Beanie Siegel
Interview By Black Dog Bone
From Murder Dog Vol. 8# 3
A lot of people think the Rap coming from Philadelphia would be like New York Rap, but what I've heard from Philadelphia is real hard Gangsta.
That question comes from the previous Rap history of Philly. You've got your Will Smith, EST, Steady D, Schooly D, that typa Rap. It's always been hardcore, people just rappin in the street in Philly, but those people didn't never get a chance. It's a lotta rappers out there besides Beanie Sigel that's bringin it straight street. We always been there, we just didn't get recognized. Philly is a city that grew up on gangsters and the Mob and shit like that. That's what Philly's about. Philly is a ghetto city. Ain't nothing glamorous about Philadelphia at all. To compare Philly to New York, I don't think you could compare the two at all.
Because you're on the East Coast people automatically think you're on the East Coast tip.
Naw, I'm on the Beanie Sigel tip. I'm goin to be me, and that's straight outta the East and South Philly. All I do is speak the story. Not just Philly--any ghetto, any street you from you gonna feel that. It's not just my story, it's your story too.
I heard you started your own label?
A lotta these Philly artists that's signed right now, these are the guys that came up under my wing. I think it's time for me to get some of that paper. I'm puttin out my camp. I got these young cats bout to come out right now. One dude, you heard him on the Dynasty album, named Freeway. He's incredible. We did a song together on DJ Clue The Professional Part 2. You can look forward to Freeway, he's gonna be comin out soon on my label, Criminal Records.
Who's going to do the distribution for you?
I'm stayin with the Roc, I'm goin straight Roc. Not cause I had to, that's a choice from me. I'm dedicated. I'm always gonna be with Roc-A-Fella. I'm gonna be a Roc-A-Fella artist forever.
In Philly what are most people listening to?
Philly been known for music before this new renascence. You gotta go back to Gamble & Hutch of Philly International. This is the birthplace of people like Patty Labelle, Phyllis Heyman. Even if you look on that Hip Hop scene, with Def Jam who put on Run DMC, Rick Ruben, straight outta Philadelphia. Philly been involved for a long time. You got Grover Washington. Herm Melvin and the Blue Notes. Freddy Pendergrass. Then we got Jill Scott from Philly.
Certain things get overshadowed when you're close to a bigger city.
Even though I make my music in New York and I'm with Roc-A-Fella Records from New York, I'm real Philly orientated.
How long have you been doing Rap?
I always knew how to rap. But as far as me writin rhymes and takin shit serious, it's been since about '97.
What were you doing other than rapping?
I was in the streets tryna get mine best way I knew how. I really wasn't thinkin about Rap.
How did the doors open up?
I met this cat Murder Mil, he's signed to Jive right now. Me and Murder Mil became partners. And we met Philly's Most Wanted, and Philly's Most Wanted had a situation with Atlantic Records, and they was tryna get signed to Roc-A-Fella. They asked me did I wanna go up, take a ride to New York. I took that ride with 'em and I ended meetin up with Damon Dash and Jay. The rest is history.
They liked you right away?
From the door I was signed. After I met Jay Z I was doin the Hard Knock Life album with him, I was doin that album in about 5 days.
Since that time what's been goin on with you?
I been doin everybody's albums, not only Jay-Z to Biggie Smalls, Puff Daddy, Cisco, Foxy Brown, various soundtracks, Eve's album, the Roots. I done made a movie. I'm workin on a clothing line right now called Versatile. I'm into the real estate business, I'm buyin properties right now. Startin this apartment complex. I'm tryin to get this community center in Philadelphia so the kids can have something to do after school instead of just bein in the streets. I'm opening up restaurants that sell good, clean, food.
On your last album where did most of your sales come from?
Mainly on the East Coast. A lotta Down South.
Lyrically you talk about the streets. I'm sure you talk from your life experiences. What kind of life did you have growing up in Philly?
