Philadelphia hip-hop is on the map right now, but for the wrong reasons. At one point, Beanie Sigel and Meek Mill had a teacher-student relationship, but recently things have gone sour. The two Philly rappers are exchanging shots on the regular, improbably stemming from a beef between The Game and Meek. How did we get here? This is the history of their relationship, and how things went from positive to negative seemingly overnight.
Philadelphia hip-hop is on the map right now, but for the wrong reasons. At one point, Beanie Sigel and Meek Mill had a teacher-student relationship, but recently things have gone sour. The two Philly rappers are exchanging shots on the regular, improbably stemming from a beef between The Game and Meek. How did we get here? This is the history of their relationship, and how things went from positive to negative seemingly overnight.
Aug. 25, 2010 – Beanie Sigel Raps on Meek Mill’s 'Mr. Philadelphia'
The earliest collaboration between the young bull Meek and the OG Beans appears on “This Is How We Do It,” from Meek’s Mr. Philadelphiamixtape. The tape also featuresState Property members Peedi Crakk and Young Chris, bridging the generational gap and anointing Meek as the city’s rising talent.
Aug. 11, 2011 – Beanie Sigel Hops on Meek Mill’s 'Dreamchasers'
Meek Mill’s highly successful breakthrough mixtape, Dreamchasers, includes huge bangers like “House Party” and “I’ma Boss,” but the title track explains his movement—and Beans helps him express it. Their chemistry is palpable on this motivational anthem about hustling until you shine, and it’s clear just how hard they worked to put on for their city and blow up.
August 2012 – Beanie Sigel Shows Support for Meek Mill on 'The Breakfast Club'
During the promotional run for Beanie Sigel’s This Time—his sixth studio album, released before serving a two-year prison sentence stemming from charges of tax evasion and drug possession—he shares his support for Meek Mill. Sigel says he relates to Mill.
“I love Meek for what he doing,” he says. “Looking at Meek Mill is a fun thing to do because it’s like looking at myself, coming in with Roc-A-Fella at the age of 22, 23 years old and him, the same thing with Ross and Maybach Music. And him accomplishing what he’s doing, it’s a good feeling.
“A lot of people…like when you in the mix of it and you running. Time go by quick. You on the road, you doing shows, you on tours or you don’t really get to see your career until it’s over and you sit back and watch documentaries that people did and have footage that they put together [of the] things you did. And like, ‘Wow, I remember that.’ But me, I’m blessed to look at Meek Mill do his thing with Ross.”
He also offers some industry advice, referencing his time on the Roc and what he gained from it. “Coming up with Roc-A-Fella, we were La Familia, the family. Everything is business. I learned that the hard way. It’s a big difference between family and relatives. So that family word get tossed around real loosely. Learn the business, stay on top of your business, and keep it all the way business,” he says.
July 31, 2013 – Meek Mill Says Beanie Sigel “Made a Lane for Philly”
While Beanie Sigel is incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institution in Schuylkill County in Pennsylvania, Meek Mill shares a photo of him with some other inmates. For the caption, he writes: “Free b-Mac #philly #standtall ain't to[o] many other rappers I respect from here ni**a made a ‘real lane for Philly.’”
March 21, 2015 – Meek Mill Brings Out Beanie Sigel and State Property During His Homecoming
After time in prison in 2014, for violating probation originating from a 2008 gun and drug conviction, Meek hosts a #WelcomeBackMeek concert for Philly fans in 2015. It’s held at the Wells Fargo Center on a Saturday in March, and Meek pulls out all the stops: Allen Iverson, French Montana, Rick Ross, Yo Gotti, DJ Khaled, Lil Durk, Fabolous, and Jeezy all make appearances, among others.
Beanie Sigel earns one of the loudest pops from the crowd when he hits the stage. “They done and sent my ni**a to prison. They done shot my ni**a. But he’s still back holding it down for Philly,” Meek says, explaining that Beans is a fighter who won’t give up.
Meek and Beans perform Jay Z’s classic song, “Do It Again (Put Ya Hands Up),” and Hov makes a surprise appearance.
Aug. 21, 2015 – At Height of Meek-Drake Beef, Beanie Sigel Sends a Message to Meek and AR-AB
Beanie Sigel, who has beefed in the past with Jadakiss and Jay Z, offers some words to Meek and AR-AB, who Meek took a shot at during a concert in New Jersey. (AB would hit him up with a freestyle over “Back to Back.”)
Oct. 23, 2015 – DJ Khaled Features Meek Mill and Beanie Sigel on 'I Changed a Lot'
DJ Khaled, a.k.a. the King of Anthems, curates an East Coast posse cut with French Montana, Jadakiss, Meek Mill, and Beanie Sigel, called “I Lied.” It’s a “ride for your homies” banger (“I ain’t seen nothing!”), and it will be the last time Meek and Beans are featured on an album together.
