By now you've probably heard of the rift between Jay-Z and former Roc-A-Fella associate Beanie Sigel. Sigel released a track titled "Average Cat" last week to address the issue. "Average Cat" is not so much a diss as it is Beanie's melodramatic take on the discord. Jay has only responded briefly during a press conference in Montreal.
"Beanie Sigel, at the time, was driving two Bentleys," Jay said in his response. "Beanie Sigel had a record deal, a record label, and a clothing line, and never went platinum...ever. I don't know in the history of rap has anyone done so much with so little. I don't know what more you could do for a person at that time."
As the saying goes, there are three sides to every story: your side, the other person's side, and the truth. So, what do you have to say about that, Sigel?
"Let's go to Jay-Z's rebuttal about the complaints of Beanie Sigel," said Beans in a joint interview with new BFF 50 Cent (more on that later) on Power 99 (WUSL-FM). "The two Bentleys that I obtained, Jay-Z had nothing to do with that. That was a car from Damon Dash and from Kareem Burke."
He adds that one of the Bentleys was a birthday gift from Burkes, but he was still responsible for paying the remaining balance on the car note.
"So, Beanie Sigel was driving around two Bentleys and had to pay $5100 a month. It's not like you helped me attain all this wealth and gave me the two Bentleys. You didn't give me a record label. It only cost a couple hundred dollars to search the name 'State Property Records,' nobody owned it; I think I paid another couple hundred dollars and I patented the LLC. So my record label only cost me $750, to say on a piece of paper that I own State Property Records, LLC. I did that on my own, you didn't give me that. And what artists was on that label?"
It's hard to make sense of Sigel's situation without knowing the specific terms of his contract. However, it's obvious that one party's expectation failed to match the other's reality. The music business is just that -- the music business. Beanie Sigel's biggest mistake was that he made an emotional commitment to an environment that called for shrewdness. Jay and Dame concocted an image of Roc-A-Fella the Family (Roc La Familia, if you will) and Beans ate it up. He embraced the label as a family and expected them to respond in kind. Instead, they treated him like a product. Beans even admits that Dame would later sabotage his State Property clothing line. When Dame visited Beans in jail, it was to boost his relationship with Beans as a rift with Jay-Z morphed. Dame Dash was just as instrumental to the Roc's split.
The Broad Street Bully has now joined forces with one of Jay's arch-rivals, Mr. Opportunist himself, 50 Cent. By signing to G-Unit, Beans only proves Jay-Z right. Maybe he needs hand-holding after all.
This won't be the last we hear on this issue. In fact, Sigel's game plan is obvious: "He [Jay-Z]'s a crumb. I'm putting my foot on his neck 'til he responds. Please make a record, 'cause a week been out, dog."
Photos © Getty Images/Ethan Miller/Scott Gries
Comments
That interviewer is F’n obnoxious. Jay-z is one smart MF. Should run for mayor (if he’s tired of making money)
“By signing to G-Unit, Beans only proves Jay-Z right. Maybe he needs hand-holding after all”
Beans Signing To G-Unit Is A Big Disappointment, He Should Have Gone Independent. We’ll See How This Turns Out. Reminds Me Of Star Wars. Fif Is Palpatine And Beans Is Anakin.
Beanies ridiculous. He’s mad that Jay didn’t help him out more. What more could Jay do? Beanie said he was mad because Fifty support his new artist. (Like Fifty being on Games singles) and he said Jay should do the same. That’s stupid because Jay wants his artist to prove themselves. Kanyes first two singles didn’t even have Jay on them.
Wow from what I’m hearing, I lost maaaad respect for Beanz. Trippin’ man.
That’s a sucker move on Beans. If Jay’s CD wasn’t a success, Beans would have nothing to say. He wouldn’t be talking right now, he let all this time go pass and now he has something to say? Big time SUCKER MOVE, and to do it with a cry baby like 50 the man that blames Jay for him losing to Kanye, fifty is just like one of the around the way chicks starting beef between 2 other people and then backs away and let thim fight. Fifty bites from everybodys style and try to act like it his, Jay put Mobb Deep on blast now fifty putting people on blast Ja Rule had the singing thing fifty started doing it.But when it don’t work he runs to try and be your friend (Jada). Who did fifty really help and who did he run from.Didn’t want beef with Game, tryin to run with Jada couldn’t help LL’s album sales when LL had a problem with Jay. He can’t knock Jay from that #1 spot by his self, so now you got Beans who claims he’s street, and can’t see that he’s getting played. All I’m sayin is if you have a problem with a person let be between you and that person. Once its out in the open like this its gonna stay a problem. Jay can’t take care of this one like a man because he’s dealing with not one but two little boys.
We did a record with beans for the Game’s R.E.D album.at this point in time no one knows what is going to happen to that record because of beans signing with alleged signing to G unit records…Beans move to sign with G unit was stupid because G-unit records got dropped from interscope’s distribution but they still operate under the interscope umbrella.Thats why no g unit albums have been put out.even mobb deep got dropped and M.O.P never did anything because of a bad contract….Game killed any sort of credibility they had with hip hop fans after 50s second album. and not only in a hip hop view their credibility in the streets are just a lil above Rick Ross which says alot…