Beanie Sigel | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Dwight Equan Grant |
Also known as | Beans, Mack |
Born | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | March 6, 1974
Genres | East Coast hip hop |
Occupations |
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Discography | Beanie Sigel discography |
Years active | 1994–present |
Labels | |
Member of |
Dwight Equan Grant (born March 6, 1974), better known by his stage name Beanie Sigel, is an American rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is best known for his association with Jay-Z and his label Roc-A-Fella Records, to which Grant signed in 1998 and became a flagship artist. [1] His debut studio album, The Truth (2000) was met with critical and commercial success, peaking at number five on the Billboard 200. Along with his solo career, Grant was the de facto leader of the Philadelphia-based hip hop collective State Property, which he formed with Roc-A-Fella labelmates, and who debuted in 2002 with a namesake film in which Grant starred. The group released two well-received studio albums. [2]
Grant's second and third albums, The Reason (2001) and The B. Coming (2005) both peaked within the top five of the Billboard 200, while the latter spawned the single "Feel It in the Air" and marked a brief departure from Roc-A-Fella. [3] [4] [5] Following his return to the label, his fourth album, The Solution (2007) was met with continued praise despite a commercial decline, and served as his final release with Roc-A-Fella. [6] He then released his fifth and sixth albums, The Broad Street Bully (2009) and This Time (2012) independently, both of which saw regional success and continued positive reception.
Grant has also been known for his numerous legal issues and publicized court trials since 2002. As of 2024, he has been arrested at least six times, serving roughly four years in federal or state prison. [7] [8]
Roc-A-Fella Records released Beanie Sigel's debut album, The Truth on February 29, 2000, to critical and commercial success.
In 2002, Sigel and much of the Roc-A-Fella roster starred in State Property . Its release coincided with the creation and promotion of State Property, a group of Philadelphia artists signed to Roc-A-Fella, who were organized by Sigel and Freeway. Its members included Peedi Crakk, the Young Gunz (Neef Buck & Young Chris), Oschino and Omillio Sparks. Their first collaboration was for the movie's soundtrack, an eponymous release that featured the original "Roc the Mic" by Sigel and Freeway. 2003's The Chain Gang Vol. 2 followed, featuring the single "Can't Stop, Won't Stop" by the Young Gunz. The record was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. [9]
In 2005, before serving a one-year prison sentence stemming from an earlier arrest, Sigel shot multiple videos, directed by Joe Briscella, and finished his third album The B. Coming . During this time, Sigel's label head at Roc-A-Fella, Jay-Z, became president of its parent label, Def Jam, which caused former business partners Damon Dash and Kareem "Biggs" Burke to leave and form the Dame Dash Music Group. Dame Dash Music Group and Def Jam released Sigel's The B. Coming rather than Roc-A-Fella, but it still contained production from a slew of Roc/Jay Z-affiliated producers including Chad West, The Neptunes, Just Blaze, Boola, and Buckwild. Sigel recruited cross–label MC talent for his album as well, including Cam'ron and Jay-Z. Sigel's record produced a hit track, "Feel It in the Air", and sold 131,000 copies in its first week. [10]
Advertising his friendship with the incarcerated Sigel, Dash publicly claimed that he was leaving the Roc-A-Fella roster to join him. Sigel's group, State Property was thrown into turmoil, but eventually chose to remain at Roc-A-Fella—apparently against Sigel's wishes. On his release, Sigel questioned the loyalty of his group and said that he was signing with Dame and Biggs due to a stronger relationship with the pair than with Jay-Z:
I've never been around Jay on an off day. It ain't like I made a choice of running with Dame and Biggs or 'Dame and Biggs held me down through my whole trial.' It's not that. I would be a sucker if I said I [signed with the Damon Dash Music Group] because they did that for me. It's love. You see how we chillin' now, this ain't about no business. [11]
Soon after, he clarified his comments, saying he simply did not want to be involved in the conflict, and elected to re-open talks with Roc-A-Fella instead of moving to Dame Dash Music Group. [11]
In 2006, Sigel re-signed with Roc-A-Fella Records and started recording for his fourth studio album The Solution . [12] On October 29, 2007, Sigel released the first single from The Solution titled "All The Above" which featured R. Kelly. It debuted on the U.S. R&B charts at number 83. On May 22, 2007, Sigel released The Solution which debuted on the Billboard charts at number 37.
In 2009, Sigel released his first independent album The Broad Street Bully after his contracts with Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Records had expired.
In 2010, Sigel announced that he was working on his sixth studio album titled The Closure which was to be released on Universal Republic and G-Unit Records. [13] However, on May 31, 2011, Sigel cancelled the album and retired from the music industry for two weeks, before deciding to return and work on the album again, re-titling it The Classic. In 2011, Sigel signed with 50 Cent's subsidiary label G-Unit Philly and renewed his 2009 contract with G-Unit Records. [14] On July 13, 2011, Sigel released his first single from the album titled "B-Boy Stance". [15] On March 30, 2012, Sigel told Statik Selektah on Shade 45 that he would be working on a collaborative album with his longtime close friend, the Southern rap veteran Scarface; the album was to be called Mac and Brad. Scarface tweeted the announcement at the same time via mobile. On that same day, while distribution deals with E1, The Orchard, and Asylum were on the table, Sigel also decided to sign a distribution deal with EMI after one of his mutual friends garnered the interest of Chris Schwartz. Under Schwartz's guidance, Sigel released a new mixtape, followed by his studio album This Time . [16] [17]
Sigel first appeared in the documentary Backstage, and his first main acting role was in the movie State Property which spawned a sequel State Property 2 . He also appeared along with Kevin Hart in the 2002 film Paper Soldiers . Sigel released a DVD titled The B. Coming of Beanie Sigel in 2005, shortly after his third solo album release The B. Coming. [18]
In 2006, Sigel was interviewed in the Rap Sheet: Hip-Hop and the Cops documentary, which exposed rappers to the dossiers maintained by NYPD as part of their effort to surveil hip-hop artists and executives. [19] He also auditioned for the lead role in the 2009 film Notorious . [20]
Sigel appeared in the 2011 film Rhyme and Punishment, a documentary about hip-hop artists who have served time in county jail or state/federal prison. The film features an interview with Sigel in which he discusses his conviction and life while incarcerated.
Sigel recorded a song dissing his former boss and mentor Jay-Z on the track "I Go Off" with 50 Cent who had signed him to his G-Unit Records label in 2009. [21] On May 31, 2011, it was reported that Sigel had apologized to Jay-Z. However, in an interview with DJ Green Lantern, he said that he had never "apologized" to Jay-Z, and that he was still making music. [22]
In 2015, Sigel and Jay-Z reunited at the Tidal B-Sides Concert and performed together, ending the feud. [23]
During the beginning of the new millennium, Sigel and various other Roc artists engaged in a conflict with artists from the Ruff Ryders. [24] Sigel publicly decried Jadakiss, the rest of The LOX and DMX. Although Sigel and Jadakiss both denied any violent intent, they continued to exchange criticism until Sigel put out a freestyle rap over Jadakiss' hit "Put Ya Hands Up". [25]
On September 26, 2016, Sigel and Meek Mill, a former friend and neighbor, got into an altercation when Sigel ridiculed Mill's intelligence and claimed to be "the ruler of all of Philly" during a radio interview. [26] Minutes after the interview, someone who was believed to have been one of Meek Mill's affiliates, punched Sigel on the back of his head. [27] Three days later, Mill criticized Sigel via Instagram. [28] He also dissed Sigel again in a freestyle on Funkmaster Flex's radio show. [29] Sigel responded by releasing his own diss track titled "I'm Coming". [30]
Grant is a Sunni Muslim. [31]
In November 2021, rapper and former Roc-A-Fella cohort Kanye West gave Grant credit for originating his now-trademark nickname "Yeezy". Grant attested to this during a subsequent interview with TMZ. In his interview, West also suggested he owes Grant monetary compensation, to which Grant declined. [32]
In October 2023, Grant formally endorsed the independent 2024 presidential campaign of environmental lawyer Robert F. Kennedy Jr., deeming him to be "honest". [33]
In 2002, Sigel was arrested and charged with a federal weapons charge in West Philadelphia. He would later serve a year in federal prison. [7]
Sigel was arrested in January 2003 after allegedly punching a 53-year-old man in the face, fracturing his eye socket. [34] On July 3, 2003, Sigel turned himself in to Philadelphia police and was charged with attempted murder after allegedly firing six shots from a 9 mm handgun at a club door, injuring two people. He was also charged with aggravated assault, simple assault and possession of a criminal instrument. His first trial ended in a hung jury. A second trial resulted in a not-guilty verdict. [8]
In 2004, Sigel was convicted of federal weapons charges and sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison. [35]
Sigel was shot multiple times during a robbery in Philadelphia on May 25, 2006. He was able to flee the scene and drive himself to a local hospital. One month prior to this incident, Sigel was released from prison after serving a brief stint for child support charges. [36]
On August 15, 2009, Sigel was arrested on a drug possession charge while traveling to a concert in New Jersey. He was found in possession of nearly 50 grams (1.8 oz) of marijuana in his vehicle. [37]
Sigel was charged in 2010 with three counts of failing to file tax returns on income of over $1 million between 2003 and 2005. He pled guilty to the charges and was sentenced to 25 months in prison. [38]
