Mike Jones - Who is Mike Jones?

Genre hip hop Publisher Swishahouse/Asylum/Warner Bros. External Links Official Website Warner Bros. Records

I'm all for self promotion. I'm all for coming up with a brilliant product and letting the Earth know it cannot spin without first digging into its wallet and paying for your slice of brilliance. In fact, I'll be the first to shout at you, "Nick Latus is the best music critic on the planet." Who? Nick Latus. Who? Nick Latus. So, realizing that I can't go everyday without a little bit of me, how can I possibly criticize rapper Mike Jones for using every song on his album Who is Mike Jones? to celebrate being Mike Jones?

Simple, it'd be one thing if he had the beats and guest appearances to back up his name shouting gimmick. But the facts are his beats are not all that compelling and his guest appearances don't significantly add to the album. Other than it being one goddamn verse where Mike Jones isn't letting you know he's, well, Mike Jones. This isn't Kanye backing his car crash storyline with stellar music and getting Ludacris and Jay-Z to show up and drop a verse. This is whining about not getting respect, then getting the much longed after respect, and bitching about what it was like to never have it. The story has been told a thousand times before and it is not improved upon on Who is Mike Jones?

However, he does have "Still Tippin'." A song that is quite honestly, a laid back piece of hip hop brilliance. You'll have a hard time getting through the rest of the album from the constant replaying of this track. I do it just to hear the line, "My chain light up like a lamp, coz now I'm back in the camp." The song is terrific, and unfortunately it's the only stand out moment on the album. Nothing worth putting up with all the "Mike Jones" shouts for.

I thought for a moment that Mike Jones would put all the self loving to the side for "Grandma." But he starts the song with a "Mike Jones" shout before he says of the beloved Granny "The whole family misses you" and how he wishes "he could kiss and hug" her. You can't self promote on a song about your dead grandmother. Can you? Mike Jones will tell you that it's alright. Nick Latus will tell you it's not worth your time.