View source for Big L

{{short description|American rapper (1974–1999)}}
{{other uses|Big L (disambiguation)}} {{distinguish|Young L}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name             = Big L
| image            = Big L in 1998.png
| image_size       = 
| caption          = Big L in 1998
| birth_name       = Lamont Coleman
| birth_date       = {{birth date|1974|5|30}}
| birth_place      = Harlem, New York, United States of America
| death_date       = {{death date and age|1999|2|15|1974|5|30}}
| death_place      = New York City, U.S.
| alias            = L Corleone
| occupation       = {{flatlist|
* Rapper
* songwriter
* record executive
* record producer
}}
| years_active     = 1992–1999
| genre            = [[Hip hop music|Hip hop]]
| label            = {{flatlist|
* [[Columbia Records|Columbia]]
* [[Sony Music Entertainment|Sony]]
* [[Rawkus Records|Rawkus]]
* [[Priority Records|Priority]]
* Flamboyant
* [[Universal Music Distribution]]
}}
| website          = 
}}

'''Lamont Coleman''' (May 30, 1974{{spaced ndash}}February 15, 1999), known professionally as '''Big L''', was an American rapper.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Today in hip hop history: Big L was shot and killed 22 years ago|url=https://thesource.com/2021/02/15/today-in-hip-hop-history-big-l-was-shot-and-killed-in-harlem-22-years-ago/|access-date=June 17, 2021|website=The Source|date=February 15, 2021}}</ref> Emerging from [[Harlem]] in New York City in 1992, Big L became known among [[underground hip-hop]] fans for his freestyling ability. He was eventually signed to [[Columbia Records]], where, in 1995, he released his debut album, ''[[Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous]]''. On February 15, 1999, he was fatally shot nine times in his East Harlem neighborhood.

Big L was noted for his use of wordplay, and writers at [[AllMusic]], [[HipHopDX]] and [[The Source (magazine)|''The Source'']] have praised him for his lyrical ability.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://genius.com/discussions/8591-The-source-top-50-lyricists-magazine-scans|title=The Source: Top 50 Lyricists [Magazine Scans]|website=Genius|access-date=April 8, 2019}}</ref>
In an interview with [[Funkmaster Flex]], [[Nas]] claimed Big L "scared me to death. When I heard [his performance at the [[Apollo Theater]]] on tape, I was scared to death. I said, 'Yo, it's no way I can compete if this is what I gotta compete with.'"<ref name="mtv.com" />

== Early life ==
Lamont Coleman was born on May 30, 1974, in the [[Harlem]] neighborhood of New York City.<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web | url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/big-l-p144340 | title=Big L > Overview | work=[[Allmusic]] | access-date=November 5, 2011}}</ref> He was the third and youngest child of Gilda Terry (d. 2008)<ref name="mother's death">{{cite web | url=http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.6406/title.big-ls-mother-passes-away | title=Big L's Mother Passes Away | work=HipHop DX | publisher=Cheri Media Group | access-date=November 6, 2011 | date=February 18, 2008 | last=Paine | first=Jake | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110628060725/http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.6406/title.big-ls-mother-passes-away | archive-date=June 28, 2011 | url-status=dead }}</ref> and Charles Davis.<ref name="timeline" /> Davis left the family while Coleman was a child.<ref name="finesse-interview">{{Cite web | last=Arnold | first=Paul | date=July 12, 2012 | url=http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.11686/title.lord-finesse-says-there-will-never-be-another-big-l-album | title=Lord Finesse Says There Will 'Never' Be Another Big L Album | work=HipHop DX | publisher=Cheri Media Group | access-date=February 9, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120121202403/http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.11686/title.lord-finesse-says-there-will-never-be-another-big-l-album | archive-date=January 21, 2012 | url-status=dead }}</ref> He had two older half siblings: Donald and Leroy Phinazee (d. 2002).<ref name="mother's death" /><ref name="timeline" /> Coleman received the nicknames "Little L" and "Mont-Mont" as a child.<ref name="herald">{{Cite news | last=Ovalle | first=David | title=Rapper, 23, Was on the Verge of Stardom When He Was Gunned Down in Harlem | url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=MH&s_site=miami&p_multi=MH&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0F7BD239CF78452F&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D | newspaper=[[The Miami Herald]] | date=December 2, 2002 | page=1E}}</ref><ref name="don-phinazee-interview">{{cite web | url=http://www.craveonline.com/music/interviews/131904-donald-phinazee-on-the-life-of-big-l | title=Donald Phinazee on the life of Big L | date=November 29, 2010 | last=Johnson | first=Brett | publisher=Crave Online | access-date=September 21, 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110926095259/http://www.craveonline.com/music/interviews/131904-donald-phinazee-on-the-life-of-big-l | archive-date=September 26, 2011 | url-status=dead }}</ref> His elder brother, Donald Phinazee, took Coleman to a [[Run-DMC]] concert at the [[Beacon Theatre (New York City)|Beacon Theatre]] when Coleman was about 7 years old. According to Phinazee, Coleman was awed by the performance which sparked his interest in rapping. By age 12, Coleman became a big hip hop fan and started [[freestyling]] with other people in his neighborhood.<ref name="timeline" /><ref name="don-phinazee-interview" />