On August 29, 2012, two weeks before reporting to prison, Sigel was arrested again in Philadelphia on drug, weapons, and conspiracy charges after being pulled over by police. Officers found a fully loaded .38-caliber Smith & Wesson handgun inside the vehicle, as well as $4,500 in cash, an unlabeled bottle of codeine cough syrup, and various pills. [39] Sigel began his 24-month sentence for failing to file tax returns at the Federal Detention Center, Philadelphia on September 12, 2012. Additionally, he was sentenced six to 23 months in county jail for illegal possession of prescription drugs, to be served concurrently with his federal sentence. [40] [41]
On August 14, 2014, Sigel was released from Federal Correctional Institution, Schuylkill and was reported to be serving out the rest of his sentence in a halfway house in Philadelphia. [42] Sigel was wounded in a drive-by shooting outside his Pleasantville, New Jersey home on December 5, 2014. [43] [44] He was rushed to the hospital where he had a lung removed due to complications during surgery. According to police, Sigel was not the intended victim. [45] [46] [47]
Studio albums
Collaborative album
LaRon Louis James Sr, better known by his stage name Juelz Santana, is an American rapper and member of East Coast hip hop group, the Diplomats. He is best known for his appearances on group cohort Cam'ron's 2002 singles "Oh Boy" and "Hey Ma," which peaked at numbers four and three on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively. His guest appearance on Chris Brown's 2005 single, "Run It!" peaked atop the chart for five weeks and received triple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). As a lead artist, he is also known for his 2005 single "There It Go ," which peaked at number six on the chart and received platinum certification by the RIAA.
Leslie Edward Pridgen, better known by his stage name Freeway, is an American rapper. Originally hailing from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he first gained recognition after appearing on Jay-Z's fifth album, The Dynasty: Roc La Familia in 2000. The following year, he became a member of the Philadelphia-based hip hop collective State Property, which were signed to Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Records, an imprint of Def Jam Recordings. After releasing their debut album, Pridgen signed to Roc-A-Fella as a solo artist and began work on his debut album, Philadelphia Freeway (2003). Upon release, the album peaked at number five on the Billboard 200 and saw positive critical response. He released a follow-up, Free at Last (2007) to moderate reception before him and fellow State Property cohorts were dropped from the label.
Roc-A-Fella Records was an American hip hop record label and music management company founded by record executives and entrepreneurs Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, Damon Dash, and Kareem "Biggs" Burke in 1994. Carter issued his debut album, Reasonable Doubt (1996) as the label's first release, in a joint venture with Priority Records. The label has signed and released albums for acts including Kanye West, Cam'ron, Beanie Sigel, Memphis Bleek, Juelz Santana, Freeway, Jadakiss, Teairra Marí, State Property, and The Diplomats before its dissolution in 2013.
State Property is a hip hop group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, led by rapper Beanie Sigel with fellow Philadelphia rappers Freeway, Peedi Crakk, Oschino Vasquez, and Omillio Sparks, and the duo Young Gunz. Formed in 2000, they signed with Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Records to release two studio albums: their eponymous debut album (2002) and The Chain Gang Vol. 2 (2003), both of which saw critical and commercial success. The former album accompanied the namesake film in which the group starred, while its sequel was released in 2005 and mainly starred Sigel. Each member was dropped from the label in late 2007, leaving the future of the group in question.
Young Gunz is an American hip hop duo from Philadelphia, composed of rappers Young Chris and Neef Buck. The group is part of Beanie Sigel's State Property collective and were signed to Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Records. Young Gunz' 2003 debut single, "Can't Stop, Won't Stop", reached the top 15 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Amil Kahala Whitehead is an American former rapper and singer. Based in New York City, she signed with Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Records, in a joint venture with Columbia Records in 1997. The following year, she appeared alongside Ja Rule on his single "Can I Get A..." for the Rush Hour film soundtrack.
Pedro Louis Zayas, better known by his stage names Peedi Crakk or Peedi Peedi, is an American rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is best known for his guest appearances on Freeway's 2003 single "Flipside" and Jay-Z's album The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse (2002). He was a member of the Roc-A-Fella Records group State Property, and was signed to G-Unit Philly. He is of Puerto Rican descent.
Come Home with Me is the third studio album by American rapper Cam'ron, released on May 14, 2002, by his own label Diplomats Records and Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Records. There are featured guest appearances from Jimmy Jones, Juelz Santana, Freekey Zekey, DJ Kay Slay, Daz Dillinger, Tiffany, Jay-Z, McGruff, Memphis Bleek, and Beanie Sigel. To date, it is his most commercially successful album; it peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 226,000 copies, and eventually sold one million copies in the United States, being certified Platinum by the RIAA.
The B. Coming is the third studio album by American rapper Beanie Sigel. Originally scheduled for an October 2004 release, the album was ultimately released on March 29, 2005 through Dame Dash Music Group and Def Jam Recordings.
