The Reason | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | June 26, 2001 | |||
Recorded | 2000–2001 | |||
Genre | Hip hop | |||
Length | 60:40 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer |
| |||
Beanie Sigel chronology | ||||
|
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 | Writer(s) | 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) |
| 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) |
|
| 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 Sparks) |
| Sha-Self | 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 |
Samples
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Year | Song | Chart positions | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
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 | — |
Harlem World is the debut studio album by American rapper Mase. It was released on October 28, 1997, by Bad Boy Records and Arista Records. The album was nominated at the 41st Annual Grammy Awards for Best Rap Album. It went on to sell 4.9 million copies and going quadruple platinum in the United States.
The Black Album is the eighth studio album by American rapper Jay-Z. It was released on November 14, 2003, through Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Recordings. It was advertised as his final album before retiring, which is also a recurring theme throughout the songs, although Jay-Z resumed his recording career in 2005. For the album, Jay-Z wanted to enlist a different producer for each song, working with Just Blaze, Kanye West, the Neptunes, Eminem, DJ Quik, Timbaland, 9th Wonder and Rick Rubin, among others. The album also features a guest appearance by Pharrell Williams.
The Dynasty: Roc-La-Familia is the fifth studio album by American rapper Jay-Z, featuring prominent appearances from signees of Roc-A-Fella Records. It was released on October 31, 2000, by Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Recordings. Its lead single, "I Just Wanna Love U ", produced by the Neptunes, became one of Jay-Z's most successful singles peaking at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200, with 557,789 copies sold in its first week. The album is certified double platinum by the RIAA. The album received positive reviews from critics, and became the 20th highest-selling R&B/Hip-Hop album of the 2000–2010 decade according to Billboard.
The Blueprint 2: The Gift & the Curse is the seventh studio album by American rapper Jay-Z. A double album, it was released on November 12, 2002, by Roc-A-Fella Records and Island Def Jam Music Group. The album serves as a sequel to his sixth album The Blueprint (2001). The album debuted at number one, shipping with first-week sales of 545,000 units. The album is certified 3x Multi-Platinum by the RIAA. In 2013, Jay-Z cited this album as his second-worst due to an overabundance of songs on the album. A one-disc reissue, titled Blueprint 2.1, was released in 2003.
Come Home With Me is the third studio album by American rapper Cam'ron, released on May 14, 2002, by Cam'ron's 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.
Philadelphia Freeway is the debut studio album from Philadelphia rapper Freeway. It was released under Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Recordings. The most successful single was "Flipside", which featured Peedi Crakk. The single debuted at #95 on The Billboard Hot 100 music chart. It can also be found in the soundtrack to Bad Boys II. The lead single that was released was "What We Do", which featured Beanie Sigel & Jay Z. The single debuted at #97 on The Billboard 100 music charts. Most of the songs were produced by Just Blaze while some were produced by Bink! & Kanye West.
M.A.D.E. is the third studio album by American rapper Memphis Bleek, released by Get Low Records, Roc-A-Fella Records, and Def Jam Recordings. Originally scheduled for a summer 2003 release, the album was ultimately released on December 16, 2003. The album reached #35 on the Billboard 200 charts.
The Professional 2 is the second studio album by American record producer DJ Clue. Originally scheduled for a November 1999 release, it was then delayed to a 2000 release. The album was ultimately released on February 27, 2001 via Roc-A-Fella Records, a division of UMG's Def Jam Recordings. It serves as a sequel to his 1998 debut studio album The Professional.
The Understanding is the second studio album by rapper Memphis Bleek, released by Get Low Records, Roc-A-Fella Records, and Def Jam Recordings on December 5, 2000. As of October 2002, the album has been certified gold by the RIAA for shipment of over 500,000 units.
