Big L (rapper)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Big L | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Background information | ||
| Birth name | Lamont Coleman | |
| Born | May 30, 1974 | |
| Origin | Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA | |
| Died | February 15, 1999 | |
| Genre(s) | Hip hop | |
| Years active | 1992–1995 1997-1999 | |
| Label(s) | Sony, Rawkus, Flamboyant Entertainment | |
| Associated acts |
Diggin' in the Crates Crew, Children of the Corn | |
Lamont Coleman (May 30, 1974–February 15, 1999), better known as Big L, was an American rapper. Big L was born, raised, lived, and was fatally shot in the same New York City neighborhood, Harlem, about which he so frequently rhymed. He is mostly remembered for his freestyling, storytelling, punchlines, his critically acclaimed debut album Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous and his murder at the age of 24. Also labelled by many to the be the best rapper of all time[citation needed]
Contents |
[edit] Career
Born and raised in Harlem's uptown sector, what he called the "Danger Zone," at 139th Street and Lenox Avenue; Coleman chose rap as a way of getting away from the ghetto. His first appearance on a song came in 1992 on Lord Finesse's "Yes You May (Remix)."
In 1993 he signed with Columbia Records and released one vinyl 12", "Devil's Son." This song was quickly banned from radio, due to lyrics which stations dubbed too violent or vulgar, such as "I pistol whip the priest every Sunday." In 1995, still with Columbia, he released his debut album Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous. The album was hardly promoted and commercially not very popular, but was praised by The Source, a respected rap music publication, which gave it 4 mics out of 5. The album featured now-popular rappers such as Jay-Z and Cam'ron, but after its lack of success, he was dropped from the label.
His career took-off with a group called Children of the Corn, formed by himself and fellow Harlemites Ma$e (under the name Murda Mase), Cam'ron (as Killa Cam), Cam'ron's cousin Bloodshed and McGruff. The group recorded numerous songs, enough to make a full length album, compiled later as "The Collector's Edition." The group never signed a deal, as Bloodshed was killed in a car accident in 1997 and Ma$e and Cam'ron temporarily quit rapping to pursue professional basketball careers.
During the gap of 1997 and 1999, Big L worked on his sophmore album The Big Picture. It was released worldwide at the summer of 2000 to critical acclaim. Two singles, entitled Ebonics and Flamboyant both topped the charts at number one. The album featured cameos from Fat Joe, Kool Moe Dee and Big Daddy Kane among other up-and-coming and established rappers. The Big Picture went platnium in 2001.
Jay-Z has said that Big L was set to sign with his Roc-A-Fella label, but died the week before.[1] The two had a mutual respect dating back to a dual freestyle session on the radio and Jay-Z's appearance on Big L's first album.
[edit] D.I.T.C.
Big L was inducted into the Bronx-based hip-hop group D.I.T.C. by mentor Lord Finesse, forming a strong relationship with his fellow crew-members, O.C., Showbiz & A.G., Diamond D, Buckwild, Fat Joe and ofcourse Lord Finesse, appearing on several of their albums. He appeared with the group regularly, notably on their single "Dignified Soldiers" and their later eponymous LP release, sometimes known as Worldwide. In a interview with Fat Joe and A.G. with hiphopgame.com they confirm that there will be another D.I.T.C album dropping in 2007, with all of the members.
[edit] Murder
On the evening of February 15, 1999, Big L was shot multiple times in the head and chest and killed just blocks away from his Harlem home. Early implications led many to believe that Coleman was killed because of a debt owed by his older brother, Leroy Phinazee, who was in jail at the time and was therefore inaccessible. It has also been speculated that the murderer mistook Lamont for his brother on the night he was shot. It was later found out to be a member of Big L's "NFL" crew, which stands for Niggaz For Life, who was invited inside Lamont's home as a young teenager to eat lunch and a friend of Big L and his brothers. Later, sometime after his release from prison, Leroy Phinazee was also murdered on the same street as his brother after attempting to find out who had shot him. Both murders remain unsolved.
[edit] Posthumous career
His last recorded release was The Big Picture on August 1, 2000, which was released posthumously and was put together by his manager and partner in Flamboyant Entertainment, Rich King, contains songs L had recorded and acapellas that were never used, completed by producers and guest rappers that Big L respected or had worked with previously. The album was certified gold a month later. A new album, is said to be named 'Real Legends Never Die' is expected for release during summer 2007.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Solo albums
| Album information |
|---|
| Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous |
| Live from Amsterdam |
| The Big Picture |
| The Archives 1996-2000 |
Real Legends Never Die
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[edit] Singles
| Album information |
|---|
"Devil's Son"
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"Clinic"
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"Put It On"
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"MVP"
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"Street Struck"
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"Ebonics (Criminal Slang)"
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| "We Got This" |
| "Flamboyant" |
"Platinum Plus"
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"Deadly Combination"
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[edit] References
- ^ Jay-Z Chat Transcript. Roc-A-Fella News. Retrieved on November 30, 2006.
[edit] External links
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Big L |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Coleman, Lamont |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Hip-hop artist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 30, 1974 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | New York City, United States |
| DATE OF DEATH | February 15, 1999 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | New York City, United States |
Categories: Articles with unsourced statements since April 2007 | All articles with unsourced statements | Diggin' in the Crates Crew | 1974 births | 1999 deaths | Murdered entertainers | New York musicians | People from Manhattan | African American rappers | Rappers known by pseudonyms | Freestyle rappers
