[image-4]Published January 31, 2008.
Beanie Sigel
The Solution
(Roc-A-Fella)
Faint of heart beware: Lyrically, The Solution is a coarse album. Sigel’s latest release makes every attempt to reinforce his gangster image: No doubt getting out of jail and defending murder charges help his cred and influence his raw rapping styles. The constant boasting can, at times, make The Solution sound like a money-laundering technique for a drug dealer. When this album is good, though, it’s really good. Muslim-influenced meditation “Dear Self” displays his smooth steez and “Gutted” with Jay-Z is catchy. But the highlights are sparse enough that The Solution is more likely to be dissected for mixes than worn out in car stereos.
Caley MacLennan
This article appears in Jan 24-30, 2008.