In May 2017, I celebrated Mother’s Day on Scoop B Radio with a true Harlem icon: Nancy “Mama” Jones. While we covered her legendary run on Love & Hip Hop and her role as the backbone of the Jones family, we couldn’t ignore one of the most bizarre headlines of the previous year—Kanye West allegedly using “Jim Jones” as an alias when he was hospitalized in late 2016.
Reflecting on that dialogue today, Mama Jones’ response was exactly what you’d expect from the woman who raised the Capo: a perfect blend of wit, “common sense,” and a “buttoned-up” defensive instinct for her son.
The “Worst Catfish Ever” Rebuttal
The story broke in November 2016 when reports surfaced that Kanye had checked into a Los Angeles hospital under the name of the Dipset leader. While Jim himself famously called it the “worst catfish ever” and joked about charging Kanye a “sucker fee,” Mama Jones had a different, more practical take during our session.
“I knew it wasn’t Jim because I was here with my son,” Mama Jones told me. “Me and my son were together that day, so I knew it wasn’t him. I think I was supposed to take the dog back to him that day because I’m the grandma to my grand-dogs.”
In 2025, that “grandmother to the grand-dogs” energy remains a fan favorite. Mama Jones didn’t get caught up in the celebrity gossip; she was focused on the reality of her day-to-day life with her family.
The Alias Trade-Off: “Go Be Kanye West”
Mama Jones didn’t just laugh it off; she gave Jim some “Mama Jones wisdom” on how to handle the situation. If Kanye was going to use Jim’s name, she figured Jim might as well return the favor.
“We had laughed about it. And I said: ‘Well now you need to go around and say you’re Kanye West and see what kind of perks you can get from it, if ya’ll want to switch names you might as well go right ahead.’ ”
Looking back from 2025, that advice was prophetic. Jim Jones has since built a massive independent brand, venturing into fitness, technology, and fashion—moving with the kind of mogul-level autonomy that his mother always championed.
The Backbone of Harlem
Beyond the Kanye drama, our 2017 session was a tribute to Nancy Jones’ resilience. She spoke about her “common sense” degree and her ability to navigate the wild world of reality TV without losing herself.
“I don’t consider myself a reality star, but that’s what my daughters say. It’s kind of hard because I still go out a lot of times by myself and my son gets very upset.”
As we move through 2025, Mama Jones remains a pillar of the community, recently launching her own gummies and even serving as a “social media judge.” Her 2017 appearance on Scoop B Radio wasn’t just about a Kanye West headline; it was about the strength of a mother who knows exactly where her son is—and isn’t—at all times.
2025 Retrospective: The Jones Family Blueprint
The relationship between Jim and Nancy Jones is one of the most authentic parent-child dynamics in hip-hop history. Their ability to turn a strange national headline into a family joke is a testament to the “Harlem grit” we discussed.
| Year | The “Jim Jones” Headline | The Mama Jones Verdict |
| 2016 | Kanye West uses “Jim Jones” alias | “I’m with my son and the grand-dogs.” |
| 2017 | Scoop B Radio Interview | “Go use his name and get some perks.” |
| 2025 | The Jones Brand Expansion | “The common sense degree never fails.” |
As Mama Jones said:
“You need to go around and say you’re Kanye West.”
In the end, Kanye stayed Kanye, and Jim stayed Jim, but Mama Jones stayed the undisputed Queen of the family.
