The Reason [PA]

Performer: Beanie Sigel
Artist: Memphis Bleek; Daz; Kurupt; Freeway; Jay-Z; Sparks; Rell; Scarface; Lil' Chris
Engineer: Gimel "Young Guru" Keaton; Kamel Abdo; Gimel Keaton
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Personnel includes: Beanie Sigel, Memphis Bleek, Daz, Jay-Z, Freeway, Lil Chris, Kurupt, Sparks, Scarface, Rell. Producers include: Kanye West, Just Blaze, Rick Rock, 88 Keys, Bernard "Big Demi" Parker. Recorded at Baseline Studios, New York, New York. This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files. Personnel: St. Nick (vocals); DJ Scratch (scratches). Audio Mixers: Doug Wilson; Gimel Keaton; Joe Quinde; Just Blaze. Recording information: Baseline Studios, New York, NY. Photographer: Jonathan Mannion. Arguably the hottest thing to come outta Philly since the Roots, Beanie Sigel had hip-hop heads from coast to coast bobbing along to the infectious beats and dark inner-city tales of his impressive debut, The Truth. But while emotional songs like "Mom Praying" make The Reason a solid enough follow-up, it essentially boils down to more of the same ol', same ol'. Sigel's familiar streetwise persona shines through on cuts that are more concerned with hustling and hanging out than glitz and glamour, but the repetitive tales of thug life and gangsterisms grow a bit redundant by album's end. The production is consistently banging, and songs like "Tales of a Hustla" and "Think It's a Game" (featuring Jay-Z) more than live up to the promise first glimpsed on The Truth. But ultimately, Sigel's sophomore effort isn't so much an artistic step forward as it is a step sideways. ~ Bret Love

Entertainment Weekly (7/13/01, p.86) - "...Smarter-than-average gangsta lyrics and eclectic hip-hop beats..." - Rating: B+ Q (9/01, p.117) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Sigel backs his braggadocio with crisp funk beats and expertly-judged samples of Funkadelic, James Brown and sundry blaxploitation..." CMJ (8/13/01, p.20) - "...Street anthems and gangster confessionals...that will sound good booming in your ride..." NME (Magazine) (12/29/01, p.59) - Ranked #36 in NME's 50 "Albums Of the Year 2001". NME (Magazine) (6/30/01, p.40) - 8 out of 10 - "...One of the best hardcore rap records of the year 2001..."

One of the most infamous figures in Philadelphia's hip-hop scene, Beanie Sigel is the leader of the State Property Crew, which in addition to spawning several successful MCs also features a clothing line and has produced several feature films. Sigel, who made a name for himself with gritty street narratives and a rep to back them up, was one of the first acts signed to Jay-Z and Damon Dash's Roc-A-Fella label, releasing his debut, THE TRUTH, in 1999. Constant feuds with numerous rappers (including former bossman Jigga), troubles with the law, and subsequent jail time stalled Sigel's promising career several times, yet he remains a strong chart presence with each album he is able to release.

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