A Hip Hop CLASSIC!!!
Big L- 145st. & Lennox "Stand Up"
Big L- Rocking the "Timbo's with the Sweatshirt to match"
A "Young" Nas(Middle),& Big L
Big L & Fat Joe
R.I.P- "Big L & (his Big Bro) Big Lee"
Gone but Not Forgotten..
Today makes 11 years since one of my "Favorite Rappers Ever" Lamont Coleman aka "Big L" was murdered.Big L was born May 30, 1974 in New York City, and grew up in uptown Harlem which he references regularly in his lyrics (139th Street & Lennox Avenue). Big L's debut solo album, Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous, was released in March 1995. The album featured guest appearances from a number of artists, notably Kid Capri, Lord Finesse, and then-unknown Cam'ron and Jay-Z. Two singles, "M.V.P" and "Put It On", were released from the album, both of which reached the top twenty-five of Billboard's Hot Rap Tracks. The album itself also reached the Billboard 200, but due to its poor commercial status Big L was dropped from Columbia Records.From 1997 to '99, Big L worked on his second album The Big Picture through his own Flamboyant Entertainment label. He released the acclaimed single "Ebonics" in 1998. The Big Picture was released posthumously in August 2000 and featured guest appearances by Fat Joe, Guru of Gang Starr, Kool G Rap, and Big Daddy Kane among others. Jay-Z has said that Big L was set to sign with his "Roc-A-Fella" label, but was murdered the week before!! Damn. The Big Picture was Big L's last recorded album.The album was certified gold a month later.
Big L was killed in the neighborhood of Harlem on February 15, 1999 after being shot over 9 times in the face and chest.Virgilio Perez, one of Big L's childhood friends, was arrested in May 1999 for the crime. At the time of his death, Coleman had two brothers in prison.The streets felt like "It's a good possibility it was retaliation for something [Big L's] brother did.Perez was later released and the murder case remains unsolved.
Big L's half-brother Leroy Phinazee aka "Big Lee" was murdered in the same neighborhood in 2002 in the time leading up to his death, "Big Lee" had apparently been in search of information regarding Big L's murder.Gone But Never Forgotten R.I.P "Big L"!