Coleman began writing rhymes in 1990.<ref name="timeline" /> He also founded a group known as Three the Hard Way in 1990, but it was quickly broken up due to a lack of enthusiasm among the members which  consisted of Coleman, Doc Reem, and Rodney.<ref name="Don Q&A PT 2">{{cite web | url=http://biglonline.com/index.php?showtopic=2401 | title=Donald Phinazee's Q&A – Part Two! | work=Big L Online | date=November 20, 2009 | author=Soobax | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://archive.today/20130118005121/http://biglonline.com/index.php?showtopic=2401 | archive-date=January 18, 2013 | df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref name="dx-remember">{{cite web | url=http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/editorials/id.722/title.remembering-lamont-big-l-coleman | title=Remembering Lamont 'Big L' Coleman | publisher=HipHop DX | date=February 15, 2007 | last=Udoh | first=Meka | access-date=September 29, 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111215144527/http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/editorials/id.722/title.remembering-lamont-big-l-coleman | archive-date=December 15, 2011 | url-status=dead }}</ref> No projects were released, and after Rodney left, the group was renamed Two Hard Motherfuckers.<ref name="Don Q&A PT 2" /> Around this time, people started to refer to Coleman as "Big L".<ref name="timeline">{{cite web | url=http://biglonline.com/index.php?showtopic=766 | title=Lamont 'Big L' Coleman Timeline | publisher=Big L Online | access-date=September 28, 2011 | date=November 7, 2008 | author=The Big Sleep | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120502115056/http://biglonline.com/index.php?showtopic=766 | archive-date=May 2, 2012 | df=mdy-all }}</ref> In the summer of 1990, Coleman met [[Lord Finesse]] at an autograph session in a record shop on 125th Street.<ref name="1995 Source Interview" /><ref name="Rawkus Bio" /> After he did a freestyle, Finesse and Coleman exchanged numbers.<ref name="Rawkus Bio">{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010331034930/http://www.rawkus.com/artist_bigl.html | archive-date=March 31, 2001 | title=Big L: Bio | publisher=[[Rawkus Records]]| url=http://www.rawkus.com/artist_bigl.html}}</ref>

Coleman attended [[Julia Richman High School]] and graduated in 1992.<ref name="timeline" /> While in high school, Coleman freestyle battled regularly; in his last interview, he stated, "in the beginning, all I ever saw me doing was battling everybody on the street corners, rhyming in the hallways, beating on the wall, rhyming to my friends. Every now and then, a house party, grab the mic, a block party, grab the mic."<ref name="Last-Interview">{{Cite interview |last=Coleman |first=Lamont |title=Big L's last interview (Oxygen FM in Amsterdam '98)|location=Amsterdam |date=1998 |work=Oxygen FM}}</ref>

== Career ==
=== 1992–1995: First recordings and record deal ===
In 1992, Coleman recorded various demos, some of which were featured on his debut album ''[[Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous]]''.<ref name="dx-remember" /><ref name="Hess2010-40">[[#Hess2010|Hess]] (2010), p. 40</ref> On February 11, Coleman appeared on ''[[Yo! MTV Raps]]'' with Lord Finesse to help promote Finesse's studio album ''[[Return of the Funky Man]]''.<ref name="timeline" /> Coleman's first professional appearance came on "Yes You May (Remix)", the [[B-side]] of "Party Over Here" (1992) by Lord Finesse,<ref name="Hess2010-40" /> and his first album appearance was on "Represent" off of [[Showbiz & A.G.]]'s ''[[Runaway Slave]]'' (1992).<ref name="1995 Source Interview">{{Cite journal | journal=[[The Source (magazine)|The Source]] | date=April 1995 | issue=67 | page=36 | last=Daniel | first=Jamila | title=Uptown Renaissance: Big L | issn=1063-2085}}</ref>

