This Philadelphia-based MC, one of several Jay-Z protégés who have yet to attain that level of fame, describes in more detail than most rappers the criminal demimonde that gangsta rap alternately glorifies and laments. And Beanie Sigel knows what he's talking about: In addition to three previous studio discs, his résumé reflects several run-ins with the law, including a recent one-year prison sentence on a federal gun charge. Sigel's familiarity with the dark side unquestionably gives "The Solution" the air of realism gangsta rap fans prize. Yet thanks to a production tapestry long on mournful soul-music sounds (as well as a surprisingly effective sample of James Blunt's "No Bravery"), the album is also a downer, with little of the high-life swagger Jay uses as a drugs-and-guns counterweight. Depressing but arresting.—Mikael Wood