Someday, maybe Mike Jones can be the next Will Smith

The only ordinary thing about Mike Jones is his name.

Thanks to innovative marketing schemes like making his personal phone number public and saying his name as often as possible, the Houston rapper has managed to shoehorn his “Still Tippin’ ” single into heavy rotation nationwide.

Now comes his first album, “Who Is Mike Jones?,” which debuted at No. 3 on this week’s Billboard chart and promises to spread his Texas drawl even further.

Q. Mike Jones is a pretty common name. Has anyone ever confused you with another Michael Jones?

A. There was a rapper saying he was Mike Jones, he went to a radio station and told everybody in New Orleans he was gonna come to their show. They pump it up, he step on stage singing, “Who? Mike Jones.” And (the audience) was like, “That ain’t Mike Jones!” People was throwin’ stuff at him. …

So I had to give out my number so people could call me (about shows) so I can tell them if I’ma be there or not.

Q. Your phone bill must be crazy!

A. I had the crazy cell bill. Now it ain’t nothing but $150 a month. … (T)he phone number blew up so big, I got all different phone companies wanting to sign me to promote their phone.

Q. Now the world knows your cell number along with your first and last name. You might as well just give out your middle name too.

A. Oh, I can’t let the world know that one. See, my mom gave me the Mike Jones and my grandma gave me that middle name. She got it from some (TV) show. I’m like, “Man, I ain’t tellin’ nobody that name.”

My grandma, Elsia Mae Jones, is the main reason I’m doing what I’m doing now. … I listened to everything, I didn’t always agree, but I listened. Now I’m thinking, “Damn, I wish I would’ve blown up sooner to where whatever the illness was I could’ve fixed it.” She just passed almost two years ago. …

I have a tattoo that covers my whole left arm with a picture of my grandma and a picture of my cousin in jail. And I know all the money in the world can’t bring her back.

Q. Sounds like you were a grandmama’s boy.

A. Yeah, I was. I used to always stay home with her. So when I couldn’t go outside she had me sitting there watching those stories, like “One Life to Live,” “Guiding Light,” “Young and the Restless.”

Q. You still watch the stories?

A. I’ve been too busy.

Q. But if you weren’t, would you?

A. Yeah. I mean, I don’t know. I can’t really say. It was something my grandmama used to really watch. Men don’t watch that stuff, but she had the alarm clock up so you could watch every episode.

And now it went from that to (me watching) ‘The Wire,’ which is like a soap opera, and ‘The Pretender.’ It’s all the same thing.

Q. Your grandma would be proud.

A. Out of 10 people, my grandmother was the only one who said I could do (this rap thing). I went against all nine and went with her. And I’m glad I did.

The birthday bunch

Singer Lesley Gore is 59. Country singer Larry Gatlin is 57. Singer Lou Gramm (Foreigner) is 55. Actress Christine Baranski is 53. R&B singer Angela Bofill is 51. Country singer Ty Herndon is 43. Wrestler-actor The Rock is 33. Actress Jenna Von Oy (“Blossom”) is 28. Actress Kay Panabaker (“Summerland”) is 15.