Video: Beanie Sigel, “In the Ghetto”
- story Sam Hockley-Smith
Beanie Sigel is an album artist, which is not something you can say for most of the rap industry. He’s had some great singles (and even more great almost-singles), but sitting down with an hour of his music is simultaneously satisfying and one of the most depressing ways you can spend your time. Either way, Beans has had a remarkably consistent career, showing an ambition to sell actual records without losing that voice that sounds somewhere between the croak of a huge frog and getting socked in the face. “In the Ghetto,” a bleak track from Broad Street Bully looks to continue this trend, and we heartily support that. Add the video to Pill’s “Trap Goin’ Ham” as part of the new reality rap. And though we could get all mad at the music industry for the next-to-no promotion surrounding Beanie’s new record (out September 1st), we’re not going to do it. Obviously we want dude to sell a gazillion records, but even if he doesn’t (and lets face it, he won’t) at least we’ll have a collection of solid albums to come back to whenever we feel like it. (via World Star Hip-Hop)
Freeload: Young Chris f. Beanie Sigel, “Rush”
- story THE FADER
At various points in FADER history, certain editors were known to proclaim The B.Coming as one of their favorite rap albums. We can’t really be mad at that considering it was so substantial, like, you got done listening to that thing and you were kinda exhausted. Also, it came out not that long after Purple Haze, which is the polar opposite and together they pretty much formed the best rap double album. Get at us if you want to nerd out some more about classic Roc jams. Anyway, here’s a new Young Chris song featuring Beanie Sigel that sounds like an outtake from The B.Coming.
Download: Young Chris f. Beanie Sigel, “Rush”
Video: Ghostface f. Beanie Sigel & Styles P, “Barrel Brothers”
- story THE FADER
Another Rik Cordero low-budget wonder, just in time for today’s release of Ghost’s Big Dough Rehab.
Video: Beanie Sigel f. Styles P, “You Ain’t Ready”
- story THE FADER
Rik Cordero is a damned visionary. Or at least he listened to our incessant requests for more videos of dudes standing on sidewalks in the cold with all their friends and rapping really well. NO FRILLS. This also happens to be one of our favorites off Beanie’s The Solution which hits stores next week.
Audio: Beanie Sigel, “Bout That (Let Me Know)” (prod Cool & Dre)
- story THE FADER
After spending a few days with The Solution, we keep coming back to “Bout That,” song two after Beans and Kellz start it off, and the front end of the weird trio completed by “You Ain’t Ready for Me” with Styles P and “Go Low” with Rock City. Cool & Dre produced “Bout That” and the weirdness of it is that it doesn’t sound like sci-fi opera. The 808’s they use echo “Bombs Over Baghdad” and the canned vocal sample that repeats throughout lends an urgency that they usually get from swirling, woozy organ walls. The closest we can remember them getting to this was Sean P’s “Nada Mean” from this year, but even that doesn’t carry as much weight. For his part, Beans sounds like he loves it, talking crazy shit about his whips when last we heard he’s pushing an Altima. That’s what this beat will do to a man.
Audio: Ghostface Killah f. Styles P & Beanie Sigel, “Barrell Brothers”
- story THE FADER
“We vote for Oprah, Obama and Eric B” what? So do we! We wrote in Duke da God in the last election though so, you know, whoever comes through the office on November 4th is our candidate. Also don’t miss the Big Dough Rehab commercial.
Mack Mittens
- story THE FADER
We braved some iceberg windtunnel conditions to hit up the Beanie Sigel press party last night. Dame was there, resplendent in a knit Phillies Blunt hat – with puffball on the top! – and matching State Prop jacket (”I don’t want to be one of those dudes who wears their coat inside, I just like my outfit. But I like my outfit every day.”) and he shouted out all manner of Roc-related hustles before introducing The B. Coming.
Instead of a typical listening event snoozefest, the album was presented as a film – studio clips cut with interviews and music videos, as Beans’ lyrics scrolled underneath in follow-the-bouncing-red-ball format (not at all corny, surprisingly enough).
