Name: Dwight Grant

Birth Date: 03/06/1974

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Dwight Grant (born on March 6, 1974), also known as Beanie Sigel, is a American rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, an artist on Roc-A-Fella Records who has formed a close association with rappers Jay-Z, Freeway and other former and current artists on the roster. His stage name comes from a street in South Philadelphia, the rapper's former stomping grounds.

Beanie Sigel's first major appearance was on The Roots album Things Fall Apart, on the song "Adrenaline!"; six months later, he "ran into Jay" and was signed after an audition. He was featured on "Reservoir Dogs," from Jay-Z's 1998 album Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life, alongside Sauce Money and The L.O.X., as well as the remix to his "Money, Cash, Hoes", which also featured Memphis Bleek and DMX. Sigel was also prominently featured on Jay's 2000 'group' album, The Dynasty: Roc La Familia, before releasing his solo debut The Truth in 2000, selling Gold.

After appearing on albums by Sisqo, AZ, and Tha Dogg Pound, Sigel followed up with his sophomore album, The Reason. Its single was "Beanie (Mack Bitch)", produced by Just Blaze, and the rapper followed his release with high-profile appearances on DJ Clue's The Professional 2, Cam'ron's Platinum Roc-A-Fella debut Come Home With Me, and a single from Nelly's platinum album Nellyville--the track "Roc the Mic (Remix)", alongside Freeway, Nelly and Murphy Lee.

The new millennium also saw various Roc artists, including Sigel, engage in a conflict with artists from Ruff Ryders. Beans was a forerunner of the beef, publicly decrying Jadakiss, the rest of the L.O.X. and DMX. While Sigel and Kiss both denied any violent intent, they continued to send shots back and forth until Beans put out a freestyle over Jada's hit "Put Ya Hands Up". Conversely, he cultivated a friendship with southern rapper Scarface. Having first appeared together on "This Can't Be Life" with Jay-Z from Dynasty, the two would go on to collaborate on Sigel's first two records, Scarface's The Fix, and later on Sigel's 2007 album The Solution. The two extoll their friendship to the point that Scarface eventually declared that he would retire unless he could do a full-length record with Beans, suggesting the title Mac & Brad and production by Kanye West.

In 2002, Sigel and much of the Roc roster starred in a Dame Dash-produced movie entitled State Property. Its release coincided with the creation and promotion of State Property, a group of artists signed to Roc-A-Fella that hailed from Philadelphia and organized by Sigel and Freeway. Its members included Peedi Crakk, the Young Gunz, Oschino and Omilio Sparks. Their first collaboration was for the movie's soundtrack, an eponymous release that featured the original "Roc the Mic" by Sigel and Freeway. They followed up with 2003's The Chain Gang Vol. 2, featuring the single "Can't Stop, Won't Stop" by the Young Gunz; the record was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance By a Duo or Group.
In 2004, Sigel was found guilty of federal weapons charges and sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison. He finished his 3rd album, The B. Coming, and shot multiple videos before he had to start his sentence. During this time, Jay-Z ascended to the Presidency of Def Jam Records, causing former business partners Damon Dash and Kareem "Biggs" Burke to split off and form the Dame Dash Music Group. Sigel's B. Coming was released on DDMG and Def Jam rather than Roc-A-Fella, but contained production from a slew of Roc/Jay-Z-affiliated producers including Chad West, The Neptunes, Just Blaze, Boola and Buckwild. Artists from both sides of the split were present on the record, from State Property members to Cam'ron and Jay-Z; the record spawned Sigel a hit with "Feel it in the Air," sold 131,000 copies in its first week and reached Gold status in sales.Soon after, he clarified his comments, saying he simply didn't want to be involved in the conflict and electing to re-open talks with Roc-A-Fella instead of moving to DDMG; rumors also surfaced that he was in talks with G-Unit.Sigel's presence at Jay-Z's I Declare War concert in 2005 clarified any rumors as to his label status; Sigel soon re-signed to Roc-A-Fella, announcing the formation of his Def Jam-housed State Property Records. '06 marked Beanie's first post-beef collaboration with Jadakiss, "Problem" from DJ Khaled's Listennn: The Album, and appearances on several Def Jam-related projects including Ludacris' Release Therapy, DJ Clue's The Professional, Pt. 3, Jay-Z's American Gangster and the remix to Kanye West's hit single "Can't Tell Me Nothin'." On May 25, 2006, shortly after 8:00 am, Sigel was shot twice in the upper right arm during a robbery attempt. He was hospitalized and was said to be in good condition, and later recovered.Sigel went to work on his next album, The Solution, with an even more eclectic set of producers and guests. It didn't hit critically: critics cited lack of production from Kanye West and Just Blaze as Sigel's Achilles heel; the album eventually sold over 112,000 units.In 2008, Peedi Crakk claimed that a Roc-A-Fella A&R sent by Jay-Z told him that Roc-A-Fella was no more, and that the group had been dropped from the label. Sigel's manager, however, clarified the situation by explaining that Freeway and Sigel were both still signed to Roc-A-Fella; the freshly-reunited group have continued to record together, even after most of them were dropped. Still, Sigel has maintained that the Roc's promotion of The Solution was lacking[20], and while avowing his friendship for Jay-Z, also implicated then-Def Jam President in the lack of promotion of--and response to--his album[21].After cosigning the addition of his former rival Jadakiss to Roc-A-Fella[22], Sigel went underground, and has since rarely surfaced; on March 27, 2008, Sigel was sentenced to three months in prison for a third probation violation following positive tests for Xanax and Percocet over five times in the past month. The rapper had already been sentenced to six months house arrest for a previous violation. [23] He was released from custody on June 25, 2008. Following this, groupmate Freeway explained that Beans is finishing out his parole, and that afterwards he will begin to become more active[24]. Sigel was recently featured on Asher Roth's debut album, Asleep in the Bread Aisle. Beanie is also set to appear on rapper Raekwon's latest opus, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II, on a track called "Have Mercy."

A number of Beanie Sigel's songs deal with his Sunni Muslim faith, and the conflict between the conduct expected of a Muslim and the maintenance of a gangster lifestyle. His on-record relationship to religion has been complex. Sometimes he berates those who would lecture him for not being observant enough, as on "This Can't Be Life"; at others he expresses anxiety and looks to God for mercy, such as on "Judgment Day" from The Solution and several songs on The B. Coming, such as "Lord Have Mercy" and "I Can't Go On This Way". On the latter he says: I pray Allah, forgive me for my actions / 'Cause I spit gangsta, think Muslim and act kafir.

One of Beanie Sigel's closest collaborators, and his personal favorite rapper, is Scarface, of the Geto Boys, himself a devout Muslim who frequently makes reference to his own sincere faith. The two men are close friends, and one of their several collaborations, "Mom Praying" from The Reason, finds each man talking about faith and filial loyalty in his own way, with Beanie acknowledging that his mother and grandmother are kuffar (unbelievers), but proclaiming his undying love for them regardless. His fellow State Property member and Roc-A-Fella allum, Freeway, is also a Muslim, and one of the things that brought the two Philadelphia rappers together.

Sources: Wikipedia.

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