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 He told Dame to pass the word on that State Property was no longer in effect, until after he was released.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.
Look At Me Now )
Beanie Sigel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My hair was knotty then
Nose snotty then
Sweats, no pockets then
Sweatin', no problems then
Facts? Off the potty then
News? Watchin' karate then
She was hopscotchin' then
Me Girl watchin' then
Crooked little eye. (eye)
Humpback, tryna hump that
Yes I (I)
Couldn't play because I'm poo
They thought I was mockin' them
Grams
Said I was devilish
Been knew I was rotten then
School
Been dropped out,
Neva really clockin' in
Pops
Been dropped out,
Neva really stoppin' in
Moms
Tryna lock me out
Cops
Tryna lock me in
Damn, Devilish one with Pelletguns,
Grew from,
Slingshotin' them, (uh)
To slingshootin' them
Dice all day,
Kept hook shot
Nice all day
Right hook fight
Nice all day
Nigga left for a night
To keep money Right all day
Break a night all
If you could look at me now
If you could look at me now
If you could look at me now
Let me smoke with you young'in
Y'all was poplockin' Then
Cardboard boxin' Then
Me
I was up the center
3D
Lockin' in
Strong arm
Robbin then
Started car
Poppin' in
Me
Skinny toots, Telly boots, Marley Park and them
Got in trouble with Passyunk
Wilson park n them
Other Jacks, diffeferent sets
Started sparkin' him
I had the fourteen gauge,
My nigga Larken then
How it made front page,
He caught a spark from them
He got gauged in his leg,
Still was walkin' then
8toss, shook it off
Kept sparkin' them
All heads ain't help,
We had more heart then them
We squashed that war,
Got some wall,
Stayed apart from them
Down in Iraq, they give me dap,
I'm takin' pounds from clowns,
You shake my hand like a grown man (grown man)
Ya ain't see it like Tony and old man,
Mob style for real,
This is my lifestyle for real.
If you could look at me now
Now its big businesses,
You see them big Bentley skids
You see them Bee's on those shiny ass
Rims of his,
You can't find him in the woods,
With his kids with his
Mob cookin' breakfast with no S.W.A.T.
A good day this is.
You could bullshit with rap if you want,
I pull the bullshit to the back
And put rap in front.
Now I'm State Prop flickin' it
State Prop stitchin' it.
I'm paper soldier y'all,
Your boy gettin' rich
I see a kids hair knotty now..
They nose snotty now
So what I do,
I try to turn they frown around
I make 'em smile a day
If only for a while a day
I give them dollarday
That's my ghetto holliday
I must say for myself
I'm feelin proud today,
My life is shaped
Like I run about a mile a day
I dedicate this to the one's that
Counted me out
And looked at me down
Just look at me now.
I know y'all see me
Look at me now man
I'm killin' this shit
Sheed, check your boy out man
Your boy got businesses man
I done came up on my own nigga
I'm a C-E-O nigga
Clothing line, cartoons, movies, name it nigga
Bullshit with rap if you want,
I'm a big boy toy driver nigga
With unlaced air force 1's with no license
Holla at me nigga.
Y'all can't tell me shit,
Look at me now.
The song "Look At Me Now" by Beanie Sigel is about his growth from a disadvantaged childhood to a successful adulthood. He reminisces on his rough upbringing and the struggles he faced growing up, including poverty, lack of education, and family troubles. He then details his journey to success, including his involvement in the music industry, and expresses pride in his accomplishments.
The opening lines of the song set the tone for the rest of the track, with Sigel reflecting on his past appearance and circumstances. He describes his unkempt hair, snotty nose, and lack of proper clothes. He then talks about his mother trying to keep him out of the house, while the police tried to lock him in. He refers to himself as devilish, which could imply that he once got into trouble and was not viewed as a good influence. The second verse recounts his youth when he was involved in street activity, including gang violence, and how he managed to come out unscathed. He then goes on to talk about his current success and how he is now living his best life.
One possible interpretation of the song is that it is a celebration of overcoming one's circumstances and making something of oneself. It shows that even in the face of adversity, one can still succeed and flourish. The song also reflects on the progress that African Americans have made in the United States and encourages listeners to strive for their own success.
