The Reason (Beanie Sigel album)
| The Reason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Beanie Sigel | ||||
| Released | June 26, 2001 | |||
| Recorded | 2000 - 2001 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 60:52 | |||
| Label | Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam | |||
| Producer |
Just Blaze Kanye West Rick Rock 88-Keys No I.D. Sha-Self Bernard "Big Demi" Parker Damon Dash (Executive Producer) Shawn Corey Carter (Executive Producer) Kareem "Biggs" Burke (Executive Producer) | |||
| Beanie Sigel chronology | ||||
| ||||
The Reason is the second studio album by rapper Beanie Sigel. It was released on Roc-A-Fella Records on June 26, 2001. The album contains 14 tracks, and special guests include Memphis Bleek, Jay-Z, Freeway, Omillio Sparks, Scarface, Daz, Kurupt, and Rell. It received mixed reviews from critics divided by Sigel's lyrical abilities as a rapper. The Reason debuted at number five on the Billboard 200 and spawned two singles: "Beanie (Mack Bitch)" and "Think It's a Game".
Reception
Critical reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+[2] |
| HipHopDX | [3] |
| Los Angeles Times | [4] |
| NME | [5] |
| Q Magazine | [6] |
| RapReviews | 7.5/10[7] |
| Robert Christgau |  [8] |
The Reason garnered mixed reviews from music critics who commended the record's East Coast production but questioned Sigel's abilities as a credible rapper. Andy Capper of NME said that, "While the beats on this album are a little familiar, the attraction lies in Beanie's captivating delivery and black humor. Take into account that you also got Memphis Bleek, Jay-Z, Daz, Kurupt and Scarface dropping skills, and you've got one of the best hardcore rap records of the year 2001."[5] Steve 'Flash' Juon of RapReviews praised the lyrical delivery and production for being an upgrade from Sigel's debut effort The Truth, saying that, "By the end of the album when you're hit with the haunting melody of "What Your Life Like 2", you'll realize that a lot of things have gone up a notch in Roc-A-Fella's camp. In the pantheon of Philadelphia rap from The Roots to Will Smith, make room for a mack (bitch) - he's definitely earned his right to shine."[7] Entertainment Weekly's Evan Serpick said that, "Sigel will never sound as urgent as Chuck D or as smooth as Method Man, but the Jay-Z protégé makes up for it with smarter-than-average gangsta lyrics and eclectic hip-hop beats."[2]
AllMusic writer Bret Love praised the production for remaining consistent and Sigel's persona of a street smart hustler but found it running its course as the album continued, concluding that "Sigel's sophomore effort isn't so much an artistic step forward as it is a step sideways."[1] HipHopDX writer Affrikka said that despite the first two tracks, the record starts to fall off into mediocre un-originality, saying that "Overall, the experience leaves you wanting more from the executive producing credit that Jay-Z takes. It’s almost as if anyone involved in this project expected listeners to not get past the first couple songs."[3] Soren Baker, writing for the Los Angeles Times, commented that "[T]his much-hyped Jay-Z offshoot was supposed to be the pillar of his mentor's dynasty. If so, that foundation is looking shaky. The normally assertive and interesting Philadelphia rapper flows like a sloth on nearly every cut of his second album, failing to elicit much excitement despite the solid, hard-core production."[4] Robert Christgau graded the album as a "dud",[8] indicating "a bad record whose details rarely merit further thought."[9]
Commercial performance
The Reason debuted at number five on the Billboard 200 selling 151,000 copies in its first week.[10] On its second week, it dropped to number 11 with sales dropping 50% to 50,000 copies.[11]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Nothing Like It" | Kanye West | 3:22 |
