Beanie Sigel Says Jay-Z Wouldn't Let Him Out Of Record Deal

Beanie Sigel put his entire career in retrospect on Wednesday's (July 6) "RapFix Live." Once an intergal part of Jay-Z and Dame Dash's Roc-A-Fella Records, Beanie Sigel — like most of the label's roster — was suddenly on the outside looking in once the label split.

Not only was Beans left in limbo, but the Philadelphia MC was in the midst of legal troubles at the time. Upon his release from prison in 2005, Sigel secured a deal with 50 Cent's G-Unit Records. And according to Beans, all he needed was a release from his Def Jam contract from Jay-Z, who happened to be the label president at that time.

"When I first got out of jail, I had a meeting, a situation that was already lined up and set up where I could've had [a deal] over there," Sigel said of an agreement 50 Cent put on the table for him. "He wanted to give me a label, a whole label deal ... and a whole lot of money too."

Feeling what he described as a sense of loyalty, Sigel went to meet first with Jay, who hadn't communicated with the rapper during the year he was locked up. "Coming where I came out from, that situation with Roc-A-Fella, I was like, 'Let me go holla at my man and see what he got for me before I jump over there.' "

Sigel said he was hoping that Jay would release him from his Def Jam contract in a move that would free the State Property rapper up to do business with 50. Sigel admitted, however, that while he told Jay he had a pending offer, he didn't reveal to Jay that it was from G-Unit.

"I told him I had to roll. 'If you can't make that situation happen for me, I gotta leave. I gotta go,' " he recalled telling Jay. "I asked him to just let me go — from Def Jam, not from Roc-A-Fella — because he was the president of Def Jam. 'I want to leave Def Jam, I'm out. You're the president, you can push that button. Let me get my release papers.' "

But Hov didn't fulfill his old running mate's request. "I went to Jay like, 'Let me get this [record deal] situation,' and he was like, 'I can't let you go.' He was like, 'No.' He was like, 'Nah, let me see what I could do.' That 'see what I could do' turned into another two years."

In the end, Sigel never signed with G-Unit, and by 2009, Beans was launching dis rhymes at Jay after hearing what he interpreted as a subliminal attack against him on Jay's The Blueprint III album. Despite all that has gone down, Beans reiterated to on "RapFix Live" that he was appreciative of the opportunities Jay-Z and Dame Dash had given him while signed to Roc-A-Fella.

What do you think of Beanie's past conflicts with Jay? Tell us in the comments.