The Reason is the second studio album by rapper Beanie Sigel, released on Roc-A-Fella Records. Originally scheduled for a June 12, 2001 release, the album was ultimately released June 26, 2001. The album contains 14 tracks, and special guests include Memphis Bleek, Jay-Z, Freeway, Omillio Sparks, Scarface, Daz, Kurupt, and Rell.
| The Reason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 26, 2001 | |||
| Recorded | 2000–2001 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 60:40 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer |
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| Beanie Sigel chronology | ||||
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It received positive reviews from critics divided over 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 edit
Critical reception edit
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Blender | [2] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+[3] |
| HipHopDX | [4] |
| Los Angeles Times | [5] |
| NME | [6] |
| Q | [7] |
| RapReviews | 7.5/10[8] |
| Robert Christgau |  [9] |
The Reason garnered positive 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 found some familiarity in the album's beats but praised Sigel's dark-yet-intriguing delivery along with a talented list of guest artists, calling it "one of the best hardcore rap records of the year 2001."[6] Steve 'Flash' Juon of RapReviews praised the lyrical delivery and production for being an upgrade from Sigel's debut effort The Truth, saying that, "[I]n 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."[8] 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."[3] Nick Catucci of Blender wrote that, "Throughout the disc, Beanie stalks through the subdued bounce of big, loose piano and horn riffs, his smooth but steely flow intact. There's a sequel to his first album's not-so-pretty prison tale "What Ya Life Like" here, but it's best hearing about Beans's life when he's feeling nice, not nasty."[2]
AllMusic writer Bret Love commended 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."[4] Soren Baker, writing for the Los Angeles Times, commented that "[T]he 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."[5] Robert Christgau graded the album as a "dud",[9] indicating "a bad record whose details rarely merit further thought."[10]
Commercial performance edit
The Reason debuted at number five on the Billboard 200 selling 151,000 copies in its first week.[11] On its second week, it dropped to number 11 with sales dropping 50% to 75,000 copies.[12]
Track listing edit
| 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 | 4:12 |
| 7. | "Watch Your Bitches" | 88-Keys | 3:46 |
| 8. | "Think It's a Game" (featuring Jay-Z, Freeway, 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 Money XL | 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: | 60:40 | ||
Samples edit
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
- "So Wat Cha Saying" (cover) by EPMD
Get Down
- "Lost Man" by Quincy Jones
- "Bumpin' Bus Stop" by Thunder & Lightning
Man's World
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 edit
Credits for The Reason adapted from AllMusic.[13]
- 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
Charts edit
Weekly charts edit
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Year-end charts edit
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Singles chart positions edit
| 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 | — | |
References edit
- ^ a b Love, Bret. "The Reason - Beanie Sigel". AllMusic. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
- ^ a b Catucci, Nick. "The Reason - Beanie Sigel". Blender. Archived from the original on November 7, 2001. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
- ^ a b Serpick, Evan (July 13, 2001). "The Reason". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 2009-04-21. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
- ^ a b Affrikka (July 12, 2001). "Beanie Sigel - The Reason". HipHopDX. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
- ^ a b Baker, Soren (July 8, 2001). "In Brief". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
- ^ a b Capper, Andy (September 12, 2005). "Beanie Sigel : The Reason". NME. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
- ^ "Music: The Reason [Enhanced CD] by Beanie Sigel". Tower Records. Archived from the original on June 1, 2014. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
- ^ a b Juon, Steve 'Flash' (June 28, 2001). "Beanie Sigel :: The Reason :: Roc-A-Fella Records". RapReviews. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ "Beanie Sigel Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
- ^ "Beanie Sigel Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2001". Billboard. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
- ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2001". Billboard. Retrieved August 27, 2020.