Interview with Mack MITTENS!

Beanie Sigel has an album coming out soon and he's once again buzzing ... check out this interview...(props to Hip Hop Game)

What’s up?
I’m good. I’m blessed.

The Solution is dropping in December. What was your state of mind recording The Solution?

Well, when I was recording it, I just wanted to make an album that was well-rounded and just make good music. I wanted to have an album that had all the music that I enjoy. You got some rock and roll on there. You got jazz. I did a song that I don’t know if it’s going to make it, but I have a country or western song called “Shoot ‘Em Up Bang Bang.” I just wanted to come with all areas of music because I think nowadays, especially with hip-hop, there’s not a lot of good music out there. I think everybody is searching for that beat and that hook and they’re not giving you nothing in the verses. It’s all about having the right hook and having you dance to the song. That’s not giving the people their money’s worth when they go to buy the album. I think a lot of artists should just be getting single deals.

In the past you talked about how much money you spent in legal fees and in “All of the Above,” you say you’re “caught up with the paper.” How much did those legal fees affect your life?

It affected it enough. I still, after all was said and done, I still was able to purchase a Maserati. I grabbed a little Bentley. I wouldn’t say I went broke, but I spent enough money to where I’m not comfortable like how I was comfortable. You’re talking $3 million. That’s not peanuts.

You also say, “I’m a bully with the bucks, ain’t a damn thing changed.”

Even though I had to kick out all that money, I’m still secure financially. I think at that time, that might have been the best thing for me because I only had to do a year. Just me sitting up there for that year and a couple of months, it just gave me time to see a lot of things and just get on top of my business and see a lot of mistakes and a lot of things that I did and a lot of things that I should have done differently if I could have. It was a reminder to stay grounded. Financially, legally or anything, my health can be gone tomorrow. I have to do it while I can so that I can be secure in the future.

You also talk about the hip-hop police in “All of the Above.” A lot of rappers have had negative experiences with the hip-hop police. What kind of experiences have you had with them?
None that I know of. I haven’t had no experience with them.

Is “All of the Above” the big single you’ve wanted your whole career?

I wouldn’t say it’s that. I had a monster with “Feel It in the Air” and that was nothing like “All of the Above.” That was a huge song but it was nothing you could dance to. I think that was a real powerful song. That record was getting a lot of attention and the record company backed it and pushed it, as they should have. The record I did with R. Kelly was to broaden my audience. R. Kelly, he has a broader audience than me. It’s the visual more than anything. When they see the visual, they’re going to notice R. Kelly. There are people out here who don’t even know about a Beanie Sigel or they haven’t paid attention to Beanie Sigel. They might pay attention to me now to where every time I come out, I’m selling more. I topped off at 850,000. If I can pull another 250,000 fans from working with R. Kelly, that’s that platinum mark that I’m trying to reach.

Are you happy so far with the response to “All of the Above”?
Yeah, I feel good. Once we put this video out, it’ll be good because it’s all about the visual. Once this video goes in rotation and people get more into it, it will be bigger. I love the response to it. more here