Beanie Sigel

Scarface, Beanie Sigel A Dozen Songs Into Mac & Brad LP

10 May 2012 18:10:57 EDT

'It can be done,' Face tells 'RapFix Live' of getting old pal Jay-Z to guest on collaboration album.
By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway

It all started in 1999 when Beanie Sigel enlisted Scarface to rap on "Mac & Brad," an album cut off of his fiery debut, The Truth. Thirteen years later, rap fans are still eagerly awaiting a Sigel/Face collaboration.

So the longtime friends have decided to give the people an entire album's worth. The Houston rap legend estimates that the album will be out sometime next year, but when he swung through "RapFix Live" this week, he gave an update on the LP and then fumbled around for his iPhone to let the Broad Street Bully tell it himself.

"We doin' songs, I got six, he got six," Scarface said. "It's a process that we go through to do this album."

Face Mob finally found Sigel's number in his address book and called his rap buddy, who picked up on the first ring. "It's a reality now; you know our word is our bond. We said we gonna do somethin', we gonna do it," Beanie said about the Mac & BradLP.

As a duo, Beans and Scarface displayed a tremendous amount of lyrical chemistry, but there were also times that they would throw Jay-Z in the mix. And as a trio, the well-regarded MCs created memorable cuts such as the introspective Hov track "This Can't Be Life" and the Kanye West-produced "Guess Who's Back" from Face's 2002 masterpiece, The Fix.

These days, getting Jay-Z and Kanye on a track today might be bit difficult, especially seeing as how Jigga and Sigel had a falling-out some years ago. But Scarface is hopeful that there's always a chance for old friends to reconcile. "I hope so. I look forward to it," he said. "It's hard to tell, but it's a reality, though. It's real, it can be done, we all alive."

Uncle Face admits that he himself isn't in contact with Jay-Z and Kanye like he once was — not that there's any beef, they just kind of lost touch.

"I used to have everybody's number on speed dial like that," Face explained. "I hit Jay-Z, and Jay-Z pick up on the first ring. Now I might hit Jay-Z and I might not hear from him for two years," he said laughing hysterically at his own joke. "I used to call Kanye, Kanye pick up on the first ring, now Kanye don't even got no phone, that's how much times have changed.

Do you think Jay or Kanye would hop on a Scarface/Beanie album? Tell us in the comments!

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Jay-Z Wasn't Always On Freeway's 'What We Do'

22 Sep 2011 17:42:24 EDT

Hov was only supposed to contribute an ad-lib, but he and Beanie Sigel ended up dropping verses, Free recalls on 'RapFix Live.'
By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway

Freeway has quite a few gems in his catalog, one being the Jay-Z and Beanie Sigel-assisted single "What We Do" from his 2003 debut, Philadelphia Freeway. The trio trade vivid verses filled with sarcastic regret over a Just Blaze-produced soul beat.

While the track remains a fan favorite, Free admitted on Wednesday's "RapFix Live" that he originally planned for the song to be a solo affair. Freeway recalled recording the track at Roc-A-Fella's Bassline Studios in New York City. On any given night, the entire Roc roster would be milling about the studio, and the bearded MC often sought musical advice from his labelmates.

"It was always that family vibe that they said was around. So I can go like, "Cam, how this sound?" Or "Jay, how that sound?" " Free remembered.

While recording "What We Do," Philly Freezer asked Jay to record an ad-lib for the song. On the track, after Free spits the line "When the teeth stop showing, and the stomach start growling, then the heat start blowin'/ If you from the 'hood, I know you feel me," Jay jumps in and adds, "Keep goin'." But after hearing what Free had already laid down, the God MC decided to contribute an entire verse.

"So when I was recording "What We Do," I originally called Jay just to do the "keep goin'." So when he heard it, he sat down on the bench in Bassline and was just vibin' out," Free said before crossing his arms and nodding his head to mimic Jay's writing technique. "He sat there for 10 minutes, then he was like, "I got you. This sh-- crazy, I got you." "

The then-rookie rapper got more than he bargained for, because after Jay offered his verse, Beanie Sigel came in to complete the trifecta. "Beans came in and heard that, and Beans was like, "Oh no, I'm next. I'm getting on that joint," " Free said.

