Beanie Sigel's name derives from the street in Philadelphia where he was raised, "Sigel Street," and "Beans" is what people used to call him as a child. Beanie also founded the group and label State Property as well as the clothing company.
Sigel's debut LP, The Truth, was released February 28, 2000 on Roc-A-Fella Records. The album received a gold plaque for hits like "The Truth" and "Remember The Days" featuring Eve. His second album The Reason was released in mid-2001. The Reason was lighter material compared to his debut album and introduced the world to his own rap group State Property. Beanie Sigel helped launch the careers of fellow Philly rappers Freeway, Peedi Crakk and the Young Gunz.
Around 2001, Beanie Sigel and Jadakiss of the Ruff Ryders were involved in a beef that stemmed from Jada claiming rappers from Beans' home city of Philly were simply signed because they were a hot fashion among major labels, which to some extent was true at the time. Sigel took offense to this, and they sent several tracks back and forth. Eventually Styles P. (D-Block} and Jay-Z got involved, and Beans even called out DMX, who never responded.
The beef went on even after Russell Simmons, owner at the time of Def Jam (the label which Roc-A-Fella was under and Ruff Ryders was affiliated with through DMX) made the two declare a brief truce and Jay-Z apologized to Jadakiss and bowed out. Disses finally stopped flying after Sigel released a scathing diss track over Jada's "Put Ya Hands Up" beat, recalling when the LOX wore shiny suits in a Bad Boy video, among other things.
Sigel also was involved in directing his first movie State Property, the popular direct-to-video film produced by Roc-A-Films. The State Property clothing line was also created by Sigel.
The third album The B. Coming was released on March 28, 2005 under Dame Dash Music Group and features production from The Neptunes, Just Blaze, and Bink!, among others, with guest appearances by State Property, Redman, Snoop Dogg and usual suspects Cam'ron and Jay-Z. The album was recorded in the weeks between his sentencing and imprisonment and was released after he was locked up; he was released a few months ago.
While he was in jail, it is said none of the State Property members except for Oschino Vazquez came to visit him. He told Dame to pass the word on that State Property was no longer in effect, until after he was released. When the split between Roc-A-Fella owners occured, Dame made it clear that Beanie's intentions were to move State Property to his new Dame Dash Music Group.
However, all members except for, again, Oschino, chose to go with Jay-Z. When questioned, they claimed they were signed by Jay and never needed State Property or Beanie Sigel to make them popular. When he was released from jail, Beans had a few choice words for his friends, claiming "I still love them like brothers...I just don't know if we can make music again."
It was thought that Beans had chosen to sign with Dame; however, this is unclear, as he was present at Jay-Z's I Declare War concert in 2005, and has said he now has his own State Property Records under Jay-Z's Def Jam.
In September, 2005, a jury acquitted him of charges that he nearly shot to death a man on a crowded city street two years ago. In August, Sigel left federal prison after serving nearly a year on a federal weapons charge that stemmed from a 2002 traffic stop in Philadelphia.
Sigel also has fallen behind in child-support payments. He was briefly jailed in November until he paid $27,000 in child support and $2,000 in fines, but seems to be paying off his debts.
With the case behind him, Sigel now plans to "make music, make movies and work on his clothing line," said his attorney, Fortunato N. Perri Jr. The case was the last in a series of criminal charges against Sigel, who has a long arrest record dating back to his days growing up in South Philadelphia.
On Tuesday, January 10, 2006, Sigel was convicted of assault for a fight in 2003. He agreed with the prosecutor's version of events, and was convicted of misdemeanor simple assault. He was immediately sentenced to two years probation plus $180 in court costs.
The charges stem from an argument between Sigel and a man who said the rapper punched him in both eyes, breaking his left eye socket, during a January 2003 argument outside a Chinese restaurant.
Beanie Sigel is the co-creator of "The Playpen", a new animated series with writer/producers, Brian Ash and Myles Reiff. The show follows the misadventures of a group of hard-headed tykes in a maximum security daycare center called, The State Nursery.
Dear Self
Beanie Sigel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Chorus x2: James Blunt)
And I see no bravery,
No bravery in your eyes anymore.
Only sadness.
