Mike Jones plays hits, runs

Mike Jones spends a lot of time promoting himself, but the Houston rapper made a point of sharing the stage with some of his musical friends during his performance Wednesday at the Vault 350 in Long Beach. Crunk Atlanta rap trio Trillville, Long Beach rap crooner Nate Dogg and more than a dozen others joined Jones on stage during his surprisingly short yet energetic 25-minute set.

On many of Jones’ songs he asks, “Who is Mike Jones?”, which is also the name of the debut album that has spawned such hits as “Still Tippin’ ” and “Back Then.”

Thanks to the incessant use of his name in his raps, that moniker has become a catchphrase of sorts within the rap community, and at times Wednesday it seemed as though Jones was performing in front of the most zealous members of his fan club. The packed audience seemed as eager to scream “Mike Jones” as it was to rap along on the lyrics to such songs as “Turning Lane.”

As Jones was winding down, Trillville took over and performed an energetic, unannounced 10-minute set highlighted by their hits, “Neva Eva” and “Some Cut.”

Even with this bonus performance, the concert seemed abbreviated, leaving a feeling of disappointment. “Where is Mike Jones?” could have been the mantra as the fans filtered out.

Opening act Chino XL delivered an impressive 20-minute set that highlighted his superior lyricism, accented by sly similes and metaphors. The Los Angeles-based rapper focused on songs from “Back 2 Basics,” the King Tech and Sway compilation that is one of the year’s best rap CDs.