Last week, Beanie Sigel released his diss track “Average Cat” against his long time partner and friend Jay-Z. In the song, He claims that Jay at his September 11th tribute concert “called the police on me//cause I was front row at the Blue Print 3.” He also raps “I can say shit, that will make Bey look at you different.”
At one point, Rocafella Records reigned supreme with hits and artists that ruled hip-hop. There was a time when the Roc expanded its resume and ventured into Hollywood with movies like The Streets Is Watching, and Backstage. Memphis Bleek, Amil, DJ Clue, Young Guns, Nore, Freeway, “Beanz,” Dame Dash, and of course, Jay added thespian to their repertoires. The Roc’s most successful movie venture was State Property (2002). It put lyricist Beanie Sigel in the forefront and he led the way straight through Lionsgate studio onto our theater screens. The movie didn’t have incredible numbers, but it instantly became a hood classic.
Besides Jay, Beanie was the next best thing on Rocafella. Memphis Bleek couldn’t rap, and Amil played the token female mcee position and The Young Guns and Freeway couldn’t sell records. However, as a whole they were hot! If you didn’t like “Do It Again” or “What We Do” then you didn’t appreciate the Roc!
But, like any record label there were problems looming in the air and in the backgrounds. After dissecting Beanz diss track it seems as though he was the backbone of the Roc. He brought all the talent to the label, and he maned all battle stations when rocks were being thrown at the throne. He even would’ve taken a bullet for the Roc at the time!
Leave it to Jay-Z to defend himself by retaliating with, “What people choose to do when they attain that type of success … at some point, you gotta look in the mirror and look at yourself. Beanie Sigel had a record deal, a record label, and a clothing line. Never went platinum, ever. I don’t know in the history of rap, if anyone has done so much with so little.” Jay gave him all that stuff because he was his friend, but Jay, where is what Beanz actually earned?
By the way after losing to Nas, Jay hasn’t thrown a rebuttal to anyone who could rap so if Jigga and Beanz got into a lyrical battle, who would win?
