Beanie Sigel Announces Departure from Def Jam

A mixtape as a parting gift and a fresh start on his own: in September 2006, Beanie Sigel announced his departure from Def Jam and Roc-A-Fella Records. In an interview with The Fader magazine, the Philadelphia rapper explained that he was no longer signed there and had gotten out of his contract. As a final project through Def Jam, he wanted to release one more mixtape-in his words, a way to rebuild his brand. On September 28, 2006, the site reported the news in its Hip-Hop News section.

Head of State Property and Roc-A-Fella Flagship

Beanie Sigel, born Dwight Grant, had been signed to Jay-Z’s label Roc-A-Fella since 1998. His debut album The Truth reached No. 5 on the Billboard 200 in 2000. He was also considered the leader of the Philadelphia crew State Property, which released its own film and soundtrack. For West Coast fans, Sigel was less prominent, but his announcement caused a stir in 2006: Roc-A-Fella was being reorganized at the time.

The Split Took One More Album

The departure did not come quite so quickly, however. On December 11, 2007, Sigel’s fourth album The Solution was released-still through State Property, Roc-A-Fella, and Island Def Jam. It remained his final release under Roc-A-Fella. Production was handled by, among others, Cool & Dre, Dre & Vidal, Rockwilder, and The Runners.

After that, Sigel went his own way. He released the albums The Broad Street Bully (2009) and This Time (2012) without his old label. In addition, he repeatedly made headlines in the following years due to legal proceedings. The 2006 report therefore described a split that actually dragged on through one more album.