Aug. 17, 2016 – Beanie Sigel Gives Meek More Advice Post-Drake Beef
On Beanie Sigel’s first appearance on Tax Season—a three-hour conversation with DJ Kyra Chaos that covers his inner turmoil with State Property, Roc-A-Fella history, and more—Taxstone asks him about the new Philly rappers running the game today. On the subject of Meek Mill, he says he should cut out the “yes men” in his entourage and suggests he take some time away from the limelight.
“You don’t gotta take care of everybody. Remember them nights when you were up at CFCF [Curran-Formhold Correctional Facility]. You was fucked up, and them money orders wasn’t coming through. You couldn’t go to canteen like that. Remember them days, dog. Styles said it in one of them night: ‘Your broad will come see you twice. Your mom will come forever.’ Just think about them times when you were by yourself. And it’s cool to go away. I said: ‘Sometimes you gotta go away to make a comeback. And those know when they go, don’t even come back.’ It’s bigger than the 215. Just words from somebody who been through it.”
Sept. 18, 2016 – Beanie Sigel Jumps Into The Game/Meek Mill Feud on “OOOUUU”
To quickly recap The Game/Meek Mill’s feud: The Game calls out Meek Mill for snitching because he accused him of being tied to a jewelry robbery involving Sean Kingston at a L.A. club, 92 bars from The Game with a few of them aimed at Meek, Kingston telling his side of the story, The Game hearing Kingston’s account and striking back on Instagram, and then Meek retaliating with his own diss record over Young M.A’s “OOOUUU.”
Beanie Sigel seems, in large part, to be motivated by hometown pride. He’s stated before that he has no problems with The Game, but rather his brief cameo on “OOOUUU” was a sign of respect for musical beefs and Philly unity. Here, Beans warns The Game of his presence: One phone call, I'm in L.A. in three hours/The bully, please don't bring me out of retirement,” he sneers.
The Game responds on Instagram, and it isn’t pretty.
Sept. 20, 2016 - The Game Disses Beanie Sigel on “Pest Control”
Two days after Meek Mill, Omelly, and Takbar’s “OOOUUU” freestyle, The Game fires back with “Pest Control.” They’re some of the best bars from Game in the minute, and he makes sure to shoot at everyone who has been trying to test him. His second verse shreds Beans:
Yeah, take Beans back to rehab
On Instagram lookin' like a mothafuckin' bean bag
Flyin' through Philly on them Wocky sticks
Punk-ass ni**a, I'll beat you with a hockey stick
The ni**a Hov gave you the game, you ain't soak it
You was s'posed to throw up the Roc, not smoke it
Talkin' you gon' be in L.A. in three hours
It's a 5-hour flight, put this bum in the shower
Pu**y, I'm not a rookie, akhi, don't push me
Sept. 22, 2016 – Beanie Sigel Admits to Helping Meek Mill With Lyrics
So Meek Mill gets into a feud with Drake because Quentin Miller might have written his verse on “R.I.C.O.” But then Meek gets called out for using Beans as a ghostwriter? Interesting.
During an interview with 92 Q's Persia Nicole, Beans explains how he got on Meek’s “OOOUUU” freestyle, saying that no one from Meek’s camp reached out to him directly. "I just happened to come in the studio, so I just was helping him out with some lyrics, and the situation kind of played out like it did. It's really no beef, especially between me and Game,” he says.
Game responds (again) on Instagram, poking fun at Meek for using another person’s pen to write a diss track, as well as revealing that Mack allegedly got beat up by someone affiliated with Dreamchasers.
Sept. 23, 2016 – Video Surfaces of Beanie Sigel Getting Duffed
The Bad Boy Reunion tour makes a stop in Philadelphia, and rumors surface that Beanie Sigel was jumped backstage. Teefy Bey, an affiliate of Meek’s, takes responsibility for the sucker punch. In an interview with HipHopSince1987, he says that Beanie broke “the code of ethics of the streets” for switching sides between The Game and Meek.
For his part, Beans says he left the venue after the incident, but Puffy advised him to turn back around to do the show. He performed “Beanie (Mack Bitch”) with French and Puff on stage, and then proclaimed that “the real king of Philly is back.” He added, “We will be represented right!”
Never one to miss an opportunity to speak on the latest developments between Meek and Beans, The Game jumps back into the fray:
Sept. 27, 2016 – The Game Drops “Pest Control” Video, Includes Footage of Beanie Sigel Getting Punch
Adding insult to injury.
Sept. 28, 2016 – Beanie Sigel Airs Out Meek Mill on 'Tax Season'
Beanie Sigel sounds like he’s at his tipping point. He appears on Taxstone’s podcast to get some things off his chest, breaking down Meek in every way. He calls out Meek’s decision-making during his feud with Drake. He questions Meek’s street credibility, saying that he’s misrepresenting Philly by being fake. He comes after his relationship with Nicki Minaj. “What's the real reason why you was mad at Drake? In my point of view, you was laying in the bed one night, you rolled over and you looked at [Nicki Minaj], and you asked her 'Did you fuck that ni**a?' And she ain't answer in the way you wanted her to. That's what I think,” he says.