I probably had the normal average life for a young man comin up in Philly. I didn't complete high school. I dropped outta school in between the ninth and tenth grade. I left home when I was 14-15 years old. Been in and outta every juvenile institution. On the streets sellin drugs. Locked up numerous times. I been shot, been mixed up in a shoot out with the police. My life ain't nothing new. I done touched it all. I'm just blessed to be here. I'm your average cat from the street. I been stabbed, shot, rocked and chopped. I'm nothing new under the sun. I'm like one of the last dinosaurs right now.
I wonder if you weren't doing Rap, if you never got signed to Roc-A-Fella, what you would be doing?
Right now if I wasn't doing the music, I don't know I'd probably be still on the block, scramblin, hustlin, in jail, or I might not even be here.
When you were growing up what were you listening to?
My mother had all kindsa music in the house. I listened to all types of music. I bounced around from my mother's to my grandmother's house. I was raised up in my grandmother's house a lot. I grew up listening to people like the Temptations, Stylistics, Four Tops, Otis Redding, the Delphonics, all kindsa music. I just love music period.
People you grew up with are probably surprised to see you signed to one of the biggest labels and doing this.
A lotta my friends, they ain't even believe it. Not too many people even knew that I knew how to rap. When I was growin up in the streets in Philly if you was a rapper you was a sucker. You gotta look at who was in the Rap scene in Philly before people like me was comin out. It wasn't cool to wear no Gumby hairstyle. To have a Gumby hairstyle, sneakers and suits to match. I don't know nobody who wore sneakers and suits. When I grew up, as far as the people I was around, if you was a rapper you was a sucker. You was a weirdo. Them people from Philly who was rappin at that time was weirdoes. You got people like Will Smith, but he used it to his advantage in the entertainment business. He took the right route, just as that character. If you was a rapper you was a character, you was funny. And it wasn't no jokes where I was from. Ain't nobody laughin and smilin.
When did Philadelphia get opened to this type of Rap--the street stuff?
Philly got opened up to this typa Rap when Beanie Sigel stepped up. The only people that was holdin Rap down that I'd give it to was the Roots, and they was a Alternative band. They was more Alternative with the live music and stuff like that. But as far as the straight flat out street Rap, the only person out there that was keepin it Gangsta that I can think of was Black Thought from The Roots. As far as the MC period. One of the best freestylers I ever heard.
What are the neighborhoods you have in Philly and what part are you from?
I'm from South Philly. The heart of Philadelphia! The most segregated part of Philadelphia where you got your Italian neighborhood. You got your Irish neighborhood. You got your Black neighborhood. Your Oriental neighborhood, the Hispanic neighborhood.
Is that where most of the Rap comes from? Where do The Roots come from?
South Philly, straight outta South Philly. Black Thought's from South Philly. Freeway's from North Philly. Oshino & Sparks is from West Philly. Different parts we from. I went out and got somebody from every part of the city. North Philly, West Philly and South Philly.
How is Philadelphia different from New York?
In New York it's just a lotta lights, that's how I look at it. Real bright. Ain't nothing bright like that in Philadelphia. It's a lotta glitz and glamour and all the glitter and gold. And Philadelphia is gray, it's gloomy.
When I heard your music it was real dark and grimy.
That's what it is, it's dark. When you look at New York streets, them big wide city streets. And on these blocks people can double and triple park in the streets--you barely got enough room to move one car a block. The houses in Philly are so close and tight together and everything is real close and all one-way streets in South Philly. No two-way streets. That's a real concrete jungle where I grew up. It's a box.
You really got the whole mood captured in your music.
Come to Philly and you'll understand what I'm talkin about. I'm talkin about New York and Philly. New York's the city that never sleeps. 24 hours of clubs--from 8 o'clock at night until 7 in the mornin. Then you got Philadelphia, a city that shuts down at 2 'o clock, and there ain't nobody in the streets but killaz, murderers, crack heads, dope dealers and trouble. That's all that's happening in the streets of Philly at night. You can party in New York, ain't nobody partying in Philly. You out after 2 o'clock, you out there tryna make money any way you know how--whether you're sellin drugs or you stickin up the drug dealers or you trickin the drug dealers, that's how it go on in Philly. After 2 o'clock it's lights out.
