Beanie Sigel understands what it means to live life in the fast lane. The South Philadelphia rapper has dealt with the spoils and hardships of fame since signing to Roc-A-Fella Records in the late ‘90s. These days, Sigel is slowing down and his son is the one who’s pushing the limit. A student at the Urban Youth Racing School, Sigel’s 14-year-old son, Barry, along with 2,000 other Philadelphians, is learning the fundamentals and the business of racing. Rolling out recently caught up with Sigel who discussed the importance of the school and provided advice to young black men who find themselves embroiled in trouble. –amir shaw
Why is the Urban Youth Racing School so important?
It’s the only school like this in the nation.
How will this school change people’s perception of NASCAR?
NASCAR is a predominately white sport. I would have never thought that there were so many urban youth who are into NASCAR. Even if you are not going to be a driver, you can be a mechanic, pit crewmember, a sponsor or manufacturer. And the salaries are substantial.
How did you feel when you first saw your son drive a race car?
I was impressed when I saw him race for the first time. He can handle the car pretty well. They had a celebrity [race] in South Philly. I crashed twice, but my son had it down pat.
You have been incarcerated. What do you say to young black males who are headed down the wrong path?
A lot of kids are in the streets and think it’s cool to be out there carrying guns. Jail is for fools. You don’t want to be in a position where people are telling you when to eat, go to sleep, go to the bathroom and wake up. Your life, as you know it, is gone. I teach my sons to learn from my mistakes. I tell young kids to find something they enjoy doing. And I stress education. Figure out what you want to be and plan for it. My son always wanted to be a NASCAR or Formula 1 driver. … I signed him up, and he has me hooked on NASCAR. Now he has his goals set on what he wants to do in life.
