“Some of the record company people, they wouldn’t let me put this out, … They said it would be too controversial. But this picture is saying ‘Look, they can stand together. Don’t have to be no fight.’”

PW spent time with Sigel in a New York recording studio shortly before he went away on his federal gun possession charge.

I’m caught up in the system where the blind lead the blind And this artist only speaks on the Signs of the Time. And I pop pills in Purple Rain to state my pain, They say I’m just like my father, bold and too cold.

I was never in an awkward position where I had to curb my manhood.

He paged through a book of promotional photos of himself, one of which was shot shortly after 911. It featured him holding a copy of the Bible upright in one palm while the Koran rose from the other the Twin Towers.

I ain’t the captain of the yacht, but I’m on the boat; I ain’t acting what I’m not, knowing that I don’t. You niggaz acting like you will, but I know you won’t. Man, I read between the lines of the eyes of your brows, Your handshake ain’t matchin your smile.

I don’t think there’s much a person could say about me. My gangster’s never been on trial.

I could wake up six in the morning, go downstairs and record. I learned how to use ProTools and everything. Whenever I felt it, I could record.

I can still do clothing, movies, cartoons. I’mma get mine regardless. Whether I put an album out or not, I’m still gonna see a check.

You always gotta be on time, an hour ahead of everything. You always gotta be prepared.

That’s what I do… Some people smoke weed, some people smoke cigarettes, some people snort coke… I pop pills, I smoke and I drink syrup, that’s my twist.

You don’t need Beanie Sigel in the building with a pre-perception that this crazy dude might do anything.

Pull down the shades on the windows of your soul, And gaze into your mind and watch the wisdom unfold.

Jadakiss is not no walk in no park. Nas is not no walk in no park. These are dudes that could have ended my career.

My art’s not safe, I don’t want it to be safe, it’s not meant to be safe, its controversial, it takes you into deep areas, it’s a journey, its starts off in safe areas but it gets into deep waters.

I think controversy has this allusion of being controversial but it’s totally not, which is why I’m trying to get away from it because it’s just easy and automatic.

It’s not controversial to say that human activity is contributing in some way. The question is how serious that is.

I decided I ought to pick a project that would not be controversial, that would not really cost the government a lot of money.

I admire Madonna because she always did whatever she felt like doing. She went through some controversial periods when people rejected her, but she kept on reinventing herself.

As soon as something like Monty Python’s ‘The Life of Brian’ appears with a Muhammad figure as the main lead, directed by an Arabic Theo van Gogh, the controversial late Dutch filmmaker, we will have taken an enormous step forward.

I curated this show [Shanghai Biennale ], I was by no means trying to shock people or be controversial.

I like an interesting movie even if it’s controversial or offensive, depending on your taste.