if they heard "Ether" by Nas, and then he filled up Stillmatic with the same 75 words through the album. Use your full potential. I could only listen to a select few tracks on this album if I was more blazed than a California forest fire, crusin' around town with my tinted windows rolled up so that folks wouldn't know it was me bumpin' this bullsh*t. I'm an H.C.P. fan, and I'll admit that they got pretty limited subject matter, but they are still lyricists, so why can't another cat who follows the same basic demographic be just as original, if not more? C'mon dawg, show folks the real Mike Jones. The guy that eats at barbeques and watches T.V. The guy that likes to walk down the block sometimes. Show us the real, young nicca that you are. We all know good and god-damn well that you don't drive around Houston all day gettin' head and sayin' your name over and over again. We all know that you spend a couple hours of your day sober. We all know that you live in a two-story house somewhere close to the hood, not in a 20 bedroom mansion. We all know that you don't sleep with $450,000 worth of jewelry on. So give us the real Mike Jones on your next album. A major label debut should be better than this.

I have not heard this CD, but I have heard Mike Jones rap before, and he is truely terrible, and I don't see why this guy can be a popular rapper.

I have not heard this CD, but I have heard Mike Jones rap before, and he is truely terrible, and I don't see why this guy can be a popular rapper.

I have not heard this CD, but I have heard Mike Jones rap before, and he is truely terrible, and I don't see why this guy can be a popular rapper.

I have not heard this CD, but I have heard Mike Jones rap before, and he is truely terrible, and I don't see why this guy can be a popular rapper.

I have not heard this CD, but I have heard Mike Jones rap before, and he is truely terrible, and I don't see why this guy can be a popular rapper.

I have not heard this CD, but I have heard Mike Jones rap before, and he is truely terrible, and I don't see why this guy can be a popular rapper.

I have not heard this CD, but I have heard Mike Jones rap before, and he is truely terrible, and I don't see why this guy can be a popular rapper.

I have not heard this CD, but I have heard Mike Jones rap before, and he is truely terrible, and I don't see why this guy can be a popular rapper.

I have not heard this CD, but I have heard Mike Jones rap before, and he is truely terrible, and I don't see why this guy can be a popular rapper.

I have not heard this CD, but I have heard Mike Jones rap before, and he is truely terrible, and I don't see why this guy can be a popular rapper.

I have not heard this CD, but I have heard Mike Jones rap before, and he is truely terrible, and I don't see why this guy can be a popular rapper.

I have not heard this CD, but I have heard Mike Jones rap before, and he is truely terrible, and I don't see why this guy can be a popular rapper.

Oh, sorry about repeating myself so much, I know it is very annoying. Why doesn't Mike Jones pick up on that? He is a damn fool. I hope this review helped you.

Mike Jones! WHO? Mike Jones!....this gets kinda boring after a while, doesn't it? In any event, Mike Jones does have flashes of a decent rapper (well, at least in this watered-down era of garbage that we dare call rap) but sadly this album just ends up being a mixture of decent beats, repetitive and mostly meaningless lyrics and just overall blandness. The only reason why I decided to give this 2 stars is because Still Tippin' and Flossin' (Listen to Big Moe "sing" and tell me you don't laugh!). If there are some songs on here that you like, just burn them onto a CD or find them for your IPOD or whatever. Spend your hard earned money and go by a Z-Ro or Scarface CD; they are far more worthy of your time and money.

It is not often that an artist is known for his Sprint PCS cell phone number. But that was before "Mike Jones, who?" Mike Jones, came on the scene. Sometimes you like an artist because of his music and sometimes you like an artist despite his artistic shortcomings. Mike Jones is the latter.

Who Is Mike Jones? (Swishahouse/Asylum) is the long awaited offering from the Swishahouse camp out of Houston that has been creating a buzz from the blogosphere to the New York Times. The rapper with the H-town drawl and a penchant for repeating himself has been carrying the flag of Houston Hip-hop. The sound is not quite Dirty South and certainly not East Coast. It lacks the polish of the Dr Dre L.A. sound but mirrors its materialism and simple lyrics. After creating a grassroots following on the underground for a while and treading the path blazed by Lil Flip and the late DJ Screw, Swishahouse and its patriarch Michael Watts inked a deal with Warner Bros to take the chopped and screwed sound worldwide.

I will be honest with you if you are an East Coast purist or a left field experimentalist this may not be the album for you. However, Dirty South afiricionados and fans of that thugged out Midwest vibe, this is for you. Except for a few standout cuts the production is basic at best and filled with out of tune vocalists on the hook. Mike Jones' subject matter sticks to his new found fame and fortune, past days hustling, wood grain in his whips, princess cut diamonds and endlessly repeating his name and phone number. At times the album feels more like an infomercial than anything else. Much like The Game on The Documentary, the album is about the album. Call it reality show rap. A circular creative process where the album is not so much about love lost or an epic journey, the album is about what Mike had to go through to make this album. I can't recall an artist referring to the album you are listening by name so often. In fact the first words you hear are in order: the title of the album, the title of the next Mike Jones album (The American Dream), Mike Jones' phone number, and the website, www.mikejones.com.

