The Reason | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | June 26, 2001 | |||
Recorded | 2000–2001 | |||
Genre | Hip hop | |||
Length | 60:40 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer |
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Beanie Sigel chronology | ||||
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The Reason is the second studio album by 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.
It received positive reviews from critics divided over Sigel's lyrical abilities as a rapper. The Reason debuted at number five on the Billboard 200 and spawned two singles: "Beanie (Mack Bitch)" and "Think It's a Game".
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
Blender | [2] |
Entertainment Weekly | B+ [3] |
HipHopDX | [4] |
Los Angeles Times | [5] |
NME | [6] |
Q | [7] |
RapReviews | 7.5/10 [8] |
Robert Christgau | [9] |
The Reason garnered positive reviews from music critics who commended the record's East Coast production but questioned Sigel's abilities as a credible rapper. Andy Capper of NME found some familiarity in the album's beats but praised Sigel's dark-yet-intriguing delivery along with a talented list of guest artists, calling it "one of the best hardcore rap records of the year 2001." [6] Steve 'Flash' Juon of RapReviews praised the lyrical delivery and production for being an upgrade from Sigel's debut effort The Truth , saying that, "[I]n the pantheon of Philadelphia rap from The Roots to Will Smith, make room for a mack (bitch) - he's definitely earned his right to shine." [8] Entertainment Weekly 's Evan Serpick said that, "Sigel will never sound as urgent as Chuck D or as smooth as Method Man, but the Jay-Z protégé makes up for it with smarter-than-average gangsta lyrics and eclectic hip-hop beats." [3] Nick Catucci of Blender wrote that, "Throughout the disc, Beanie stalks through the subdued bounce of big, loose piano and horn riffs, his smooth but steely flow intact. There's a sequel to his first album's not-so-pretty prison tale "What Ya Life Like" here, but it's best hearing about Beans's life when he's feeling nice, not nasty." [2]
AllMusic writer Bret Love commended the production for remaining consistent and Sigel's persona of a street smart hustler but found it running its course as the album continued, concluding that "Sigel's sophomore effort isn't so much an artistic step forward as it is a step sideways." [1] HipHopDX writer Affrikka said that despite the first two tracks, the record starts to fall off into mediocre un-originality, saying that "Overall, the experience leaves you wanting more from the executive producing credit that Jay-Z takes. It’s almost as if anyone involved in this project expected listeners to not get past the first couple songs." [4] Soren Baker, writing for the Los Angeles Times , commented that "[T]he normally assertive and interesting Philadelphia rapper flows like a sloth on nearly every cut of his second album, failing to elicit much excitement despite the solid, hard-core production." [5] Robert Christgau graded the album as a "dud", [9] indicating "a bad record whose details rarely merit further thought." [10]
The Reason debuted at number five on the Billboard 200 selling 151,000 copies in its first week. [11] On its second week, it dropped to number 11 with sales dropping 50% to 75,000 copies. [12]
No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Nothing Like It" | Kanye West | 3:22 |
2. | "Beanie (Mack Bitch)" | Just Blaze | 4:13 |
3. | "So What You Saying" (featuring Memphis Bleek) | Just Blaze | 5:06 |
4. | "Get Down" | Just Blaze | 4:58 |
5. | "I Don't Do Much" | Rick Rock | 4:40 |
6. | "For My Niggas" (featuring Daz Dillinger) | Rick Rock | 4:12 |
7. | "Watch Your Bitches" | 88-Keys | 3:46 |
8. | "Think It's a Game" (featuring Jay-Z, Freeway, and Young Chris) | Bernard "Big Demi" Parker | 5:33 |
9. | "Man's World" | No I.D. | 3:50 |
10. | "Gangsta, Gangsta" (featuring Kurupt) | Kanye West | 3:41 |
11. | "Tales of a Hustler" (featuring Omillio Sparks) | Sha Money XL | 3:55 |
12. | "Mom Praying" (featuring Scarface) | Just Blaze | 4:40 |
13. | "Still Got Love for You" (featuring Jay-Z and Rell) | Just Blaze | 4:21 |
14. | "What Your Life Like 2" | Just Blaze | 4:23 |
Total length: | 60:40 |
Nothing Like It
So What You Saying
Get Down
Man's World
Mom Praying
Still Got Love for You
What Your Life Like 2
Think It's a Game
Credits for The Reason adapted from AllMusic. [13]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
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Year | Song | Chart positions | |||
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Billboard Hot 100 | Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | Hot Rap Singles | |||
2001 | "Beanie (Mack Bitch)" | — | 52 | 11 | |
2001 | "Think It's a Game" | — | 99 | — |
Leslie Edward Pridgen, better known by his stage name Freeway, is an American rapper 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 would sign to Roc-A-Fella as a solo artist and subsequently begin work on his solo debut, Philadelphia Freeway (2003). Upon release, the album peaked at number five on the Billboard 200 and saw positive critical response. He would release a follow-up, Free at Last (2007) to moderate reception before him and fellow State Property cohorts were dropped from the label.
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Dwight Equan Grant, better known by his stage name Beanie Sigel, is an American rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He first became known for his association with Jay-Z, as he became a flagship artist for his now-defunct label imprint, Roc-A-Fella Records. Through the label, Grant released his debut studio album, The Truth in February 2000 to critical and commercial success.
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This is the discography of Beanie Sigel, an American rapper.
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