Sept. 28, 2016 – Meek Mill Blasts Beanie Sigel with Text Message on IG
Meek shares a text message from Beans that sounds like the older head was championing the younger rapper as the voice of Philly; it was “all good a week ago.” It also reveals that Beans took a shot at fellow Philly rapper Lil Uzi Vert because he wears “pocketbooks wit purple hair.” So much for brotherly love.
Sept. 30, 2016 – Meek Mill Shoots at 50 Cent, Drake, and Beanie Sigel in Freestyle
Backed by his Dreamchasers crew, Meek Mill uses his appearance on Funkmaster Flex to deliver a visceral freestyle at every going going at him. “Ridin’ down Broad Street I’m in that ‘Bach again/I bully ni**as unlike Mack again–Philly!” he raps, referring to how he’s bullying the game now.
Oct. 1, 2016 – Meek Mill Says He’s Done With Internet Beefing
Hot New Hip-Hop reports that Meek Mill appeared at a club in New York for a Funkmaster Flex event and told the crowd that he’s done with internet beef. He doesn’t name any names, but we can assume he’s referring to Drake, The Game, and Beanie Sigel. "I ain't going back and forth on no internet. I ain't doin' no more talkin', none of that, ni**a. Any ni**a you hear say somethin' about Meek Milly, tell 'em to handle me on sight!"
Oct. 5, 2016 – Meek Mill Takes Credit for the State Property Cypher
At the BET Hip-Hop Awards, the State Property cypher features Freeway, Peedi Crakk, Omillio Sparks, and Neef Buck. On Instagram, after the broadcast, Meek Mill claims he pitched BET the idea for involving Philly rappers.
Oct. 6, 2016 – Beanie Sigel Releases “I’m Coming”
DJ Envy breaks the news about Beanie Sigel’s diss songs to Meek, saying the records feel like the “real mixtape days.” (Including all the homophobia, or what?) Beans releases “I’m Coming,” and on the Olympicks-produced track, he addresses his issues with Meek head-on.
You just a tweeter, I'm the knock in the Devil's speaker
Stop, this bigger than Omeeka
I wanted U-N-I-T-Y, Latifah
Switch this horror flick, double feature
Gee, what ni**as do for money, my brother's keeper
A sucker way out is to steal him
Face said look him in his eyes 'fore you kill him
Ni**a you weak for real
You did that for Meek? You shoulda did it for Mills
At the end, he seemingly warns Meek he has more like these on the way. “Why the fuck would you push me?/And no more Ruckus, I'm reckless/What you expected? I'm coming.”
Oct. 7, 2016 – Beanie Sigel Drops a Second Diss Track, “Goodnight”
A day later, Beanie Sigel releases another song. “Goodnight” is less abrasive as “I’m Coming,” in that it positions Beans as the elder statesmen schooling the younger guys about how to move in the rap game. Lines like “Me, the reason Philly even on the map/Me, the reason your silly ass rap,” and “And I tried to give you some game that Jay gave me/To make the transition from the streets to the fame/You got a little fame and tried add street to your name/It ain't the same” seems to sum up Beans’ feelings about the whole situation.
Oct. 8, 2016 – Beanie Sigel Returns to 'The Breakfast Club'
Beanie Sigel returns to The Breakfast Club to discuss everything that’s transpired so far. He confronts Charlamagne the God numerous times about playing too many games and being unqualified to speak on street-related topics. It’s tense at times, but Charlamagne stands his ground.
The conversation moves on to his involvement in “OOOUUU,” and Beans again says that he wrote parts of Meek and Omelly’s verses, but says he was never supposed to be featured on the track. Omelly quickly responds on Instagram, calling him a fraud.
Charlamagne and Envy bring up the the Bad Boy Reunion show in Philly. Of Teefy Bey, who allegedly punched him, Beans says, “It’s sticky now because it’s close. It’s family. We talking cousins married to cousins and brothers married to cousins. It ain’t like this is one of Meek’s goons. This is family.”
Later, Charlamagne asks Sigel what he wants to accomplish with this feud. Beans says he wants to teach him some lessons.
“That’s been our conversation prior to all this,” he says. “You go through the thread on my phone, and you can see my conversations [with him]. Through all of this—just giving the knowledge. ‘Yo, don’t make the mistakes that I did.’ Boss up.”
Charlamagne asks what Beanie would do if Meek were to call him to squash the beef Beans says, “We’ll see. I might not pick that call up, but we’ll see. That would be the better move, that’ll be the smarter move for me. I don’t want to walk a track in somebody’s prison for the rest of my life. So that would be what Beanie Sigel would do. It got what Mack want to do, but what Beanie Sigel want to do?”
Oct. 11, 2016 – Beanie Sigel Releases Third Diss Track, “Gang Gang”
Shortly after his interview with The Breakfast Club, Sigel drops the video to “Gang Gang,” which finds him brandishing heavy artillery. The hook—“fuck whoever ain’t gang gang”— and violent verses suggest that Mack shouldn’t be fucked with. Beans, meanwhile, is just waiting for the respect he feels he deserves.