But with all that being said I still like the album because I like Mike Jones himself. His story is of a hard worker who listened to his grandmother and persevered through the titanic trials and tribulations one faces in the US of A. Even the incessant repeating of `Mike Jones' is actually explained, a feat I did not imagine could be done. On `Grandma' Mike reveals it was a suggestion from his number one supporter to be proud of his name and make people remember it. When people were ignoring him and taking him for a joke he released his own mixtapes, put his own phone number and told people to holla at Mike Jones directly if they felt so inclined. He racked up a six figure phone bill in the process. Someone get this man a sponsorship deal.

But someone did beat him to the punch on the sponsorship game. All one has to do is watch BET for a few minutes and see that Mike has taken advantage of the ring tone hustle in a very aggressive and admirable way. As much as you may want to call these cats ignorant based on their content their hustle is digital and is taking advantage of new media in only ways a real hustler could.

Besides "Still Tippin'" which features fellow Swisha House soldier and part time jeweler Paul Wall and the Boss Hog Slim Thug check for the "Cuttin' (remix)" (the yodeling sample is buttery fresh) and "Know What I'm Sayin'" featuring Bun B. I would have not have minded Paul on a few more cuts and I will definitely be on the lookout for his album which I believe is next up for Swishahouse. Slim Thug may be the best lyricist out of the whole crew and his sole verse on "Still Tippin'" a standout.

Although this is the music business I believe what is ultimately being sold are the artist and their message. Over the years they have been less than stellar MC's who have been able to achieve success based on their character and the strength of their message. Nice and Smooth, EPMD, and even Kanye make up for their lyrical shortcomings with their style, musicianship and personality. Put Mike Jones in that category. Whatever happens you certainly will remember his name.

This disasterpiece is by far one of the worst albums of 2005. The only good song on here is "Still Tippin". The rest is just a disaster from start to finish. The songs are stupid, the rapping is awful, the writing is abysmal, lots of gimmicks, and the beats sound like they were created by a 5 year old. Not to mention this idiot talks about his name and phone number in every line. I hope this gimmick rapper a long with other bad dirty south acts such as Paul Wall, D4L, and The Yin Yang Twins will be history by next year.

Not worth the money and definately not worth the time. If you are looking for a good cd, and not just a good single; this definately isn't the disc your looking for. The stand out track is "Still Tippin." Only good because it has some Houston talent in it, Slim Thug. Paul Wall has his moments but his verse definately isn't the best. The only other hit song on this album is "Back Then." I personally can't stand the song, redundance annoys me more than anything. If you don't know his name or phone number, you'll know it after the first 2 minutes of listening to the cd, and you won't stop hearing it. His lyrics are below average. Although he has some catchy lines, he will repeat them until you can't stand to hear them any more. If you hate Mike Jones, go pick up Chamillionaire's "Mixtape Messiah." You will hear nothing but the best lyrics Houston and all the South has from Chamillionaire aka King Koopa. By far the best rapper out of Houston. Mike Jones only the most hyped and most dissapointing rapper know to the industry. Defiantely isn't worth the time you take to listen to the whole album.

Just like the new cable "reality" show that you can't wait to see, Mike Jones is the recipient of excellent marketing. Unfortunately, the content of this album is similar to 80% of those shows - mostly hype.
After te first run-throw of the cd I was less in awe of his lyrical ability than I was with his ability to say his name so many times in one song. At last count he'd reached 9-times on one song. I suppose that takes skill.
Mostly I was left disappointed. If you have to talk about yourself that much, then you definately don't have anything to talk about. I will give him credit for catchy hooks, good production and simple grimy lyrics. There are those that are content with a nice beat and catchy hook....just not me.

The title says it all. 85% of this album is Mike Jones repeating his name or his phone number. If you're not looking to book him for a show, it's completely pointless and boring. Most of the beats are hard, but Mike Jones couldn't spit a decent line if his own life depended on it. It gets so bad that I think he says his name and his phone number simply to meet his 16 bar quota. I understand that this is part of his rhyming "style", but just listen to "Turning Lane". I swear a good 90% of that song is Mike Jones repeating the phrase "turning lane", his name, or his phone number. When it gets that bad, it's not a "style", it's a redundant, annoying, and boring attempt at self promotion. Out of 15 joints, I'd say that 10 are garbage, 3 are decent, and 2 are good. Also, I gotta say that the last two tracks on the album are god-awful and are almost painful to listen to.

There are a few decent tracks on the album. "Still Tippin'" is decent, but BET ran that one into the ground, so it's sort of played out now. "5 Years From Now" is one of the few songs that doesn't have Mike Jones promoting himself and it's actually pretty decent.

I mean, of course, you probably wouldn't pick up a Mike Jones LP in search of lyrical content, but come on. You gotta draw the line somewhere, and I'm drawing my line with this album. From this point forward, every album that he drops will be downloaded and tested out before I even think about spending money on it.

Standout Tracks: 5 Years From Now, Still Tippin', and Back Then