Jim Jones has been around. As part of The Diplomats (Dip-Set), a group that was a major player in the rap world for the last decade, he often played second or third fiddle, rarely getting his time to shine. With his fourth album, Pray IV Reign, being released today, March 25th, Jim Jones has finally garnered the spotlight despite perpetually performing as the side kick.

As part of Dip-Set, Jim Jones was often upstaged by other members-particularly his co-CEO Cam’ron and fellow rapper Juelz Santana. While he had minor hits on his first two albums and in his collaborations with other artists on songs like “Come Home with Me” and “Summer With Miami”, it was his 2007 “We Fly High” on his third album, Hustler’s P.O.M.E. (Product of My Environment), that brought him out of the rap world to a larger audience. Since then, Jones’s star has only risen despite publicized feuds with Cam’ron and Jay-Z. He’s been featured on other songs like David Banner’s “Get Like Me” and Shawty Lo’s “Foolish” (Remix) as well as appearing on many of the hottest remixes of the last few years- “Walk it Out,” “2 Step,” “Party like a Rockstar,” “Get Like Me,” “Arab Money,” “I Love College,” “Bust Your Windows,” “Diva” and “Day n’ Nite” are just a few. He also represented for Manhattan on LL Cool J’s “5 Boroughs.” His prolific rap work aside, Jones has also continued with other works, putting out a documentary on his life and starring in a play he created the Hip Hop Monolgoues.

Jones’s life has definitely been busy as of late and his fourth album already has hit singles showcasing his talent. The infectious hits “Pop Champagne” and “Na NaNaNa Na Na” have already been rising on the charts. And while there’s a lot wrong we can say about the Dipset legacy, there’s a lot going right at this moment for Jim Jones.

Pray IV Reign