I met Big L in 1995 when I was in NYC for Rock Steady, he was a real smooth and cool dude. He was on his way up as a MC and in my books considered a Hip Hop legend.
Lamont Coleman 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 began rhyming in 1990 and his first professional appearance came on the B-side of "Party Over Here" by Lord Finesse in 1992.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 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.
Coleman AKA 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.
"It's a good possibility it was retaliation for something [Big L's] brother did, or [Perez] believed he had done," said a spokesperson for the NYPD.Perez was later released and the murder case remains unsolved. As all Hip Hop murder cases they STILL don't care about us, we only have one another to keep Hip Hop alive. Back then I perdicted you be on top now,you were better then Jay-Z in 95 & feel you would of been better then him today... Your fan Marz.
Big L RIP