Would "What We Do" be the same without Jay and Beans? Let us know in the comments below!

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Meek Mill 'Ima Boss' Video Fulfills Boyhood 'Dream'

02 Sep 2011 15:38:04 EDT

'As a young boy ... you had dreams of shooting a big video in your 'hood,' Philly MC tells MTV News of gritty clip.
By Rob Markman

It has been a breakout year for Meek Mill, and in his video for "Ima Boss," the Rick Ross protégé wanted to celebrate all things Philly.

"It felt good, man. That's what I always had dreams to do," Mill told MTV News about making a clip in his hometown. "As a young boy, you wanted to be a rapper, you had dreams of shooting a big video in your 'hood, everybody showing you love. It went exactly as planned."

Before Meek, rappers like State Property's Beanie Sigel, Freeway and Young Chris were the premier torchbearers for the city, and together they all appear in "Ima Boss."

"You know, they just came through and rocked out with me," Meek said of the cameos. "If they had a video, I'd come through and rock out; they wouldn't even have to call me. It's all love, it's all Philly at the end of the day," the Philadelphia MC added. "They opened the doors for me and I'm tryna open the doors for other people, so it's like we all work together to do the same thing at the end of the day."

The Benny Boom-directed video has no real bells and whistles, just a distinct street feel that has been absent in many of today's rap videos. Throughout much of the video, Meek Milli and his crew can be seen riding motorbikes through the streets, a visual that is reminiscent of DMX's 1998 "Ruff Ryders Anthem" clip. It is no coincidence.

"I used to always love those videos and I used to always run in the house and try to catch those videos coming on," the Maybach Music MC says of the old Ruff Ryders visuals. "The Eve videos, when Eve was sitting on the handlebars of the four-wheeler, I used to do that in the street just 'cause of the video."

Even the hefty Ross can be seen riding the streets of Philly on a four-wheeler. "He was with it, I was kind of skeptical about it," Meek said. "He was like, 'Whoa, let's ride through the 'hood!' I was like, 'You sure that's what you wanna do? This the jungle out here,' but he was with it. Ross is always like that when it comes to Philly." Like a Bawse!

What do you think of Meek's "Ima Boss" video? Tell us in the comments!

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Beanie Sigel Pleads Guilty To Tax Charges

10 Aug 2011 16:36:25 EDT

Jay-Z's former protégé is facing up to three years in prison.
By Rob Markman

Things aren't looking too good for Beanie Sigel. The MC's lawyer Fortunato Perri Jr. confirmed to MTV News on Wednesday (August 10) that the former Jay-Z rap protégé is now facing up to three years in prison after he admitted in federal court on Tuesday that he didn't file or pay taxes between 2003 and 2005.

U.S. prosecutors estimate that the rapper owes approximately $350,000 on $1 million of unreported income; Beans subsequently pleaded guilty to three counts of failure to file his federal income tax returns. Beans will be sentenced on November 18, when he could get as much as three years' prison time.

His attorney, however, doesn't believe that the government's calculations are entirely accurate. "We intend to raise issues at the sentencing hearing which we believe will change those loss figures," Perri Jr. told MTV News. "We're going to ask the court to review our issues that we raised and our calculations, and it's our hope that those numbers will be successfully challenged at the time of the sentencing hearing."

If the court does recognize the defense's new calculations, it could impact the judge's decision during sentencing for Sigel. There's even a likelihood that he wouldn't have to do the statutory three-year maximum on the charges.

Sigel, who broke out with his 1999 album, The Truth, saw moderate success while signed to Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Records, but his career eventually dipped after he was sentenced to a year and a day in prison in October 2004 on weapons charges. Sigel would go on to release a total of four solo albums and become the head of State Property, a rap group and record label that he launched himself and that also spawned a clothing line and two films.

