Big L (rapper)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Big L | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| Background information | ||
| Birth name | Lamont Coleman | |
| Also known as | Harlem's Finest Big L Corleone The Devil's Son |
|
| Born | May 30, 1974 | |
| Origin |  New York City, USA |
|
| Died | February 15, 1999 | |
| Genre(s) | East Coast Hip hop | |
| Years active | 1992–1999 | |
| Label(s) | Sony Records Priority Records 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 rap artist. Big L was born, raised, lived, and was fatally shot in an uptown Harlem, New York neighborhood. 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 twenty-four.
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 was furthered 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.
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 members, 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.
[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 brother, Lee Coleman, 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. Later sometime around his release from prison Lee Coleman was also murdered on the same street as his brother.
[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.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Solo albums
| Album cover | Album information |
|---|---|
 |
Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous |
 |
The Big Picture |
 |
Real Legends Never Die
|
[edit] Compilations
| Album cover | Album information |
|---|---|
 |
Live from Amsterdam |
 |
Harlem's Finest: A Freestyle History (Vol. 1 & II) |
 |
The Archives 1996-2000 |
[edit] Unreleased tracks
- "Clinic (Should of Wore A Rubber)"
- "Hit it"
- "Times Is Hard on the Boulevard"
- "Holdin It Down (Album Cut)"
- "Devil's Son (released in vinyl)"
- "Work Is Never Done"
- "Life Or Death"
- "Stretch & Bobbito '95 Freestyle" (ft. Jay-Z)
- "Deadly Combination" (ft. 2Pac)
- "Children of the Corn" (Big L, Killa Cam aka Cam'ron, Murda Mase aka Ma$e, Mc Gruff & Bloodshed)
- "The Corn" (w/ Cam'ron, Mase & Bloodshed)
- "Down & Out" (w/ Bloodshed, Cam'ron and Mase)
- "Doin' It" (w/ Cam'ron, Bloodshed & Mase)
- "Harlem USA" (w/ Cam'ron & Bloodshed)
- "Don't Sleep" (w/ Cam'ron and Bloodshed)
- "Biscuits And Bangers" (w/ Cam'ron & Bloodshed)
- "Give Up The Game" (w/ Cam'ron & Bloodshed)
- "I Remember When" (w/ Cam'ron & Bloodshed)
- "Hard To Get By" (w/ Cam'ron & Bloodshed)
- "Don't Sleep" (w/ Cam'ron and Bloodshed)
- "School Days"
[edit] Music videos
- "Put it On"
- "MVP (Summer Smooth Mix)"
- "No Endz No Skinz"
- "Holdin' it Down" (posthumous)
[edit] Miscellaneous videos
- Fat Beats Radio DVD Freestyle
[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 |
