"Who is Mike Jones?" is a question we've all been asking since being formally introduced to him and his laid back flow on the hypnotizing track, Still Tippin. It became even more of a enticing question once we figured out that the phone number that was plastered upon his promotional T-Shirts and referenced throughout his 2005 debut album, Who is Mike Jones?, really in fact worked. All of sudden we found ourselves enraptured with the prospect of possibly speaking to one of the newest and brightest talents out of Houston's Hip Hop scene. And while the majority of the calls sent to his cell phone were either put on hold or went directly to voicemail, Mike Jones proved that you didn't need complex marketing schemes in order to gain popularity, just a true and honest desire to engage with your listeners. However, for the last 3 years Mike Jones, who's literally been in limbo with his former parent label Warner Bros, has been forced to somewhat restart his music career all over again. This isn't to say he's been starving for a pay check. Along with his Ice Age label, Mr. Jones has been sharpening his acting chops by guest appearing on such shows as Fox's Prison Break and the CW's The Game, as well as staring in his own biographical movie, The American Dream. But with the dawn of a new year, Mike Jones is ready to pick up right where he left off with the release of his long awaited second album, Voice Of The Streets (Ice Age/Asylum).

I think one question that people have always wondered is why do you give out your personal cell number? Is it just a marketing scheme or is it more than that to you?

The number was something that my grandma suggested on me doing because a lot of people were booking fake Mike Jones shows. It wasn't really a gimmick or marketing behind, it just turned into it I guess. Mike Jones is my real name and I didn't want to use it at first, but my grandma was just telling me to use it. So when I started using it people started booking fake shows like "Come see Mike Jones over here". So I was at a point to where I was about to lose my fan base and the [creditability] that I had worked so hard to build up. So I was just telling [my grandmother] about it and she just told me do something that nobody else was doing by being personal with the fans by giving my phone number. I was like "I ain't thinking about my phone number". But she was like "Give out something so that if they want ask you something or holla at you they can call you" and it took off from there.

Are still giving out your number?

Well due to politics I had to change it up, but the new number is 281-206-4336.

It seems like you, Paul Wall, Slim Thug and Chamillionaire are all involved in some form of entrepreneurship outside of rap? What's in the water down in Texas that inspires this hustling mentality?

I mean it's just anybody who wants to keep on a move. Like I'm going to start a tour off at the top of the year and I'm getting ready to do a whole lot of other stuff outside of just music. I just want to market and brand a name because Mike Jones does more than just music. 

A couple of years ago the Texas rap scene was reigning supreme over the industry. In recent times it seems that scene has somewhat died down. What do you think is the cause of this and can we expect resurgence of Texas rap in 2009?

Mike Jones: Wow, I mean politics is the reason why it went down. I mean when we took, we took over so strong that they got tired of us running it. So once you take the T.V. away from somebody that's basically making everything die down. In 2009 I'm coming back with the album and I'm going get back to doing what I do. I can't speak for nobody else.

Do you still have connections with Michael Watts and Swishahouse and can we ever expect to hear something from you and your former label mates?

No, not at this time.

Alright, well I know undoubtedly you've heard about the controversial comments Scarface recently made about the music industry and the problems that he feels hurt the music of Hip Hop. Do you have an opinion on about Scarface's comments?

I haven't what Scarface said. What was he talking about?

Basically he just commented on why he feels rap is dead. He also talked about how some people, particularly white people, are partly to blame because they're in control of the majority of the major labels out and sometimes it can be argued they really don't know or understand the body politics of Hip Hop. I just wanted to know whether you thought that his comments held any validity.

From the way you broke it down to me it seems he's basically just saying that it ain't all about the music no more. At first if my record went up against your record we both got a fair shot. But the way that these labels a run now it's [become] so political that even if my record is better than the next man's record, if he's got a major label putting money behind him he's going to win. It ain't all about what the record really is, it all about who the label is going get behind to push. And with that going on it's to a point to where Hip Hop might be going down. It's all about politics now.