The Broad Street Bully appeared on "RapFix Live" last month and told MTV's Sway that though he seemed to have amassed a lot of wealth during his Roc-A-Fella days, he didn't get everything he felt he was owed.

"From the outside looking in, it's like, 'Yo he's getting it,' " Sigel said before breaking down the financial splits between him and his business partners at Roc-A-Fella. "The clothing line, it was my idea — the State Property line, I only owned 20 percent of that. It was my idea, I brought that to the table. I brought the movie scripts which led up to all those movies, [with] us that played in it — people don't know we only got SAG wages. We ain't get no money from that."

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Beanie Sigel Cried At State Property Reunion Concert

07 Jul 2011 13:45:02 EDT

'I would cry for a minute, I was dancing, I was happy,' Sigel says on 'RapFix Live' of last weekend's show.
By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway

As far as rap crews go, Philadelphia's State Property were emerging as one of hip-hop's most promising collectives until they were torn apart by business tiffs and legal drama.

Signed to Roc-A-Fella Records, State Property and group leader Beanie Sigel lost steam after label co-CEOs Jay-Z and Damon Dash parted ways and Beans went on to serve a 10-month stint in prison that ended in 2005. But this past weekend, SP reunited onstage in Atlantic City, New Jersey, a show that Beanie said brought tears to his eyes.

"The whole State Property was there, everybody: Chris, Neef, Oschino, Sparks, Freeway, Peedi Crack and me, all seven of us. That was love," Sigel said during his visit to "RapFix Live" on Wednesday. "They all went out and I came out last. I was in the back. I didn't know how to feel. I would cry for a minute, I was dancing, I was happy and then it was like, 'My boys, man.' "

Sigel told Sway that the SP reunion is now in full swing and, in addition to music, he's working on a movie script for "State Property 3." The first two "State Property" films were theatrical releases that became cult favorites and helped the group cement its brand in the mid-2000s. "I'm working on a script, 'State Property 3,' it's about time," Beans revealed before touching on the group's musical plans. "When we got together, we had our meeting, our initial conversation about doing what we thought was necessary for us and for music, for everybody's careers as State Property the group and solo careers."

As Sigel sees it, State Property would function as a collective, with each individual act pulling double duty as solo artists. To make his point, Beanie singled out Young Chris, who recently signed a deal with producer/songwriter Rico Love's Division 1 label. "Everybody can do their own individual thing that they doing. Like Chris doing his thing with Division 1, he got a lot of good music that's about to come through.

"We make beautiful music together, all of us State Property," Beans added. "We can stay out on our own and we can do us."

Are you looking forward to new music from State Property? Tell us in the comments!

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Beanie Sigel 'Didn't Apologize' To Jay-Z

06 Jul 2011 22:59:20 EDT

Philly MC concedes Hov 'gave me an opportunity,' but said press mistook his gratitude as an apology for dis tracks lobbed at Jay.
By Alvin Blanco, with reporting by Sway Calloway

Despite the lyrical vitriol Beanie Sigel shot Jay-Z's way beginning in 2009, the Philadelphia MC is still grateful for the opportunity the rapper-turned-mogul gave him when he was just a budding Roc-A-Fella Records artist. However, during Beans' visit to MTV News' "RapFix Live" on Wednesday (July 6), he stopped short of saying he had apologized for his sharp words.

XXLMag.com previously reported that the "The Truth" rapper expressed contrition after his Hov comments. But Beans, without specifically naming the outlet, said he felt the interview focused more on the controversy than his current projects, so much so that he still hasn't bothered to read it.

"I had a interview with somebody and we were supposed to talk about the music and what I was doing with myself and my music and my plans for the future, and what me and you have been sitting here on this couch conversating about kept coming up," Beanie told host Sway. "I didn't want to talk about that stuff no more. So if anybody read the article or the interview — I never even read it after I did the interview with [the reporter]."

