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The Reason is the second studio album by rapper Beanie Sigel. It was released on Roc-A-Fella Records on June 26, 2001. The album contains 14 tracks, and special guests include Memphis Bleek, Jay-Z, Freeway, Omillio Sparks, Scarface, Daz, Kurupt, and Rell. It received positive reviews from critics divided over Sigel's lyrical abilities as a rapper. The Reason debuted at number five on the Billboard 200 and spawned two singles: "Beanie (Mack Bitch)" and "Think It's a Game".

The Reason
Studio album by Beanie Sigel
Released	June 26, 2001
Recorded	2000 - 2001
Genre	Hip hop
Length	60:40
Label	Roc-A-Fella Def Jam
Producer	Shawn Carter (exec.) Damon Dash (exec.) Kareem Burke (exec.) Just Blaze Kanye West Rick Rock 88-Keys No I.D. Sha-Self Bernard "Big Demi" Parker
Beanie Sigel chronology
The Truth (2000) The Reason (2001) The B. Coming (2005)

Reception

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Blender	[2]
Entertainment Weekly	B+[3]
HipHopDX	[4]
Los Angeles Times	[5]
NME	[6]
Q Magazine	[7]
RapReviews	7.5/10[8]
Robert Christgau	[9]

The Reason garnered positive reviews from music critics who commended the record's East Coast production but questioned Sigel's abilities as a credible rapper. Andy Capper of NME found some familiarity in the album's beats but praised Sigel's dark-yet-intriguing delivery along with a talented list of guest artists, calling it "one of the best hardcore rap records of the year 2001."[6] Steve 'Flash' Juon of RapReviews praised the lyrical delivery and production for being an upgrade from Sigel's debut effort The Truth, saying that, "[I]n the pantheon of Philadelphia rap from The Roots to Will Smith, make room for a mack (bitch) - he's definitely earned his right to shine."[8] Entertainment Weekly's Evan Serpick said that, "Sigel will never sound as urgent as Chuck D or as smooth as Method Man, but the Jay-Z protégé makes up for it with smarter-than-average gangsta lyrics and eclectic hip-hop beats."[3] Nick Catucci of Blender wrote that, "Throughout the disc, Beanie stalks through the subdued bounce of big, loose piano and horn riffs, his smooth but steely flow intact. There's a sequel to his first album's not-so-pretty prison tale "What Ya Life Like" here, but it's best hearing about Beans's life when he's feeling nice, not nasty."[2]

AllMusic writer Bret Love commended the production for remaining consistent and Sigel's persona of a street smart hustler but found it running its course as the album continued, concluding that "Sigel's sophomore effort isn't so much an artistic step forward as it is a step sideways."[1] HipHopDX writer Affrikka said that despite the first two tracks, the record starts to fall off into mediocre un-originality, saying that "Overall, the experience leaves you wanting more from the executive producing credit that Jay-Z takes. It’s almost as if anyone involved in this project expected listeners to not get past the first couple songs."[4] Soren Baker, writing for the Los Angeles Times, commented that "[T]he normally assertive and interesting Philadelphia rapper flows like a sloth on nearly every cut of his second album, failing to elicit much excitement despite the solid, hard-core production."[5] Robert Christgau graded the album as a "dud",[9] indicating "a bad record whose details rarely merit further thought."[10]

Commercial performance

The Reason debuted at number five on the Billboard 200 selling 151,000 copies in its first week.[11] On its second week, it dropped to number 11 with sales dropping 50% to 50,000 copies.[12]

Track listing

Samples

Nothing Like It

• "Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing" by The Dynamic Superiors

So What You Saying

• "If It Don’t Turn You One" by B.T. Express
• ”One Nation Under a Groove” by George Clinton
• "Fairplay" by Soul II Soul

Get Down

• "Lost Man” by Quincy Jones
• "Bumpin' Bus Stop" by Thunder & Lightning

Man's World

• "It’s A Man’s, Man’s, Man’s World" by James Brown

Mom Praying

• "It Ain’t Gonna Rain On Nobody’s Parade But Mine" by The Dramatics

Still Got Love For You

• "Ike’s Mood 1" by Isaac Hayes

What Your Life Like 2

• "Quasimodo’s Marriage" by Alec R. Costandinos and The Syncophonic Orchestra

Think It's A Game

• "Beth & Me" by Betty Wright

Personnel

Credits for The Reason adapted from AllMusic.[13]

• Kamel Abdo – engineer
• Tony Dawsey – mastering
• DJ Scratch – scratching
• Just Blaze – mixing
• Gimel "Young Guru" Keaton – engineer, mixing
• Jonathan Mannion – photography
• Midnite – assistant
• Joe Quinde – mixing
• Tony Vanias – recording coordinator
• Doug Wilson – mixing

Charts

Singles chart positions

Year	Song	Chart positions
		Billboard Hot 100	Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks	Hot Rap Singles
2001	"Beanie (Mack Bitch)"	-	#52	#11
2001	"Think It's a Game"	-	#99	-

Album/Singles Awards

• BET Awards 2001

Album of the Year: Beanie Sigel, "The Reason"

References

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