Did you ever dream it could go like this? How did it feel for you when your first got with Roc-A-Fella, to be working with people like Jay-Z and Damon?
As far back as I could remember I always wanted to be a gangsta. I never knew I was gonna rap and fall in line with the music business. But Roc-A-Fella was on the top, there was no choice but for me to be on Roc-A-Fella. That was a given. I wouldn'ta fit nowhere else but Roc-A-Fella. I never looked to get signed. I knew something was special, I knew Allah had a plan for me to do something great.
Who are your favorite lyricists out there doing it right now?
Of course you know I'm gonna give it to Jay-Z. I'm a have to say myself. And then no hands down, Eminem--one of the best lyricists in a long time. Then you have to go back to people like Scarface, Biggie Smalls, N.W.A., 2Pac.
What's the main difference to you between this new Beanie Sigel album and the last?
I feel on this album I stepped up a lot. I feel real comfortable with this album right here. What I did on this album came straight from the heart. On the last album I think I tried too hard. I like to be natural. On the Truth album I sat down and really thought about the songs that I was writin. This album I just went in the studio and just gave what people know me as--the rawness and the flows and the style of my delivery. I game 'em a lotta hard Hip Hop tracks, a lotta club bangers. Shit you could knock in your jeep, every club gonna be bangin it, and the street rhymes and flows that you couldn't even imagine. My word play on this album is ridiculous.
I think you gained so much confidence from the first album that you just did exactly what you wanted on this album.
That's why I named it The Truth. There's always a reason behind the truth. This album is just backin up the first album. When you hear The Reason, you're gonna feel like it's part 2 of The Truth.
Do you pick your own beats?
Yeah, yeah. When I worked on my first album it was a cat named Just Blaze who I think did the hottest songs on my album. He did the song that I did with Memphis Bleek called "Who The Fuck Want What." I wanted to work with Just Blaze on this album, cause we got chemistry. I know what to expect from him and he know what to expect from me. And when I did The Dynasty album with Jay, A cat named Rick Rock did a lotta tracks on the album. And I used a guy named Kanye West, he did some tracks on my first album. Those are the main producers I worked with on this album. I did a track with 88 Ki's, I did a track with No ID and a cat from Philly named Big Demi (he was on my first album). I didn't go out and look for the big producers like Swift and Timbaland and Primo. There's new cats comin out just like me. You're new until you get your name. I'm new in the game and I want to give folks opportunity to get on. As I grow, they grow. Judgin from the stuff that Just Blaze doin, he's bananas right now. He's gonna be getting into Timbalin money soon. That hundred thousand a track. That's what I'm tryin do right now, build a relationship with my producers.
Of all the songs you've done which is your favorite?
Every song. Every time I give a part of me, that's my favorite. In every song that's what I'm doin, I'm givin you a part of Beanie Sigel. When I do something I'm givin you the whole me. I feel that I put the best into everything I do.
For this album did you record a lot of extra songs and just pick some?
No, every song I did on this album, I'd come in the studio, I'd listen to the beats--the whole album I did in the studio, I never had to prepare for no songs. When I heard the beats I wrote everything on the spot.
You wrote the rap and then recorded it?
Not even writin it down, cause I don’t write with an ink pen no more. I write in my head. When I'm sittin there listenin to the music, I write. That's a trait I picked up from Jay Z. I've never seen him use and ink pen. He comes in the studio, he listens to the beats and he writes in his head. Why write it down? It's just like exercising the mind. Keep that thought, think of what you want to want to say next, then you know you wanna had that to the paper, but just add it to the thought in your brain. Just keep sayin it. That's how I do it.
Jay Z is a cool person to work with?
Jay Z, he's like a big brother to me. Especially when it comes to music, when we be workin on things, he's a like a big brother. He's gonna show you what he needs to show you. You take it from there. He's gonna show you what you need to know, and he's gonna take it from there. That's what I like about Jay Z. He's not gonna just put it in your hands, he's gonna put it on a platter. He tells you only what you need to know and it's up to you to take it and run with it. I've learned from Jay Z without him teachin. Just from bein around him and watchin and observin. Same thing he does from me. Like with steel, when you run two pieces of steel together, one don't get sharp, they both get sharp.
