Big L

Lamont Coleman (May 30, 1974 – February 15, 1999), better known as Big L, was a rapper who was born and raised in Harlem, New York. He is known for his lyrical ability and graphic content, and is considered by many to be the king of punchlines in hip-hop. Lamont began rapping in the late ‘80s, known locally around Harlem as a talented freestyler and battle rapper. After meeting Lord Finesse in 1990 and spitting some rhymes for him on the spot, Finesse brought him under his wing and into his crew, D.I.T.C.. L’s first appearance on wax was uncredited on a B-side remix of Finesse’s “Yes You May” in 1992. Later that year, he also appeared on “Represent” by Showbiz & A.G. as well as “Comments from Big ‘L’ and Showbiz” by Diamond D. In July 1992, Big L signed a record deal with Columbia Records. He immediately began recording his debut album, releasing his controversial single “Devil’s Son” in ‘93. Around this time, he also founded the group Children of the Corn, which included eventual hip-hop heavyweights Ma$e and Cam'ron. After multiple delays, Big L’s debut album Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous finally released in '95; although the album is often regarded today as a hip-hop classic, it did not perform well commercially at the time, and Columbia dropped Big L from the label in 1996. Seeking an independent route to success, Big L founded his own record label, Flamboyant Entertainment, in late 1997 with the help of his manager and new business partner, Rich King. He also began recording his next album, releasing the “Ebonics” / “Size ’Em Up” single in ‘98. In early 1999, Big L met with Jay-Z and Roc-A-Fella Records to discuss the formation of Wolfpack, a group that would consist of Big L, Jay-Z, McGruff, and C-Town. The group would be signed to Flamboyant while their music would be distributed through Roc-A-Fella. However, on February 15, 1999, Coleman was shot and killed at twenty-four years old by an unknown assailant in a drive-by shooting in his hometown of Harlem, New York near the corner of 139th Street and Lenox Avenue, the very block that L proudly represented. Suspects were brought in for questioning, but nobody was found guilty; L’s murder remains unsolved. In 2000, D.I.T.C. released their debut, self-titled album prominently featuring Big L. Later that year, Big L’s second studio album (and first posthumous album), The Big Picture, was released and certified gold by the RIAA. Though the following years would see the release of various unofficial compilation albums and mixtapes honoring the late legend, his next official posthumous albums would not come until 2010, almost a decade later: 139 & Lenox (released by his label) as well as Return of the Devil’s Son (released by his estate). In 2011, Big L’s estate released The Danger Zone. Columbia Records released Devil’s Son EP (From the Vaults) in 2017, a collection of ‘93–'94 songs originally slated to appear on L’s debut album.

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