Pleasure & Pain is the fifth studio album by American R&B group 112. It was released by Def Soul on March 29, 2005 in the United States. Named after the song "Pleasure & Pain" on 112's 1996 eponymous debut album, 112, the album did not fare as well as their first three albums, but the album did manage to spawn one hit single in 2005; the single "U Already Know" peaked at #32 on the Billboard Hot 100, while the second single "What If" reached #74. It was the first 112 album to get a Parental Advisory sticker. The single, "U Already Know", has two official remixes, the official Murder Remix featuring Ja Rule & Harry O and the official Roc-A-Fella Remix featuring Foxy Brown.
The Truth is the debut studio album by 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".
Joe Budden is the debut studio album by American rapper Joe Budden. It was released on June 10, 2003, by On Top, distributed by Def Jam. Recording sessions took place from 2002 to 2003, with production by Dub B aka White Boy, along with the other high-profile producers such as Just Blaze and Lofey. The album features guest appearances from Lil' Mo, Busta Rhymes and 112. Upon the record's release, it was met with favorable reviews from music critics. Joe Budden debuted at number 8 on the US Billboard 200, selling 95,000 units in its first week, later the record sold 420,000+ copies in the United States. It also entered at number 55 on the UK Albums Chart.
Tarantula is the fifth studio album by American rapper Mystikal, released on December 18, 2001, by Jive Records. The production was done by Rockwilder, Scott Storch, The Medicine Men and The Neptunes, and features artists including Juvenile, Butch Cassidy, and Method Man & Redman.
The Solution is the fourth studio album by 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.
Malpractice is the fifth studio album by rapper Redman. The album was ultimately released on May 22, 2001. It reached number four on US Billboard 200 and was certified gold by the RIAA on July 21, 2001. To date, the album has sold 683,000 copies. It boasted two singles: "Let's Get Dirty " and "Smash Sumthin'".
The Professional 3 is the third studio album by American record producer DJ Clue. It was released on December 19, 2006 via Roc-A-Fella Records, serving as a sequel to his 2001 The Professional 2.
Tough Luv is the debut studio album by American hip hop duo Young Gunz. It was released on February 24, 2004 via Roc-A-Fella Records. Recording sessions took place at Sony Music Studios, Baseline Studios and Quad Recording in New York, and at The Studio and Homebase Studios in Philadelphia. Production was handled by Chad Hamilton, Just Blaze, Bink!, Boola, Darrell "Digga" Branch, Ez Elpee, Ruggedness and Scott Storch, with Jay-Z, Damon Dash and Kareem "Biggs" Burke serving as executive producers. It features guest appearances from Denim, Beanie Sigel, Cam'ron, Chingy, Freeway, Jay-Z, Juelz Santana, Omillio Sparks and Rell.
The Stimulus Package is a collaborative studio album by Philadelphia rapper Freeway and Seattle producer Jake One. It was released on Minneapolis indie hip hop label Rhymesayers Entertainment on February 16, 2010. The album included two singles, "Know What I Mean" and "She Makes Me Feel Alright", both of which have had videos made for them. The package was designed by Brent Rollins of the ego trip collective. The album debuted at number 63 on the Billboard 200, selling over 9,000 units in its first week.
This Time is the sixth studio album by American rapper Beanie Sigel. It was released on August 28, 2012 through State Property/Ruffhouse Records. Production was handled by Don Cheegro, Shawn Kuiper, "Dirty Harry" Zelnick, Cardiac, Chad "Wes" Hamilton, Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie, Jay & PI. It features guest appearances from Akon, Corey Latif Williams, JT Roach, Junior Reid, Oliver Laing, Sean Anthony Francis, The Game, and Sigel's State Property groupmates Young Chris, Freeway, Omillio Sparks and Peedi Crakk.
Victory Lap is the only studio album by American rapper Nipsey Hussle. It was released on February 16, 2018 through All Money In No Money Out and Atlantic Records. It was Hussle's first major commercial release after releasing a string of mixtapes for thirteen years. The album debuted at number four on the Billboard 200, selling 53,000 album-equivalent units; It was the last project to be released during Hussle’s lifetime, as he was shot and killed on March 31, 2019. It reached a new peak of number two in April 2019, following Hussle's death. It received a nomination for Best Rap Album at the 61st Grammy Awards.