Facing incarceration on a federal gun charge, rapper {$Beanie Sigel} got to work big time and quickly finished the album he had promised for years, {^The B.Coming}. Rather than rushed, the album feels tense, like all these songs were attacking {$Beans} and he was trying his damnedest to let them all through. It's a hectic, exhaustive listen, and on first encounter, cluttered. The mastering of the album sounds like a mixtape: dense, tight, and maxed at times. It takes some getting used to since {$Beanie}'s lyrics are better and expectedly bleaker than ever, and could benefit from something more crisp -- so make sure you've got the headphones ready and told all your friends to beat it. You wouldn't listen to an audiobook with everybody hanging around, and with {^The B.Coming} being a journal set to beats, you're best off going this one alone. One thing to know is that it's not a linear journal. Instead, it consists of fragments from here and there that deal very little with situations and more with mindsets. The {$Neptunes}-produced {&"Don't Stop"} spits bitter venom at those "softer than a Reebok classic," with {$Snoop} playing a simple, supportive role, something {$Beanie}'s other guests -- and there are plenty -- could learn from. {$Twista} and {$Peedi Peedi} take the twitching party of {&"Gotta Have It"} to a new level and {$Bun B} is a good hangout buddy for the spliff-puffing, sizzurp-sipping {&"Purple Rain,"} but when {$Beanie} gets serious, you'll want {$Redman} or whoever else out of the way. Course, everybody wants to hear {$Beans} and {$Jay-Z} trade lines, since {$Sigel} and {$Jay} go way back, and as {&"It's On"} displays, the powerful chemistry is still there. The spiteful {&"Bread & Butter"} ("So blind/I didn't see the {$Robin Givens} in you"), the humble one minute, vicious the next {&"Lord Have Mercy,"} and the pensive {&"Look at Me Now"} add to the pile of highlights. Those looking for a direct story of how {$Beanie} earned three years in the clink will be somewhat disappointed, but these chunks of insight into the man's turmoil -- and the couple party tunes that go with them -- add up to one hell of an album. [{^The B.Coming} was also made available in a clean version, with all explicit material removed.] ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide