State Property (film)

State Property is a 2002 American crime film starring Beanie Sigel, Memphis Bleek, Damon Dash and Jay-Z. It was produced by Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella and distributed by Lions Gate Films. Abdul Malik Abbott directed the film and co-wrote its screenplay with Ernest "Tron" Anderson. The film was loosely based on Aaron Jones and the Junior Black Mafia (JBM), who participated in Philadelphia's drug trade from the late 1980s to early 1990s. Film critic reviews were generally mixed to negative. It was followed by a sequel, State Property 2 which was released in 2005.

Synopsis
Frustrated with being broke, Beans (Sigel) decides that the only way to achieve the American Dream is to seize it. The film follows Beans and his crew, the ABM, as they take over the city of Philadelphia, creating mayhem as their empire builds.

Beans struggles to maintain his family life while bumping heads with opposing gangsters and police. It all comes to a head when he cannot surpass the city's most notorious crew, run by Untouchable J (Jay-Z) and Dame (Dash). The moves Beans and the ABM decide to make come with severe consequences.

Soundtrack
The State Property soundtrack was entirely performed by the State Property rap group. It was released on January 29, 2002, and peaked at 14 on Billboard 200 and 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.

Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 0% based on 12 reviews. The film also had a 9 rating from Metacritic. TV Guide gave the film 2 out of 4 stars, stating "Formulaic but performed with some verve". The New York Times wrote, "In spite of all the sex and violence, 'State Property' is a remarkably tedious film. The story is sluggishly told, and Beans and his crew, including Omillio Sparks, are too gloweringly one-dimensional to be interesting."

Sequel
A sequel to the film, titled State Property 2, was released on April 13, 2005.