Music

Jim Jones Once Again Recalls Passing on Signing Drake and J. Cole: ‘I F*cked That Bag Up'

Jones admits he "did bad" after failing to capitalize on opportunities with Drake and J. Cole.

Jim Jones, Drake, and J. Cole are pictured. Jim Jones in a beige jacket, Drake holding a mic, J. Cole performing in a black hoodie.
(Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for Universal Studios), (Photo by Simone Joyner/Getty Images for ABA), (Photo by Andrew Chin/Getty Images)

Key Takeaways

  • Jim Jones admitted he missed major paydays by passing on Drake and J. Cole, saying, “Damn, I fucked that bag up.”
  • Jones said Drake’s Degrassi background and Canadian roots did not fit his vision at the time, despite recognizing that the rapper was “dead nice.”
  • He also recalled rejecting J. Cole after telling him he sounded and looked like Drake, then watching both artists become superstars.

Jim Jones once again recalled missing out on a major payday by failing to capitalize on early opportunities with Drake and J. Cole.

During a recent co-hosting gig on Mornings with Mero on Hot 97, Jones recalled hearing Drake early in his career, but admitted the rapper's Degrassi background and Canadian roots didn't fit what he understood at the time.

"I'm a full-grown Blood outside," Jones said. "I didn't know how to put that together."

Despite saying Drake was "dead nice," Jones passed, only to hear him on a mixtape alongside Lil Wayne the following year.

Jones later recalled encountering J. Cole while signed to Sony, where Cole regularly recorded at his studio.

"You know what I told J. Cole? You sound like Drake, and you look like Drake. I don't know how to do this," Jones recalled telling him.

Looking back at both missed opportunities, Jones said "I did bad. I did bad. Oh, my God," before delivering his final assessment: "Damn, I fucked that bag up."

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