According to state police spokesman Lt. J. Paul Vance, the fight started a little after 2 a.m. Saturday in the foyer of the MGM Grand Hotel following a party that was hosted by Sean "Diddy" Combs. A total of five people were charged and one detective was treated for minor injuries at a hospital and released, the spokesman added.
An attorney for hip-hop artist Jim Jones declined to comment on the news. However, the 35-year-old New York-based rapper and actor, also known as Capo, took to Twitter to address the incident. "40k in bonds 1 night had a ball let’s see if I can get that 40 back on the crap table," he tweeted after being released from police custody. Jones added later Saturday, "This is getting blown way out of proportion."
It is yet to be determined how the brawl broke out after the party, which was thrown by Combs as part of a 20th anniversary celebration for Foxwoods. However, multiple sources told TMZ.com that a drunken man started insulting Jim Jones before punching him in the face. The rapper allegedly fought back, prompting the man's friends to join in, and then members of Jones' entourage came to his rescue.
It was not the first time Jim Jones, born Joseph Jones, crossed paths with the law. Previously, the “We Fly High” singer made headlines after he was fined $200 for driving his Bentley with a suspended license in New York.
In 2009, Jim Jones was arrested on a misdemeanor assault charge for punching one of R&B star Ne-Yo's friends at a Louis Vuitton boutique. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to time served – the few hours he was in custody after turning himself in to police.
Jim Jones, who performs as a part of a Harlem-based rap band, boasts a list of hit tracks including “We Fly High” and “Pop Champagne”. His new album, “Capo”, was released in April.
Apart from a successful music career, Jim Jones also has a T-shirt line. He also appeared in a 2009 play called “Hip-Hop Monologues: Inside the Life and Mind of Jim Jones”, which was based on his life on the road. He recently starred with his girlfriend, Chrissy Lampkin, in the latest season of VH1’s “Love and Hip Hop”.
