mIKE jONES
The Simple Life Words by Eric N. Perrin
M
ike Jones is a simple man - in all facets of his life. His rhymes are simple, his story is simple, his songs are simple — hell, even his name is simple. Everything about Mike Jones is common, and that is exactly why he has succeeded.
Most people burdened by such a blatant lack of distinction would be cursed with a life of mediocrity, but like a superhero with no inherent special powers (remember the movie Blankman?), Mike Jones was forced to turn his weaknesses into strengths. Last time out, with 2005’s Who Is Mike Jones?, he morphed his weaknesses (plain name, pudgy gut, and forgettable flows) into 2 million albums sold. At the height of his prominence, Mike Jones’ name was everywhere. In fact, the ubiquity of his government moniker was almost nauseating — everyone from little kids, to grandmothers, even police would repeatedly chant: “Who? Mike Joooooones!” as if they were somehow haunted by the Houston rapper’s ghost and hoped that chanting his name would magically protect them from mythical monsters. Mike Jones defied all odds; he proved his critics wrong and reserved a place in the rap record books. But how was he able to pull of such a seemingly 68 // OZONE MAG
I’m certified double platinum, so everything bad that people said about me doesn’t matter. Fuck what everybody else thinks, the people that hate don’t pay my bills anyway, so until you start making the money that I’m making, I’m not finna talk to you no more.
impossible feat? Simple — he’s a fuckin’ genius. Mike Jones has a lot in common with Jessica Simpson and Paris Hilton. Sure, he plays the dumb blonde role, but secretly he is a marketing mastermind, responsible for perhaps the most effective advertising campaign and business strategy in the history of the rap game. Instead of trying to be someone he is not, or taking on a false image, Mike Jones embraced his commonality and exploited his weaknesses. In doing so he was able to parlay his everyday, completely ordinary experiences into The American Dream. Now, he is living anything but the simple life. But the question remains: Is Mike Jones a perennial platinum plaque act, or just a rap gimmick who got rich off of his 15 minutes? A lot of people call you a gimmick rapper. What are your thoughts on that? The people who saying that ain’t making no money. The people who say that - show me where they stay, show me how they live. If they had a chance to do what they call me a gimmick for doing, I guarantee they would’ve done it. To let everybody know, I’m putting the movie out with my album to show everybody that it wasn’t a gimmick. It was something that I got from my grandmother, the name, the number, the “Who,” and all that stuff. If you watch the movie, it shows you how I came from nothing to something, it shows you how