Posted by Jim Jones and DJ Drama have both enjoyed something of a renaissance in 2021. Jimmy teamed up with producer Harry Fraud to release the The Fraud Department in February before gracing the stage at Madison Square Garden alongside Cam’ron and Juelz Santana as Dipset faced off against The LOX in an unforgettable Verzuz showdown in August.
Drama, meanwhile, topped the Billboard 200 chart for the first time in his career thanks to Tyler, The Creator’s CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST, which he hosted like it was one of his mid-’00s Gangsta Grillz mixtapes. He also hit the road with Rick Ross, 2 Chainz, Jeezy, Gucci Mane, Lil Kim and more on the star-studded Legendz of the Streetz Tour earlier this year.
Looking to close their respective comeback campaigns strong, Jim Jones and DJ Drama have announced they’re joining forces for a new Gangsta Grillz mixtape called We Set The Trendz, dropping December 17. The project marks the duo’s first collaboration since 2006’s The Seven Day Theory — but Jimmy promises this new tape will sound like anything but a 15-year gap.
“GanstaGrillz [sic] WeSetTheTrendz Dec 17th we dropping @djdrama like it’s 2006 in 2021 #VLrecords @empire,” he wrote on Instagram while posted up in the studio with DJ Drama.
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The Harlem rapper also shared a preview of the mixtape’s title track — a collaboration with Migos — which will arrive on December 10 as a warm-up to the full project. “You see me doing all that work in this past few weeks — this is what we’ve been tucking,” he says in the clip, referencing his recent sightings with the Atlanta trio.
Jim Jones treated fans to a longer snippet of “We Set the Trends” on Instagram last week. “I called Jimmy, kicked it with the billis/We already ran up a milli, so that shit ain’t really interesting/He outta line, he get a penalty/Said he start it, then I’ma finish him,” Takeoff can be heard rapping in his verse.
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The Skull Gang cap has clearly been enjoying the company of Migos outside of the studio, too. Earlier this month, Jim Jones filmed him and Offset partaking in some late-night gambling, if only to prove to their wifeys they’ve been staying out of trouble.
“These n-ggas got me out way past my curfew. We gon’ blame it on Offset tonight,” he joked. “I need the alibi. This is an alibi right here!”
Jim Jones Blames Offset’s Late-Night Gambling For Breaking His ‘Curfew’
We Set The Trends isn’t the only project Jim Jones has on deck. He’s also working on a joint album with fellow New York native Maino as part of their new duo, Lobby Boyz, which they announced in September.
“It’s been a long time in the making,” Maino told HipHopDX. “The process was dope, the music is crazy, and people will be very surprised at how fire this shit is.”