Beanie Sigel — This Time

Released from Roc-A-Fella and became independent, in 2009 Beanie Sigel signs with G-Unit and prepares to release an album that no longer comes out. There would also be a collaborative record with Scarface, which never arrived. Finally, Sigel finds a distribution agreement with EMI and releases what is to date his latest solo effort with Ruffhouse Records, relaunched for this very release thirteen years after it closed. This comes just before the Philadelphia rapper is due back in jail, because his troubles with justice aren't over: he's found guilty of tax evasion and has to serve 25 months in prison. It's not over yet, because a few weeks before starting the sentence, Sigel is arrested by the police on other charges, including drug possession, weapons possession, and conspiracy.

The record is produced by SK, Don Cheegro, Dirty Harry, D-Dot, Jay & PI, Cardiak and Chad Hamilton. Guests are Young Chris, Game, State Property, Akon, Corey Latif Williams, Junior Reid, Oliver Laing and Sean Anthony Francis. Sigel is still aiming for a difficult mainstream exploit that he cannot start with the support of these names. The disc experiments with different sounds, passing from jazz to discodance, from reggae to dancehall, hooks seldom work (Akon on "That's All I Know") and the thoughtful and conscious lyrics of the emcee are buried by bad and cheap music, commercial and without appeal. "Bang Bang Youth" is one of the best examples of this. The other street tunes aren't really saying anything.

Critics greeted this release with enthusiasm, the public rejected it, is outside the top thirty in the hip-hop chart and fails to crack the top forty among independent records. It disappoints in every aspect, even when it manages to get the entire State Property back on wax for a returning posse in "The Reunion", on an uninspired production of Don Cheegro and full of references. Unfortunately, these three quarters of an hour fail to summarize the essence of Sigel's talent, the result is a chaotic, messy and forgettable tape, one of his least successful efforts. 4/10.