Of all the Roc-A-Fella artists I like you the most because you have a dark sound.
You have to look at the world today. It's not about champagne and the diamonds and how many cars you got and all that. It's really about maintaining and keepin your family in order. Havin a foundation and structure for you family. Cause you not gonna be here forever, that's how I look at it. I lived my life, I done my dirt in the streets. I'm makin progress in tryin to change my life. I can build corporations and businesses so my family can be alright. This is what I had to go through. They don't have to go through what I had to go through, not knowin how I'm gonna feed my kid or how I'm gonna feed myself. Have to go out and rob and steal for pamper money, to feel your child. I don’t want them to go through that, man.
A lot of people rap about all the cars and jewelry they have, but that's not the reality.
I think that's where a lot of rappers fall off. Once you get in the game in this Rap business, for a person that's on the street hustlin, he's used to havin his money hands on. He used to seein his paper. He can't put that money in the bank. That's money's under the bed, in the mattress, that money's somewhere safe in the wall. So when you change over to that lifestyle when you a business man, people don't know how to separate their life from havin paper money. They're not used to the checks and money bein in the bank. That's why a lotta rappers fall off. When you get outta that stage of havin to see paper money, then you do better. There's a thing called credit, and that's what I learned to do when I'm in this business, it's about buildin credit or building equity. That's what Roc-A-Fella teach you, they teach you how to be a businessman, not only as an artist. If you in Roc-A-Fella you not gonna just be a rapper. You gotta have some kinda company. Right now I'm doin a movie. You got to look forward to all that with Roc-A-Fella. A lotta rappers talk about the cars--anybody can lease a car or a house, but to maintain the payments and them bills when you out there flossin every night with the champagne, buyin the $150,000 watch and all that. It took me two years to buy jewelry. Right now I have a 5-bedroom crib, I got land, I have no neighbors, I got some Bentley's parked in my garage, I have a Suburban and a truck. And I only dropped one album. It's about not just doin rap, when you make that money you have to spend that money to get into that other money. That's why I got into this real estate business. I had bills and I bought property and the rent that I got from there pays for my lifestyle I'm livin now. You got to learn to be versatile.
Roc-A-Fella is owned by Jay Z and Damon Dash. What's Damon like?
When it comes to business, Damon is--how can I say this--he's an animal. He's a very determined man. When he believes it, he's gonna get it accomplished. He's the typa guy, when you sign with Roc-A-Fella, he's not gonna let you just be an artist. He's gonna make sure you own a home. If you have hard times when things don't go too well, one thing Damon's gonna make sure is that you do own a home. You gonna have some kinda money in the bank so you can maintain your lifestyle. Nobody wanna got back from a 6 bedroom house, 4 car garage, to workin at the gas station, livin in a 2 bedroom apartment. You don’t wanna make that transition. You wanna maintain that lifestyle. Damon Dash is gonna make sure you set up to maintain that lifestyle. He's not gonna let you just be a rapper. You're gonna be a business man. And he teaches you. I done heard him ask artists to fire his lawyer. Like you have a lawyer come in to negotiate your deal with Roc-A-Fella, they got to talk to Damon. And Damon'll let you know if your lawyer ain't shit, he's not fightin for you hard enough. Damon is the fairest person that I know. He's out to win, but he wants you to win too. He don't make no money if you don't make no money. I got to sell records. That's why I do my best, cause I know Damon's gonna do his job as far as promotin the album and all that. I know he's gonna put his all into it, so I wanna give him the best project and the best songs that I can.
Is he a young cat?
Young. He's young in the game. And I feel sorry, cause he's gonna be there for a long time, for all the upcomin people and the people that's already in the game. Damon Dash and Roc-A-Fella Records is on a rise right now and it's really about to be a dynasty like no other.
Damon doesn't do music, he's just into the business?
No, he doesn't do music. But he comes in and listens to the music. He has an ear for music. His ear for music is phenomenal.
