Image via Complex Original
Beanie Sigel is back in the spotlight, having capitalized on his beef with Meek Mill. Before this war of words with the MMG rapper, the Philly vet was a figure from the past, an important component of Roc-A-Fella history. He hasn’t released an album in four years. Still, he’s a legend.
One of the main reasons for Beans’ status is because he’s unflinching in his perspective. Throughout his career, the Broad Street Bully has hit hard who gets in his way, whether it’s Meek, Jadakiss, Nas, or even Jay Z. When Beans has a problem with you, you hear about it. As he plots his next move against Meek, we revisit the most brutal lines from his career.
“I'm a grown-ass man, I don't sit on ni**as' laps/And I ain't looking for no gifts outta Santa Claus' sack"
Song: “What You Talking Bout? (I Ain’t Your Average Cat)” (2009)
Target: Jay Z
It still hurts that one of rap’s greatest dynasties crumbled due to inner turmoil. The former Roc-A-Fella soldier turned on his boss for several reasons. For one, Beans felt slighted that Hov allegedly didn’t check up on him during his one-year bid, from 2004 to 2005, for a federal gun charge. Secondly, Beans believed that he (and State Property) weren’t properly promoted or paid on time by Roc-A-Fella Records, which motivated his decision to asked to be released from his Def Jam recording contract so he could sign with G-Unit Records. And so when he appeared as a surprise guest for Jadakiss during the 2009 Powerhouse show in Philadelphia, he dropped this freestyle that responded to suspected subs found on The Blueprint 3 (“What We Talkin’ About” and “Already Home”).
"What You Talkin' 'Bout (I Ain't Your Average Cat)" is Beans airing out the Roc’s dirty laundry. The first verse mimics the structure of The Blueprint 3’s intro, while the second answers Hov’s, “Grown men want me to sit ‘em on my lap/But I don't have a beard and Santa Claus ain't black” line. Simply put, he didn’t take any handouts from Hov and he wasn’t going to start now.
“Ni**as talking, ‘Compared to Sig you wack’/Scrap, I know you ain't wanna talk about that"
Song: “What You Talking Bout? (I Ain’t Your Average Cat)” (2009)
Target: Jay Z
Nas rapped that Beanie Sigel was better than Jay Z on his infamous “Ether” diss. Beanie heard that and reworded it on his diss, but added more context to suggest that Hov was being dishonest. Because being from the streets wouldn’t involve any Annie samples, right? Here's the full lyric: “Ni**as talking, ‘Compared to Sig you wack’/Scrap, I know you ain't wanna talk about that/But since ni**as talking, let's talk about facts/From the city where it's long dark nights here/Where hard knock life's real”
"I was the fly on the wall, the shit I witnessed/I could say shit that make B look at you different”
Song: “What You Talking Bout? (I Ain’t Your Average Cat)” (2009)
Target: Jay Z
Jay Z and Beyoncé married in 2008, the year before this freestyle, and any salacious stories Beans had involving Jay surely could’ve harmed Jay’s marriage. “How it feel to get exposed?/Don't you feel naked?/I was the fly on the wall, the shit I witnessed/I could say shit that make B look at you different.”
Beans wasn’t sorry.
“I could tell why Styles say he the ghost of this shit/I could tell in ya style, he write most of ya shit”
Song: “Fuck Jada” freestyle (2001)
Target: Jadakiss
Beanie Sigel vs. Jadakiss was a classic case of owning your territory. In an article from The Source, Jadakiss talked about the criticism that he often sounds the same on every record. He took it in stride though, explaining that New York City and Philadelphia both got on because of him. Beans responded in the same article, saying that no Philly rappers sound like Kiss: “I'm Philly! What's messed up is that Kiss got mad love in Philly.”
The story goes that Kiss heard Beans’ line about the 430 AMG Benz (a popular ride that Jada owned at the time) on “Beanie (Mack Bitch),” and believed it to be a subliminal aimed at him. This inspired Jada’s last verse on “Un-Hunh!”: “Ni**as can't fuck with Kiss, I meanie that/Had to stop eating red meat cause I ate too many Beanie-Macs”; “I'm not one of them ni**as and since you so righteous/Don't make me send your ass to Allah quicker.”
