If you're not from Houston, then you probably never heard of Mike Jones before last year's hit single, "Still Tippin.'"
But is Mike Jones just another overconfident rapper with no experience or skill to back it up? Well, he has a lot of fans. He claims that he gets over 20,000 phone calls a day to his personal cell phone. So who is Mike Jones?
For starters, the Houston rapper is the latest mix tape phenomenon to get a major record deal. Mike Jones started producing his own records on his Ice Age label before signing on at Swisha House Records. The move was a wise career choice. Swisha is a Houston record company with a lot of local talent that is primed to blow up by following the sure-fire model laid down by Master P. at No Limit, Baby and Mannie Fresh at CashMoney and Trick Daddy at Slip n' Slide Records.
Like those before him, the secret to Mike Jones' success is creating a niche for his music, and Jones is bent on branding himself. He drops his own name over every track on his debut album, "Who is Mike Jones?" and the intro track is already promoting the next album.
Jones is a strong believer in the advertising concept of learning through repetition. Along with his name, he recites his phone
number (281-330-8004) ad nauseam throughout "Who is Mike Jones?"
Mini-hooks are also a signature feature of the Mike Jones sound. If he spits a hot line, he'll be sure to repeat it four or five times before letting the song progress. This sound has mainstream potential.
The first single off the album, "Still Tippin'," has reached street anthem status at radio stations across the country. It's a good example of what 'screw' music is: rap music recorded at normal speed but played back at a slower rate. The backing vocals become deeper and richer, and the slowed beats have a hypnotizing quality.
"Still Tippin'" is a hot track, a sign of screw's potential. Houston rapper Slim Thug has a great featured performance on the hook as well as a guest verse. There's nothing on this album, however, that reaches the level of the first single. What's the problem? Mike Jones himself.
There is no special quality to Jones' voice: it's not likeable. In fact, Jones' voice is grating and quickly grows annoying; the sound is only pleasing when his vocals are screwed up. Jones' music is appealing because his personal style lends itself so well to the chopped-and-screwed style of music that is gaining much popularity in the South.
That is not to say, however, that there aren't some moderately good songs on the album. "Scandalous Hoes" has a more conventional beat underlined by smooth flutes. These flutes, along with the song's R&B-style hook, get imported to a couple of other tracks and they are effective in bringing some continuity to the album.
Jones employed Texas producers to do work on his album, and their experimental style can be over the top. But sometimes this innovation can create interesting rhythms. For instance, the beat on "Cuttin'" includes yodeling in the background; it's different and kind of hot.
The beats, verses and hooks all have such a repetitive quality that, not surprisingly, "Who is Mike Jones?" is catchy at first. But the novelty is quickly lost.
It's sad, considering Jones does have some skill. His verses on "Cuttin'" and "Grandma" show that he has a nice flow when he works on it, so he doesn't necessarily have to rely on heavy beats and in-your-face hooks. But that is Jones' signature style, and that's what made him money. Understandably, he's reluctant to change.
Ultimately, Mike Jones' gimmicks grow tired and old. Mike, if people are listening to your music, then they probably already know your name - stop saying it. If they actually bought your "Who is Mike Jones?" album, don't tell them to look out for your "Who is Mike Jones?" album on the third track. And they already memorized your number.
And would it really matter if they didn't? The number has been disconnected anyway.