Sitting on the "RapFix Live" couch, Beans and Sway talked extensively about the rapper's feelings on the demise of Roc-A-Fella, specifically, his falling out with its co-founders Jay-Z and Damon Dash. Beans alleges he never got a phone call from Dash or Jay saying that the Roc-A-Fella he knew was no more, and that left a sour taste in his mouth. And though Beans acknowledged that during his run with the label, most everything was all good, he just refuses to gloss over the bad.

"I'll reiterate today and tell you everything that we discussed and talked about out of all that was going on and the feelings that I might have had, whether they were good or bad, whether I was truthfully in my speech or wrong in my speech," Beans said. "What we did together and what Jay did for me ... he gave me something a lot of people don't get in this music business for a life period. He gave me an opportunity. ... We've been around the world together, people knew who I was, they embraced me, they wanted to wear the clothes we wore."

Despite Beanie's grievances with Hov, the fiercely loyal Philly spitter admitted he owes the man his career. And Jay-Z has been steadfast in saying he always supported Beans the best he could. But Jay probably shouldn't hold his breath waiting for an official apology.

"At the end of the day, yo, all that don't matter," Beans said. "That opportunity supersedes my personal feelings. And he gave me that [opportunity]. You can't deny he gave me that. So at the end of the day it's about just growth and everything. It wasn't no formal apology. I didn't apologize. People took it that way. But it is what it is. At the end of the day, like I said, he gave me an opportunity."

What do you think of Beanie and Jay's past conflict? Tell us in the comments.

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Beanie Sigel Says Jay-Z Wouldn't Let Him Out Of Record Deal

06 Jul 2011 21:22:11 EDT

With an offer from 50 Cent on the table, Beans tells 'Rap Fix Live' his old pal and onetime boss said, 'I can't let you go.'
By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway

Beanie Sigel put his entire career in retrospect on Wednesday's (July 6) "RapFix Live." Once an intergal part of Jay-Z and Damon Dash's Roc-A-Fella Records, Beanie Sigel — like most of the label's roster — was suddenly on the outside looking in once the label split.

Not only was Beans left in limbo, the Philadelphia MC was in the midst of legal troubles at the time. Upon his release from prison in 2005, Sigel secured a deal with 50 Cent's G-Unit Records. And according to Beans, all he needed was a release from his Def Jam contract from Jay-Z, who happened to be the label president at that time.

"When I first got out of jail, I had a meeting, a situation that was already lined up and set up where I could've had [a deal] over there," Sigel said of an agreement 50 Cent put on the table for him. "He wanted to give me a label, a whole label deal ... and a whole lot of money too."

Feeling what he described as a sense of loyalty, Sigel went to meet first with Jay, who hadn't communicated with the rapper during the year he was locked up. "Coming where I came out from, that situation with Roc-A-Fella, I was like, 'Let me go holla at my man and see what he got for me before I jump over there.' "

Sigel said he was hoping that Jay would release him from his Def Jam contract in a move that would free the State Property rapper up to do business with 50. Sigel admitted, however, that while he told Jay he had a pending offer, he didn't reveal to Jay that it was from G-Unit.

"I told him I had to roll. 'If you can't make that situation happen for me, I gotta leave. I gotta go,' " he recalled telling Jay. "I asked him to just let me go — from Def Jam, not from Roc-A-Fella — because he was the president of Def Jam. 'I want to leave Def Jam, I'm out. You're the president, you can push that button. Let me get my release papers.' "

But Hov didn't fulfill his old running mate's request. "I went to Jay like, 'Let me get this [record deal] situation,' and he was like, 'I can't let you go.' He was like, 'No.' He was like, 'Nah, let me see what I could do.' That 'see what I could do' turned into another two years."

In the end, Sigel never signed with G-Unit, and by 2009, Beans was launching dis rhymes at Jay after hearing what he interpreted as a subliminal attack against him on Jay's The Blueprint III album. Despite all that has gone down, Beans reiterated on "RapFix Live" that he was appreciative of the opportunities Jay-Z and Dame Dash had given him while signed to Roc-A-Fella.