| 2. | "Beanie (Mack Bitch)" | Just Blaze | 4:13 |
| 3. | "So What You Saying" (featuring Memphis Bleek) | Just Blaze | 5:06 |
| 4. | "Get Down" | Just Blaze | 4:58 |
| 5. | "I Don't Do Much" | Rick Rock | 4:40 |
| 6. | "For My Niggas" (featuring Daz Dillinger) | Rick Rock | 4:13 |
| 7. | "Watch Your Bitches" | 88-Keys | 3:46 |
| 8. | "Think It's a Game" (featuring Freeway, Jay-Z and Young Chris) | Bernard "Big Demi" Parker | 5:33 |
| 9. | "Man's World" | No I.D. | 3:50 |
| 10. | "Gangsta, Gangsta" (featuring Kurupt) | Kanye West | 3:41 |
| 11. | "Tales of a Hustler" (featuring Omillio Sparks) | Sha-Self | 3:55 |
| 12. | "Mom Praying" (featuring Scarface) | Just Blaze | 4:40 |
| 13. | "Still Got Love for You" (featuring Jay-Z and Rell) | Just Blaze | 4:21 |
| 14. | "What Your Life Like 2" | Just Blaze | 4:23 |
| Total length: | 60:52 | ||
Samples
Nothing Like It
- "Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing" by The Dynamic Superiors
So What You Saying
- "If It Don’t Turn You One" by B.T. Express
- ”One Nation Under a Groove” by George Clinton
- "Fairplay" by Soul II Soul
Get Down
- "Lost Man” by Quincy Jones
- "Bumpin' Bus Stop" by Thunder & Lightning
Man’s World
- "It’s A Man’s, Man’s, Man’s World" by James Brown
Mom Praying
- "It Ain’t Gonna Rain On Nobody’s Parade But Mine" by The Dramatics
Still Got Love For You
- "Ike’s Mood 1" by Isaac Hayes
What Your Life Like 2
- "Quasimodo’s Marriage" by Alec R. Costandinos and The Syncophonic Orchestra
Think It's A Game
- "Beth & Me" by Betty Wright
Personnel
Credits for The Reason adapted from AllMusic.[12]
- Kamel Abdo – engineer
- Tony Dawsey – mastering
- DJ Scratch – scratching
- Just Blaze – mixing
- Gimel "Young Guru" Keaton – engineer, mixing
- Jonathan Mannion – photography
- Midnite – assistant
- Joe Quinde – mixing
- Tony Vanias – recording coordinator
- Doug Wilson – mixing
Album chart positions
| Year | Album | Chart positions | |
| Billboard 200 | Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums | ||
| 2001 | The Reason | #5 | #1 |
Singles chart positions
| Year | Song | Chart positions | |||
| Billboard Hot 100 | Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | Hot Rap Singles | |||
| 2001 | "Beanie (Mack Bitch)" | - | #52 | #11 | |
| 2001 | "Think It's a Game" | - | #99 | - | |
Album/Singles Awards
- BET Awards 2001
Album of the Year: Beanie Sigel, "The Reason"
References
- 1 2 Love, Bret. "The Reason - Beanie Sigel". AllMusic. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
- 1 2 Serpick, Evan (July 13, 2001). "The Reason". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
- 1 2 Affrikka (July 12, 2001). "Beanie Sigel - The Reason". HipHopDX. Cheri Media Group. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
- 1 2 Baker, Soren (July 8, 2001). "In Brief". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Publishing. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
- 1 2 Capper, Andy (September 12, 2005). "Beanie Sigel : The Reason". NME. IPC Media. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
- ↑ "Music: The Reason [Enhanced CD] by Beanie Sigel". Tower Records. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
- 1 2 Juon, Steve 'Flash' (June 28, 2001). "Beanie Sigel :: The Reason :: Roc-A-Fella Records". RapReviews. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
- 1 2 Christgau, Robert. "CG: Beanie Sigel". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
- ↑ Christgau, Robert (2000). "Key to Icons". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
- ↑ Martens, Todd (July 5, 2001). "Keys' Debut Tops The Billboard 200". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
- ↑ Martens, Todd (July 12, 2001). "D12 Leapfrogs Keys, Returns To No. 1". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
- ↑ "The Reason - Beanie Sigel | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved November 13, 2016.