Damon Dash’s protégé Jim Jones is headed for Broadway
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photo by Steed Media Servce |
NEW YORK – Rapper Jim Jones flexed his acting chops on Thursday night during the last performance of this two-night stage play, “Hip Hop Monologues: Inside the Life & Mind of Jim Jones.” The play, which was conceived and written by the Harlem-bred rapper and J Kyle Manzay, told the story of Jones’s rise to fame.
Over the play’s two-night run, celebrities such as Melyssa Ford, Elle McPherson, former Roc-A-Fella exec Kareem “Biggs” Burke, actor Malik Yoba and rapper Juelz Santana came out to show their support. Damon Dash, who also served as the play’s producer, was spotted in the audience on both nights. Hip Hop Summit Action Network co-founder Dr. Benjamin Chavis made a brief appearance in the play while Om’mas Keith, one-third of the eclectic production team Sa-Ra Creative Partners, served as the show’s musical director.
Both funny and serious at times, “Hip Hop Monologues” relied on both dialogue and Jones’s music to tell his rags-to-riches tale of coming-of-age on the streets of Harlem and the pitfalls that often come along with fame. The production served an introduction to tracks from his Columbia Records debut, Pray IV Reign, which is scheduled for a January 2009 release date. He performed songs such as “Pull Me Back,” “How to be a Boss,” “Shawty Wants to be a Lawyer” and “My My My,” which paid homage to late friend and Diplomat affiliate Stack Bundles. Never one to shy away from confrontation, Jones also debuted “Frenemies,” which is rumored to be directed at former friend and Dip Set member Max B, closing out the stage play with a rowdy performance of his current hit single, “Pop Champagne.” –ivory m. jones
Jim Jones poses with his family before going onstage.
J Kyle Manzay, Damon Dash and Juelz Santana
J Kyle Manzay, Jim Jones and Damon Dash