What do you think of Beanie's past conflicts with Jay? Tell us in the comments.

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Beanie Sigel To Set The Record Straight On 'RapFix Live'

01 Jul 2011 15:21:13 EDT

Philly MC will talk about his Jay-Z drama and his future moves next Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET on MTV.com.
By Rob Markman

Some call him the Truth, others call him the Reason, but most just call him Beanie Sigel. And next Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET, we'll call the former Roc-A-Fella rapper our guest when he joins Sway on "RapFix Live."

There will be much to talk about with the Philadelphia MC as we will address his relationship with Jay-Z, the brash comments he's made about Hov and the apology he supposedly issued to Jigga at the top of June.

Last week, during a radio appearance on Sirius XM, the Broad Street Bully denied that he ever apologized to Jay-Z and charged that his quotes were taken out of context by XXL magazine, the outlet that first broke the news of Beans' supposed olive branch. He did, however, acknowledge that it was Jay-Z who gave him his start in hip-hop, and for that he expressed his gratitude.

Sigel rose to rap prominence after he was signed to Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Records, where he released his debut album, The Truth, in 1999. Respected equally for his rap bars as well as his street bravado, the MC has seen his career tainted by legal trouble. In 2004, Beans was sentenced to a year and a day in prison after he pled guilty to federal weapon charges. It was around this time that Roc-A-Fella co-founders Jay-Z and Damon Dash split, leaving the company fractured and forcing artists on their roster to choose sides. Sigel managed to release 2005's The B. Coming on Dash's DDMG label and then his 2007 follow-up, The Solution, on Roc-A-Fella Records two years later. Still, the relationship between him and Jay has since been damaged.

In 2009, Sigel addressed the drama and threw shots at Jay-Z on several songs, including "What You Talkin Bout," a track he released in October of that year.

Now, Sigel aims to set the record straight on the next episode of "RapFix Live."

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Game Talks Beanie Sigel Verse, Insists He Didn't Dis Drake

02 Jul 2010 06:50:56 EDT

'Beans, he sounds hungry, like he ain't have his hair braided in six years,' he tells Mixtape Daily of R.E.D. Album track.
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The O.D.: A Mixtape Daily Exclusive
For the most part, you will never get an MC to admit that he did a song with another spitter, and that spitter's rhymes were so ferocious he had to go back to the drawing board to pen another verse. But Game doesn't care. His pedigree as a lyricist is well-documented, so when he spoke to about a posse cut on his August 24 LP The R.E.D. Album, he had no problem giving major props to one of his co-stars.

"Me, Rick Ross and Beanie Sigel on a track called 'Heavy Artillery,' " Compton's lyrical barbarian revealed. "I'm definitely a fan of Beans. I did my verse first, sent it to them. Ross came back, and I was still comfortable with my verse. Beans came back — rewrite! [I had to] rewrite [my verse]. Sent [the track] back to Ross. Ross heard Beans: rewrite. Now we got what we need. Now everybody is on the same playing field. Beans, he sounds like he's hungry, like he ain't have his hair braided in six years and he ain't ate in 10."

Last week, Game invited another of his peers — another MC known to be formidable in the booth — to appear on his LP. None other than Drake turns up on a Cool & Dre-produced record called "Good Girl, Bad Girl." Queen Latifah also dropped by the lab to show love. Game also gives the 23-year-old Canadian an abstract elsewhere on the album.

"'While you mutha----as waiting on Toronto/ I'm in the hood with Poncho/ Stackin' Rajon Rondo," Game said, reciting a line from a yet-untitled song off R.E.D.

Game insisted it wasn't a jab at Drake ("Ain't no disses on the album"), but also said it's not his fault if people take it as one.

"You could [interpret any way]. But it's your music. You buy it," he rationalized. "You take what you want from it. I can't be there to sanction and tell everybody, 'You shouldn't take it that way.' You take it how you want to."

For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines or follow the Mixtape Daily team on Twitter: @shaheemreid and @mongosladenyc.

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