TODAY IN HIP-HOP HISTORY…
from THE BLAST by The Historian
February 15, 1999
New York’s underground Hip-Hop community was shaken by the loss of one of its most promising emcees. Lamont Coleman, who later became known by the rap alias “Big L,” was born, raised, and fatally shot in the New York City neighborhood of Harlem, which frequently appeared in his rhymes.
Big L grew up listening to the talents of Run DMC, Cold Crush Four, and Big Daddy Kane. Eventually, he started to mimic his favorite rappers. His lyrics defined the world around him and gave insight into fabled Harlem shootouts and legendary Harlem street life.
After impressing Lord Finesse with his freestyles in a record store, Big L quickly made an appearance on the “Yes You May (Remix)” from Finesse’s second album. Showbiz then produced L’s first demo, (which became 1994’s “Devil’s Son”), and got him signed to Columbia Records. Soon Big L officially became a part of the DITC (Diggin’ in the Crates) crew which featured some of the best New York producers, deejays, and emcees on the mic, bringing to life the true sounds of New York hip-hop.
Big L released his first album, Lifestyles Of the Poor & Dangerous, in 1995 introducing the world to his Children Of the Corn crew (which consisted of Big L, Herb McGruff, Killa Cam, Bloodshed and Murder Ma$e). Aside from Bloodshed who was killed in a car accident in 1996, the other members all got solo deals by the end of the year (Ma$e, Cam’ron and McGruff). The album also helped introduce the world to virtually unknown Jay-Z on the posse cut, “Da Graveyard”. Jay-Z also made a legendary appearance the previous year on the Stretch & Bobbito show with Big L.
It looked like Big L was about to blow up commercially, when all of a sudden he was murdered on February 15, 1999 on the same block he posed on for his 1995 album cover. Jay-Z who remembered what L had done for him early on, had just signed Big L’s group The Wolfpack (which also included McGruff and C-Town) to Roc-A-Fella Records.
Released posthumously, The Big Picture is an uneven collection of music he was working on before his shooting; tracks such as “Ebonics,” “Holdin’ It Down,” and “Flamboyant” portray Big L as a rapper full of potential that his early death squandered, one of the sadder what-if stories of recent hip-hop.
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