Mike Jones

Rapper Mike Jones found his niche in the ’00s with songs that repeated his name and cell phone number until neither could be forgotten. • Growing up in Houston, Mike Jones dreamed of being an NBA star. But because he moved around a lot, eligibility rules kept him off high school teams. • After dropping out of school, Jones worked multiple dead-end jobs and sold stolen cell phones. He devoted himself to rap on the urging of his grandmother. • Using the name Sache, Jones rapped on one album by the local group Souf Folk. In 2001, he launched his own indie label, Ice Age Entertainment, and began releasing solo music. • In 2004, Jones signed to Swishahouse, home to Slim Thug, Chamillionaire, and Paul Wall. He took the industry by storm with his 2004 breakout single “Still Tippin’.” • Jones’ 2005 debut album, Who Is Mike Jones?, went platinum in two months and reached #3 on the Billboard 200. • Throughout Who Is Mike Jones, Mike Jones raps his phone number—(281) 330-8004—which he also printed on T-shirts. He claims that at the height of his fame, he’d receive 40,000 calls a day. • The rapper scored his only Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 by guesting on T-Pain’s 2005 smash “I’m N Luv (Wit a Stipper).” • After a two-year hiatus brought on by financial disputes with his label, Jones returned in 2013 with the mixtape Back Ballin’ Underground.