Line by Line Meaning
If you could look at me now
Reflecting on my journey and how far I've come
My hair was knotty then
I used to have messy hair
Nose snotty then
I used to have a runny nose
Sweats, no pockets then
I used to wear sweatpants with no pockets
Sweatin', no problems then
I used to sweat, but life was simpler then
Facts? Off the potty then
I was young enough to be learning facts while still potty training
News? Watchin' karate then
I used to watch karate instead of the news
Muddas playin' double dutch,
My mom was playing double dutch
She was hopscotchin' then
My mom was also playing hopscotch
Me Girl watchin' then
I was watching my mom and sister play
Crooked little eye. (eye)
I had a lazy eye
Humpback, tryna hump that
I had bad posture and was trying to flirt
Yes I (I)
I was self-conscious and unsure of myself
Couldn't play because I'm poo
I couldn't participate because I was considered lower class
They thought I was mockin' them
Others thought I was making fun of them
Grams
My grandmother
Said I was devilish
My grandmother said I was mischievous
Been knew I was rotten then
I was always causing trouble
School
I used to attend school
Been dropped out,
I dropped out of school
Neva really clockin' in
I didn't have a job to clock in to
Pops
My father
Been dropped out,
My father also dropped out of school
Neva really stoppin' in
My father wasn't around much
Moms
My mother
Tryna lock me out
My mother tried to keep me out of trouble
Cops
The police
Tryna lock me in
The police tried to put me in jail
Damn, Devilish one with Pelletguns,
I was a troublemaker who used pellet guns
Grew from,
I grew up from
Slingshotin' them, (uh)
I used to have a slingshot
To slingshootin' them
I progressed to shooting real guns
Dice all day,
I used to play dice all day
Kept hook shot
I was good at basketball
Nice all day
I was a nice person
Right hook fight
I was capable of fighting with my right hand
Nice all day
I was still a nice person
Nigga left for a night
Someone left for a night
To keep money Right all day
To make sure they had money the next day
Break a night all
They were willing to work hard all night
Let me smoke with you young'in
I want to smoke with you
Y'all was poplockin' Then
You guys used to pop and lock dance
Cardboard boxin' Then
You guys used to box with cardboard boxes
Me
As for me
I was up the center
I was playing basketball at center
3D
In three dimensions
Lockin' in
Focusing on the game
Strong arm
Physically aggressive
Robbin then
I used to rob people
Started car
I used to start cars without permission
Poppin' in
I would break into cars
Skinny toots, Telly boots, Marley Park and them
I had a certain style of dress
Got in trouble with Passyunk
I got in trouble with the police
Wilson park n them
I also got in trouble at Wilson Park
Other Jacks, diffeferent sets
I was involved with different gangs
Started sparkin' him
I started a fight
I had the fourteen gauge,
I had a 14 gauge shotgun
My nigga Larken then
My friend Larken was with me
How it made front page,
Our fight made the news
He caught a spark from them
Larken was hit with a bullet
He got gauged in his leg,
Larken was shot in the leg
Still was walkin' then
Larken was able to walk despite the injury
8toss, shook it off
Despite being shot, we tried to shake off the danger
Kept sparkin' them
We continued to fight
All heads ain't help,
Not everyone helped us
We had more heart then them
We were more courageous
We squashed that war,
We ended the war between our gangs
Got some wall,
We got some money
Stayed apart from them
We no longer associated with the other gang
Down in Iraq, they give me dap,
Even in Iraq, people respect me
I'm takin' pounds from clowns,
I'm making money from foolish people
You shake my hand like a grown man (grown man)
People show me respect
Ya ain't see it like Tony and old man,
People underestimate me
Mob style for real,
I'm living the mob lifestyle
This is my lifestyle for real.
This is how I really live
Now its big businesses,
I'm now involved in big businesses
You see them big Bentley skids
I drive a big Bentley
You see them Bee's on those shiny ass
I have some shiny car rims
Rims of his,
Referring to his car's rims
You can't find him in the woods,
I don't hang out in bad neighborhoods anymore
With his kids with his
I spend time with my children
Mob cookin' breakfast with no S.W.A.T.
I'm cooking breakfast without getting raided by the police
A good day this is.
Life is good for me now
You could bullshit with rap if you want,
You can talk nonsense if you want
I pull the bullshit to the back
I push nonsense to the side
And put rap in front.
And focus on my music career
Now I'm State Prop flickin' it
I'm a State Property rapper
State Prop stitchin' it.
I'm putting in work for State Property
I'm paper soldier y'all,
I'm a successful rapper
Your boy gettin' rich
I'm making a lot of money
I see a kids hair knotty now..
I notice kids have messy hair now
They nose snotty now
Kids still have runny noses
So what I do,
I help out
I try to turn they frown around
I try make them happy
I make 'em smile a day
I try to make them smile everyday
If only for a while a day
Even if it's only temporary
I give them dollarday
I give them money
That's my ghetto holliday
I'm making a holiday for them
I must say for myself
I'm proud of myself
I'm feelin proud today,
I'm proud of myself today
My life is shaped
My life is formed
Like I run about a mile a day
I run a lot
I dedicate this to the one's that
I dedicate this to those who
Counted me out
Didn't believe in me
And looked at me down
Looked down on me
I know y'all see me
I know you see me now
Look at me now man
Look at me now, I'm successful
I'm killin' this shit
I'm doing great at what I do
Sheed, check your boy out man
Look at me, Sheed
Your boy got businesses man
I'm involved in a lot of businesses
I done came up on my own nigga
I made it on my own
I'm a C-E-O nigga
I'm a CEO
Clothing line, cartoons, movies, name it nigga
I'm involved in multiple ventures
Bullshit with rap if you want,
Talk nonsense if you want
I'm a big boy toy driver nigga
I have fancy cars
With unlaced air force 1's with no license
I drive with unlaced Air Force 1's and no license
Holla at me nigga.
Talk to me
Y'all can't tell me shit,
You can't tell me anything now
Look at me now.
Just look at me now
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JEFF BHASKER, KIMBERLY PERRY, NEIL PERRY, REID PERRY, JENNA ANDREWS, TYLER JOHNSON, WILL LARSEN, ALEX SALIBIAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
D
on special delivery (nas & d-block diss)
State prop!! Heavy hitta suckaaaaa