Anyone familiar with Roc-A-Fella records knows all about Beanie Sigel, easily one of the label's most consistent emcees. A gangsta rapper to his core, Beanie brought a refreshing and rugged energy to the Roc, holding it down on projects like The Reason, The Truth, and The B. Coming.
Though his time with the label wasn't always harmonious, Beanie has since gained a new perspective on the final days of the Roc Dynasty, opening up on the matter during a recent interview on N.O.R.E's Drink Champs.
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After specifying that it wasn't Dipset who brought upon the end of the Roc era, Beans explains that there were a variety of different factors that played a role. "Couple years ago I'd tell you everything," he says, clearly musing on whether or not he should divulge further information. "I used to think it was my business."
"It was a lot of things that were happening," continues Beans. "JAY was on a mission. Where JAY's at now, wasn't nothing stopping him from getting there. You can't let nothing get in your way. When you gotta set a goal, sometimes you have to do the opposite. I'm the perfect example of when keeping it real go wrong. When I got on, I was trying to bring everybody with me. You can't do that. It's impossible."
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N.O.R.E jokes that "some dudes gotta wait in the car," prompting Beanie to take it one step further. "They can't even get in the car," he says. "They gotta stay in the crib. Even if you got love for someone. You gotta understand that when you on a mission, when you handling business when you got a goal, it's things that take steps."
"I come from the n***a world," he says. "At Roc-A-Fella, I had children but they were small, so I didn't understand the parenting because I come from a broken home. I was just living for me...When you got missions, you gotta step shit up. First and foremost, family comes first. There's a difference between family and relatives. That part right there will have you twisted. Then you can look up with the homies." He notes that even a periphery member of the entourage can have an impact on a business deal, a lesson he appears to have learned from personal experience.
Though he doesn't offer up the scandalous behind-the-scenes information some might be hoping for, it's clear that Beans is approaching the question with a more mature perspective. Rather than throw anyone under the bus directly, he opts to look inward at his own personal experience, perhaps taking some responsibility in the process. Check out some wisdom from one of the Roc dynasty's most beloved emcees below, courtesy of N.O.R.E and REVOLT's Drink Champs.