Dear self, can I talk to you,
Damn, are you that plain ignorant? your so indignant,
Please come off that high chair your sitting in,
Before you snatched from it, or strapped to it,
Ya body used as a conduit, a thousand volts flow through you,
Ya life gone over something foolish,
Talking to you is so useless,
Ya head harder than them walls you'll be housed in soon,
Before ya body's embalmed and you lie in tomb,
Open ya ears, eyes and heart, cause that hour's soon,
And the hour shall cometh, when Ish* Rahzel blows his trumpets,
The sky shall crack, the stars will plummet,
The sun will rise in the West you'll drown in your own sweat
And when that day shall be, I'll bet I'll see no bravery.
(Chorus)
Dear self can I talk to you?
Dear self can I talk to you?
Who are you to lecture me? You question me about my life and the choices I made?,
How dare you to place me in an early grave? (whoa)
Why you gotta talk to me in that fashion?,
You bury me face down with an open casket, this whole world can kiss mine,
Tell me what this life got to offer him...
A crooked preacher and a church alter**?,
A short speech and a long offering?,
A deep grave and a short coffin?
Oh I get it... you Righteous now (haha)... well let the truth be told,
You done smoke every blunt I rolled,
You done drove every car I stole,
Cooked up every crack I sold,
You done slept with every trick I laid,
Collected off every bet I made... (laughs)
But I guess you done found Christ... I ain't know he was missin (Whoa)
Watch your Blasphemy,
Man I ain't asked to be,
Just let me live my life,
Now hold on - No you listen,
You was there on every decision,
Whether it was right or wrong,
And now you trying to right my wrongs,
You got some nerve - you even give me the words I write in this song,
You see... my vision's much clearer,
It's not me but it's you that I see when I look in the mirror
And you call yourself saving me?,
But it's through your eyes that I see... No bravery.
(Chorus)
The song "Dear Self" by Beanie Sigel featuring James Blunt is a profound commentary on the struggle of self-reflection and the consequences of one's actions. The chorus, sung by James Blunt, speaks directly to the singer's loss of courage and hope, replaced by sadness and resignation. The singer then launches into a conversation with himself, addressing his unresponsive and stubborn nature, pleading with himself to listen before it's too late. The second verse sees the singer become more defensive, lashing out against his inner voice, questioning its authority to judge him before admitting his past mistakes. Ultimately, he questions the very notion of "saving" oneself, as it highlights the inherent duality of human nature, where the flaws and strengths of our character are constantly at war with one another.
The song presents a universal truth that will resonate with anyone who has ever struggled with self-reflection and accountability. It speaks to the difficulty of accepting one's faults and mistakes, recognizing one's potential for greatness while also acknowledging one's darker impulses. There is a sense of urgency to the message, as time is running out, and the need for self-awareness and courage is paramount. Despite the bleakness of the lyrics, there is a glimmer of hope in the singer's willingness to wrestle with his inner demons and confront his inner voice, however painful the process may be.
Line by Line Meaning
And I see no bravery,
I see no courage, bravery or strength in your actions.
No bravery in your eyes anymore.
I can't see any determination or strength in your eyes anymore.
Only sadness.
All I see is sadness and despair in you.
Dear self, can I talk to you,
Can I have a conversation with myself about my life and choices?
I been trying to have this conversation for years but you won't listen,
I have been trying to talk to myself to bring about change for years, but I have not been able to listen to myself.
Damn, are you that plain ignorant? your so indignant,
Are you really that ignorant and too proud to accept your own faults?
Please come off that high chair your sitting in,
Stop feeling superior and come to terms with your own shortcomings.
Before you snatched from it, or strapped to it,
Before you are taken away or imprisoned for your actions.
Ya body used as a conduit, a thousand volts flow through you,
Your body may be used to channel negative energy, leading to destruction.
Ya life gone over something foolish,
Your life may be lost over something trivial and pointless.
Talking to you is so useless,
Talking to oneself can be a futile attempt.
Ya head harder than them walls you'll be housed in soon,
Your mind may be as impenetrable as the walls of a prison cell.
Before ya body's embalmed and you lie in tomb,
Before your body is prepared for burial and you are laid to rest forever.
Open ya ears, eyes and heart, cause that hour's soon,
Listen closely and be aware because your time is running out.
And the hour shall cometh, when Ish* Rahzel blows his trumpets,
The end times are coming, and it will be signaled by the sound of trumpets.
