A recent release reviewed

BEANIE SIGEL
The B Coming Damon Dash Music Group
***

Poor ol' Damon Dash. The would-be hip-hop mogul's attempts to hype his new label appear somewhat stymied because his first two releases are by a dead rapper (Ol' Dirty Bastard) and someone currently behind bars (Sigel). Even worse, when Sigel gets out this summer after serving a year for drugs and gun charges, he faces a court date for an attempted murder rap. At least, it ensures there's an authenticity to much of The B Coming that was missing from previous Sigel jailhouse cuts like What Your Life Like. The Philly MC has always thrown tough-guy shapes, but this time there's something behind his fierce rhymes and intricate stories to back them up. He still glorifies the thug lifestyle (see Purple Rain and It's On), but, while he's not quite gone soft, there's also some contemplation going on (the spooky Tales of a Hustler, Pt 2). www.dashmusicgroup.com

Jim Carroll