And so, during a DJ Envy freestyle over the beat for “Put Ya Hands Up,” Beans took aim at Jada.
“What's funny, Jason, really think you grimy too/And everybody liked you better in that shiny suit”
Song: “Fuck Jada” freestyle (2001)
Target: Jadakiss
During the same freestyle, Beans also took a shot at Kiss rocking a shiny suit back in the late ‘90s. Remember the Money, Power, Respect cover?
"He a bitch, without the pocket book and the wig/How you talk that ‘Pac shit when you roll with BIG?"
Song: Powerhouse Freestyle (2001)
Target: Jadakiss
In October 2001, Philadelphia held its annual Powerhouse concert hosted by the city’s hip-hop station, Power 99. Tensions were high between Kiss and Beans after exchanging disses on the mixtape circuit. Early in the night, Jadakiss cut off his performance of “We Gon Make It” and spit an a capella verse that called out Sigel in his hometown: “Send Sigel a wire, I’m riding again” The crowd booed and hurled objects like glowsticks and water bottles on the stage.
Sigel, who was also performing at the show, responded in kind. Among disturbing, uncalled for lines about sexually assaulting Kiss’ mom, Beans went after his allegiance to Biggie, one of Jada’s closest friends, and called him out for switching sides.
“I’m like Osama on the president’s ass/You Illmatic? Got the medicine bag/I’m the doctor makes the house visit"
Song: Funkmaster Flex Freestyle (2002)
Target: Nas
When Jay Z and Nas were engaged in a highly publicized feud, Beanie Sigel and his State Property boys rode with their boss, and during an appearance on Funkmaster Flex’s show in 2002, Beanie, Freeway, Oschino, Omillio Sparks, and more threw disses at D-Block, Nas, and the Bravehearts. Beans’ freestyle is laced with violent threats at his enemies, including some crazy lines directed at Nasir Jones: "Look Nas in his eye before I send him to God/Beanie Sigel, Desert Eagle, gruelest ni**a alive.”
“I pluck you then rock him, I ain't no joke, yeah/Check out my felonies, check-check out my felonies”
Song: “I’m Coming” (2016)
Target: Meek Mill and his Dreamchasers crew
When Meek Mill claimed he was responsible for orchestrating the State Property cypher at the BET Hip-Hop Awards, the Broad Street Bully heard enough. “I’m Coming” was the first diss track aimed at Meek, and this line threatened to end him and his boy Teefy Bey for sucker punching him. “Check out my felonies” is not only a play on a Rakim classic (“My Melody”), but it also holds a lot of truth: Beans was charged and arrested with attempted murder in 2003, giving another reason to never question his street cred.
"Ni**a you weak for real/You did that for Meek? You shoulda did it for mills"
Song: “I’m Coming” (2016)
Target: Teefy Bey
Teefy Bey, an affiliate of Meek Mill’s Dreamchasers, is a target for duffing Beanie Sigel backstage at the Bad Boy reunion show in Philadelphia. On “I’m Coming,” Beans scoffs at the idea that Teefy Bey did it for loyalty; he might have enjoyed a duffel filled with cash for his work. And if Teefy Bey is calling out Beans for breaking “the code of ethics of the streets,” he shouldn’t be talking. Sigel is still standing, and that’s unfinished business to some.
"Daddy's here to put the kids to bed/Now get your ass upstairs and I better not hear that TV on"
Song: “Good Night” (2016)
Target: Meek Mill
Beanie Sigel’s “Good Night” proved he wasn’t going to back down after one diss record. Beans was more reflective of his status and reputation his second go-around, but he chose to go after Meek Mill’s lack of a father (“I’m the dad you never had”), which likely struck a nerve. (For those of you who don’t know, Meek’s father died when he was young and he rapped about avenging his death on “Traumatized.”) This sounds like a dagger in the heart: "I'm the dad you never had/What's your problem, ni**a? I'm like your father figure/And with that being said, daddy's here to put the kids to bed/Now get your ass upstairs and I better not hear that TV on.”