In the past three years you've had a number of acting roles including the show Prison Break and your own movie, The American Dream. Did you always want to act and what other roles can we expect to see in you in the future?

Really I did the acting thing so when people say you can't do something you're always going want to make sure that you make out [to be liars]. People said I couldn't sell records and that my first album was going to flop. But we sold 2 million with that album and that was a debut album. And then I came back and they were like "Well just stick to the rapping because this movie thing ain't you". And I was like "Well shit" and then we did the movie thing and took off. I went from there to doing Club Ice Age, I had a club in the city, and it took off real well so I'm about of resurfacing that as well.

So when you were acting, where you going to acting classes?

I had an acting coach who was on the set that helped me out a lot. But for the most part it was all me. I didn't go to a school or nothing like that. I really just got the script and learned it and got an acting coach on set to really just help me out with anything I was trying to do.  

How have you progressed as an artist since your first album, Who is Mike Jones?

Well it's crazy because a lot of the records of my new album Voice Of The Streets, like Drop & Give Me 50, were done in 2006. I came out in 2005 with Who is Mike Jones and then I came out 2006 with Cuddy Buddy, Drop & Give Me 50 and all the records you're hearing now. But I guess the big boys, the major labels, didn't feel I was ready to come out in 2006. The politics kept me to where I couldn't come out till right now. So people love the records that I put out right now, but they don't know that they came out in 2006. It ain't like something happened or changed for Mike Jones; it just was blackballs and politics.

But what do you feel you've learned thus far in the industry?

It ain't how it was when I fell in love with it. When I fell in love with music it was because I felt that as long as I made good music the world was going to give me a chance. But it's not about who makes the best record and if your politic game isn't right, then your record isn't going anywhere. 

Who are some of the featured artists and or producers we can expect to hear on new album, Voice Of The Streets?

I got J.R. Rotem, he's on the new single that's out right now, Jim Johnson, he made Cuddy Buddy, Mannie Fresh, and Mike Dean. Mike Dean made like 4 tracks. He's the same guy that helped produce a lot for Kanye's last album so I he's on my album to.

When you started grinding you were selling CDs out of the trunk of your car. But nowadays the internet has made so almost anybody can come out with music. Do you feel this is a good or bad thing?

Damn, it depends. If they already know who you are it won't worry you. But if you're an artist who isn't known it can hurt you. The game is already saturated so if they don't know you by now then it's going to be hard. That's if you really get the machine and the politics to be in your favor. This thing that we came out with in 2005, I think really in 2006 is when everything started going out of control. Peoples' attention spans ain't where it was back when I came out. People would listen to a record and hold onto it for awhile. But now you can have a record that's out for one month and it's gone. So you got to stay making good music. It might take you forever to make that record, but once it gets put out on the streets it might be good for only a month. It wasn't like that back when we came out.

Biggie once said "Mo Money, More Problems". How has famed changed your life and what aspect of your life do you wish you could have back before you became famous?

Wow, I guess just being normal. Everybody wants you to be normal and tell you, "You ain't no different from us". But when you try to regular you got paparazzi in your face 24/7 snapping picture trying to find a story. So, you'll never be able to be like you were before you came out, because people always looking at you as a target.

How have you learned to deal with that?

I just keep myself away. If you're in the club or even if you are going out just to have a good time there're people who are watching you. You might now have your eyes on them, but they're watching you. So when danger comes to you and you attack to defend yourself you might catch a pistol case or you might get a bad rep by the media. So the best thing to do is just stay away. Unless it's got something to do with Mike Jones I'm chilling.

What, in your opinion, is the most profound lesson that you've learned since getting in the rap game and what bit of advice can you give an up-n-coming artist on how to make it in the industry?

If he doesn't have his politics in order he ain't going anywhere. Whoever he or she is, their politics got to be in order before you walk up in this game. And that's what I did know, so thank God when I came out I had the movement of the streets so when I came out I sold about 2 million, so people know who I am. It's just that on this second go around politics kicked in on me. 

- By Malcolm Nelson