The Truth

1	The Truth 4:09
2	Who Want What 4:15
3	Raw & Uncut 3:36
4	Mac Man 4:09
5	Playa / Amil 3:26
6	Everybody Wanna Be a Star 4:03
7	Remember Them Days / Eve 3:55
8	Stop, Chill 3:27
9	Mac and Brad 5:05
10	What a Thug About 3:59
11	What Your Life Like 4:34
12	Ride 4 My 4:15
13	Die Bonus Track 3:10
14	Anything / Jay-Z 4:48

Barnes & Noble

Most hip-hop debut discs are usually only as good as their hit singles. Beanie Sigel's THE TRUTH, which soars from start to finish, is the exception that makes the rule. Technically, Philadelphia native Sigel isn't exactly a rap rookie. He first turned heads with his rhymes on a DJ Clue? mix tape, which led to star turns on Jay-Z's "Reservoir Dogs" from VOL. 2: HARD KNOCK LIFE, and on the "More Money, More Cash, More Hoes" remix on THE CORRUPTOR soundtrack. What makes Sigel a compelling contender to the rap throne is his passionate, protect ya neck flow. His boundless conviction allows him to hang tough with THE TRUTH's high profile guest MC's. The incisive "Mac and Brad" features Scarface; "Who Want What" features loopy rhymes from Memphis Bleek; and Eve smolders on the requisite if-my-friends-could-see-me-now track, "Remember Them Days." While Jay-Z, THE TRUTH'S executive producer, appears on three tracks, the best tracks feature Sigel solo. He depicts stories that exemplify his street savvy and toughness without glorifying violence, and on "Die," he expresses his dismay for the low value society places on those who grow up in the hood. Production by Swizz Beatz, Suave House, and others match the high caliber rhymes with explosive rhythms and rare samples. Martin Johnson

All Music Guide

In 1998, Philadelphia native Beanie Sigel was just another hungry voice in the crowd. However, after an impromptu verse on the Roots' Adrenaline, he caught the attention of Jay-Z, who quickly inked the young MC to a deal with his Roc-A-Fella empire. While the momentum of a few dazzling collaborations catapulted his meteoric rise up the hip-hop ranks, more importantly it showed an MC who was on the cusp of greatness. Beanie's debut, The Truth, is the culmination of that promise. While Beanie's monosyllabic flow is methodical and offers little variation, his lyrics are remarkably detailed. "What Ya Life Like" is such a frightening depiction of incarceration that it warrants inclusion in any Scared Straight documentary. Also, Beanie ingeniously parallels the life of a drug dealer to that of video-game characters on "Mac Man." Although Beanie is not ready to supplant his esteemed mentor, Jay-Z, he is one of the most intriguing lyricists to emerge in the post-2Pac era. Matt Conaway