State Property (2002)

0% of critics liked it
(12 reviews)
74% of users liked it
(6,121 ratings)

One man's efforts to get ahead on the streets lead him into a life of danger in this hard-hitting urban drama from Roc-A-Fella Films, the production company run by top hip-hop artist Jay-Z. Beans (Beanie Sigel) is a member of a Philadelphia street gang who has had enough of his life of poverty.… More One man's efforts to get ahead on the streets lead him into a life of danger in this hard-hitting urban drama from Roc-A-Fella Films, the production company run by top hip-hop artist Jay-Z. Beans (Beanie Sigel) is a member of a Philadelphia street gang who has had enough of his life of poverty. Determined to get ahead by any means available to him, Beans steps to the wrong side of the law and begins selling drugs. Forming a crew with his friends and fellow gangsters called the ABM ("All 'Bout the Money"), Beans and his partners soon become the new rulers of Philly's underground economy. But with success comes competition, and Untouchable J (Jay-Z) and Dame (Damon Dash), the leaders of an establish drug-dealing crew, decide the ABM are taking more than their share of the business, and begin retaliating with violence -- with both the ABM crew and Beans' wife as targets. State Property also stars Memphis Bleek, Omillio Sparks, and Sundy Carter. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 35 min.
Directed By: Abdul Malik Abbott
Written By: Ernest Anderson
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure, Mystery & Suspense

In Theaters: Jan 18, 2002 Wide
On DVD: May 21, 2002
Studio: Lions Gate Films

Critic Reviews

Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News
A film of empty, fetishistic violence in which murder is casual and fun.
Lou Lumenick, New York Post
Basically a static series of semi-improvised (and semi-coherent) raps between the stars.
A.O. Scott, New York Times
Lacks the visual flair and bouncing bravado that characterizes better hip-hop clips and is content to recycle images and characters that were already tired 10 years ago.
Joe Leydon, San Francisco Examiner
The acting is amateurish, the cinematography is atrocious, the direction is clumsy, the writing is insipid and the violence is at once luridly graphic and laughably unconvincing.
Rachel Deahl, Boxoffice Magazine
A dull, simple-minded and stereotypical tale of drugs, death and mind-numbing indifference on the inner-city streets.
Luke Y. Thompson, New Times
No one involved, save Dash, shows the slightest aptitude for acting, and the script, credited to director Abdul Malik Abbott and Ernest 'Tron' Anderson, seems entirely improvised.
Cynthia Fuchs, Nitrate Online
... for all its social and political potential, State Property doesn't end up being very inspiring or insightful.
Bill Pearis, Citysearch
A shoddy male hip hop fantasy filled with guns, expensive cars, lots of naked women and Rocawear clothing.