The sky shall crack, the stars will plummet,
Cataclysmic events will take place during the apocalypse.
The sun will rise in the West you'll drown in your own sweat
The collapse of the natural order will bring about chaos and suffering.
And when that day shall be, I'll bet I'll see no bravery.
On that day, I don't think I'll see any bravery or strength from you.
Who are you to lecture me? You question me about my life and the choices I made?,
Who are you to judge me and my life decisions?
How dare you to place me in an early grave? (whoa)
How can you accuse me of hastening my own death?
Why you gotta talk to me in that fashion?,
Why do you have to speak to me in such a condescending way?
You bury me face down with an open casket, this whole world can kiss mine,
You are so dismissive of my life and my place in the world, that you wouldn't even care how I am buried or remembered.
Tell me what this life got to offer him...
Questioning the purpose and value of life.
A crooked preacher and a church alter**?,
Mocking the idea of organized religion and its supposed leaders.
A short speech and a long offering?,
Skeptical of the effectiveness of prayers and monetary contributions to religious institutions.
A deep grave and a short coffin?
Reflecting on the inevitability of death and the worthlessness of material belongings in the face of it.
Oh I get it... you Righteous now (haha)... well let the truth be told,
Sarcastic comment on the hypocrisy of someone pretending to be righteous while being judgmental and condescending.
You done smoke every blunt I rolled,
Acknowledging the role of oneself in one's own failures.
You done drove every car I stole,
Admitting to having made poor choices in the past.
Cooked up every crack I sold,
Taking responsibility for one's criminal actions and the damage caused by them.
You done slept with every trick I laid,
Owning up to one's sexual behavior and the harm it may have caused.
Collected off every bet I made... (laughs)
Admitting to engaging in gambling and acknowledging the negative impact it may have had.
But I guess you done found Christ... I ain't know he was missin (Whoa)
Mocking the idea of turning to religion as a quick solution to one's problems.
Watch your Blasphemy,
Be careful not to take the Lord's name in vain.
Man I ain't asked to be,
I did not ask to be born and face the challenges of life.
Just let me live my life,
I want to live my life the way I choose, without interference or judgment from others.
Now hold on - No you listen,
Pleading for oneself to listen and reflect on the words being spoken.
You was there on every decision,
Acknowledging that one's own subconscious mind and instincts play a major role in life choices and actions.
Whether it was right or wrong,
Recognizing that one is responsible for one's actions, whether they were good or bad.
And now you trying to right my wrongs,
Recognizing and addressing past mistakes in an attempt to make amends.
You got some nerve - you even give me the words I write in this song,
Irony of being both the cause of the problem and the solution to it.
You see... my vision's much clearer,
I now have a clearer perspective on life and myself.
It's not me but it's you that I see when I look in the mirror
Seeing one's own failures and shortcomings reflected back in the mirror, blaming oneself for them.
And you call yourself saving me?,
Questioning the effectiveness of one's own self-help, despite attempts to improve.
But it's through your eyes that I see... No bravery.
Though I have tried to make changes, I still see no courage, strength or bravery in my actions, consistent with my past behavior.
Dear self can I talk to you?
Can I have a conversation with myself about my life and choices?
Dear self can I talk to you?
Can I have a conversation with myself about my life and choices?
Contributed by Brooklyn N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Thato Paphane
This album is too deep. Beans is underapreciated by the hip hop community
TONY TONE
and that will tell you the state of hip-hop. one of the greatest songs ever recorded by one of the best artist ever and only 12,000 views. R.I.P hip-hop
MR . YAA DIGG!!
His Self reflection is on point then the response to em self 🔥 🔥 deep this track is a timeless classic masterpiece
generallight dotmob
one of the hottest tracks beanie ever put out classic shit
James Charles
Not just the lyrics the track sick too and that choir clap send chills down my spine! Much love Beans!!
Cool clips
One of the most underrated rappers period
Beanie Sigel
Iceberg
You right cause as a Muslim he didn't sale his soul for Hollywood Amin...
self644
One of the strongest songs I've ever heard. Damn what a throw back
Iceberg
@self644 ain't it real I love it it's been on my playlist
Gerald Duval
Someone need to upload the full album of this, Beans never disappoints.