Beanie Sigel grew up in crime-ridden South Philadelphia. As a teenager, Sigel became a product of the same violence that ravaged his community. His brushes with the law continued during his stint as an artist on Roc-A-Fella Records. In 2005, Sigel was acquitted on charges that he shot a man to death, but he served one year in prison on a gun charge. Now 35, Sigel strives to be an outstanding father and teaches other young men about the importance of staying out of prison.
“I’m telling you from personal experience,” Sigel said during a recent interview in Philadelphia. “A lot of kids … in the streets … 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.”
According to The New York Times, one in nine black men between the ages of 20 and 34 are incarcerated. The rising incarceration rates have also impacted taxpayers. According to the National Association of State Budget Officers, states used $44 billion of tax dollars to sustain prison systems. Sigel believes that more money should be allotted to programs that will allow young black males to develop their talents.
“My grandmother use to tell me that an idle mind is the devil’s workshop,” he says, “I tell young kids to find something they enjoy doing. When my son told me he was interested in cars, I put him in school. Now he has his goals set on what he wants to do in life.”
Sigel also stresses the value of education. According to a recent study at Harvard University, 21 percent of black male dropouts have spent time in prison and 72 percent of black male dropouts are jobless.
“Without education, you will be lost,” Sigel insists. “It’s about more than sitting in front of the computer and playing games all day. You have to figure out what you want to be and plan for it.” –amir shaw
