Jim Jones Talks Kanye Vs. Jay-Z On 'Watch The Throne', Upcoming Diplomats Mixtape

In the uber-competitive hip-hop world, it’s rare to see two top-tier rappers link for a full collaborative LP. So when Jay-Z and Kanye West announced their joint project Watch The Throne, fans immediately began questioning which of the MCs would lyrically emerge rocking the crown.

Based on their many previous collaborations—particularly on G.O.O.D. Friday and My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy cuts—Jim Jones predicts ‘Ye will have the edge on Watch The Throne. 

“I ain’t gon’ front, on the last few tracks, Kanye had been getting the best of Jay, and that’s just from a fan’s point of view,” Jones told VIBE on Thursday (Jan. 6). The Harlem rapper has had a long-standing feud with Jay-Z, and recently patched up differences with Kanye West, contributing to the G.O.O.D. Music/Dipset posse cut, “Christmas In Harlem.”

“Jay is one of the nicest niggas to ever do this shit, you can’t take that from him,” Jones adds, “but Kanye is vicious, his wordplay is vicious, his harmony is vicious and then he keep a good beat on top.” 

It was actually prodigy producer Lex Luger who contributed the backdrop for their monstrous first single “H.A.M.,” which hit the Internet early this morning. The track, with it’s rousing build-up and Opera sensibilities, resembles sinister Rick Ross or Young Jeezy trap rap, or even an early 2000s Diplomats head-nodder, leaving many still pondering the album’s overall feel.

“Whatever it is, they both goin’ to be sharp—trust me,” Jones says before hearing “H.A.M.” “It definitely ain’t gon’ be a one-way street. It should be good for music, good for hip-hop, as long as they don’t start rapping about too much strange shit.”

As for Capo and the Dips, the reunited Harlemites are still hard at work on their comeback album, which Jones expects to drop in the spring or summer. In the meantime, the crew is carrying on tradition with some tunes tailor-made for the blogs and bootleggers.

“We’re about to drop a Diplomats mixtape just to get the streets warm,” Jones revealed, adding that the release will feature original records and Dipset remixes of popular records. “You know how we do the mixtapes. Hopefully by February we’ll have that on the streets.” —John Kennedy