The Reason is the second studio album by Philadelphia rapper Beanie Sigel, released on Roc-A-Fella Records. Originally scheduled for a June 12, 2001 release, the album was ultimately released June 26, 2001. The album contains 14 tracks, and special guests include Memphis Bleek, Jay-Z, Freeway, Omillio Sparks, Scarface, Daz, Kurupt, and Rell.
The Truth is the debut studio album by Philadelphia rapper Beanie Sigel. Originally scheduled for a Fall 1999 release, it was delayed to a February 8, 2000 release. The album was ultimately released on February 29, 2000, to critical and commercial success. The Truth sold 155,000 copies in its first week released. It debuted and peaked at number 5 on the US Billboard 200 and had one charting single, "Anything" by Jay-Z. Beanie Sigel and his debut album were intensely hyped up after "a few dazzling collaborations" according to Matt Conaway of AllMusic and Conaway says that it "is the culmination of that promise".
The Solution is the fourth studio album by Philadelphia rapper Beanie Sigel. It was released on December 11, 2007. The album features production from Dre & Vidal, Reefa, and The Runners, among others. Guest appearances include Jay-Z, Ozzy Osbourne, R. Kelly, Ghostface Killah, and other notable musicians. the album gained a metacritic score of 72 out of 100 based on 10 reviews.
All Money Is Legal, also known as A.M.I.L.: , is the only studio album by American rapper Amil. It was released on August 29, 2000, through Roc-A-Fella, Columbia, and Sony Music. Jay-Z, Damon Dash, and Amil served as executive producer with a team of producers that included Just Blaze. Before the album's release, Amil was best known for her feature on Jay-Z's 1998 single "Can I Get A...". She was one of several up-and-coming artists signed to Roc-A-Fella, alongside Memphis Bleek and Beanie Sigel, who released an album in 2000. Although it was her only album on Roc-A-Fella, Amil had been closely associated with the label and its co-founder Jay-Z, earning the moniker "First Lady of Roc-A-Fella".
"4 da Fam" is a song by American rapper Amil, featuring verses from American rappers Jay-Z, Memphis Bleek, and Beanie Sigel. Ty Fyffe produced the song. It was released on Roc-A-Fella as the second single from her debut album All Money Is Legal. In the song's lyrics, Amil boasts about being the best female rapper, and Jay-Z discusses his fears of becoming a father, which his verse suggests he believed was about to occur at the time.
Christopher Francis Ries, known professionally as Young Chris, is an American rapper. He rose to fame as one-half of the Philadelphia-based hip hop duo Young Gunz, which he formed with rapper Neef Buck in 2001. That same year, the duo joined the larger Philadelphia-based hip hop group State Property; both acts were signed to Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Records by the same time.
"Roc Boys ..." is the second single from Jay-Z's tenth studio album, American Gangster. The song is produced by Skyz Muzik, Diddy and two of his producers known as LV and Sean C from his production team, The Hitmen. It features additional vocals by Beyoncé, Kanye West and Cassie. The song samples "Make the Road by Walking" by The Menahan Street Band. On December 11, 2007, Rolling Stone named it the best song of 2007.
"My Mind Right" is a song by American rapper Memphis Bleek, released by Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Recordings on March 5, 2000 as the lead single from his second studio album, The Understanding (2000). It also served as lead single for Roc-A-Fella Records' soundtrack album, Backstage: A Hard Knock Life.
Kenneth Johnson, better known by his stage name Omillio Sparks, is an American rapper and actor from West Philadelphia. He is best known for his uncredited guest appearance on Jay-Z's 2000 single "I Just Wanna Love U ," which peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. That same year, he formed the group State Property with fellow Philadelphia native rappers including Beanie Sigel and Freeway, with whom he's released two successful studio albums under Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Records. In his acting career, he portrayed the character "Baby Boy" in the group's 2002 namesake film, as well as its 2005 sequel.
Robert Rihmeek Williams, known professionally as Meek Mill, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he embarked on his music career as a battle rapper, and later formed a short-lived rap group, The Bloodhoundz. He signed with T.I.'s Grand Hustle Records as a solo act in 2008, although he departed by 2011 and released no albums with the label. He then signed with Rick Ross' Maybach Music Group (MMG) that same year, and rose to mainstream recognition following his performances on the label's Self Made Vol. 1 (2011) compilation album; his song "Tupac Back" served as the album's lead single, while its follow-up, "Ima Boss" entered the Billboard Hot 100.
"What We Do" is a song by American rapper Freeway. It was released on September 3, 2002, as the lead single from his debut studio album Philadelphia Freeway (2003). The song features American rappers Jay-Z and Beanie Sigel. It was produced by Just Blaze and contains a sample of "I Just Can't See Myself Without You" by Creative Source.