During this time, he won an amateur freestyle battle hosted by Nubian Productions which consisted of about 2,000 contestants.<ref name="Doc Trailer 1" /> In 1992, Coleman signed to [[Columbia Records]].<ref name="dx-remember" /> He then joined Lord Finesse's Bronx-based hip hop collective [[Diggin' in the Crates Crew]] (DITC) which consisted of Lord Finesse, [[Diamond D]], [[O.C. (rapper)|O.C.]], [[Fat Joe]], [[Buckwild (music producer)|Buckwild]], Showbiz and A.G. In 1993, Coleman released his first promotional single, "Devil's Son", and later said it was one of the first [[horrorcore]] singles, influencing others. He said he wrote the song because "I've always been a fan of horror flicks. Plus the things I see in Harlem are very scary. So I just put it all together in a rhyme." However, he said he preferred other styles over horrorcore.<ref name="1995 Source Interview" />

Coleman founded the Harlem rap group [[Children of the Corn (group)|Children of the Corn]] (COC) with [[Cam'ron|Killa Cam]] (Cam'ron), [[Ma$e|Murda Mase]] (Ma$e), Bloodshed and [[McGruff (rapper)|McGruff]] in 1993. On February 18, 1993, he performed live at the Uptown Lord Finesse Birthday Bash at the 2,000 Club, which included other performances from Fat Joe, [[Nas (rapper)|Nas]], and Diamond D.<ref name="timeline" /> In 1994, he released his second promotional single "Clinic". On July 11, 1994, Coleman released the radio edit of "[[Put It On]]", followed up by the release of the music video three months later.<ref name="timeline" /> In 1995, the music video for the single "No Endz, No Skinz" debuted. It was directed by Brian Luvar.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.vevo.com/watch/big-l/no-endz-no-skinz/USSM20401475 | title=No Endz, No Skinz – Big L | publisher=[[Vevo]] | access-date=November 7, 2011}}</ref>

His debut studio album, ''[[Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous]]'', was released in March 1995. The album debuted at number 149 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]]<ref>{{Cite magazine | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7wsEAAAAMBAJ | title=Billboard 200 | magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] | publisher=[[Nielsen Business Media]] | issn=0006-2510 | volume=107 | issue=15 | page=78 | date=April 15, 1995 }}</ref> and number 22 on [[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums]].<ref>{{Cite magazine | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7wsEAAAAMBAJ | title=Billboard Top R&B Albums | magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] | publisher=[[Nielsen Business Media]] | issn=0006-2510 | volume=107 | issue=15 | page=22 | date=April 15, 1995 }}</ref> ''Lifestylez'' would go on to sell over 200,000 copies as of 2000.<ref name="vh1-street buzz" /> Three singles were released from the album; the first two, "Put It On" and "[[M.V.P. (song)|M.V.P.]]", reached the top 25 of ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]''{{'}}s [[Hot Rap Tracks]] and the third "[[No Endz, No Skinz]]" did not chart.<ref>{{Cite web | last=Krishnamurthy | first=Sowmya | title=Hip-Hop Remembers Big L on the Anniversary of His Death | url=http://rapfix.mtv.com/2012/02/15/big-l-anniversary-hip-hop-remembers/ | work=[[MTV.com]] | publisher=[[MTV Networks]] | date=February 15, 2012 | access-date=February 19, 2012}}</ref><ref name="Allmusic singles">[http://www.allmusic.com/artist/big-l-p144340/charts-awards/billboard-singles Big L > Charts & Awards > ''Billboard'' Singles]. AllMusic. Retrieved September 10, 2011.</ref>

=== 1996–1999: independent release ===
In 1996, Big L was dropped from Columbia mainly because of a dispute with the label over artistic differences.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://theboombox.com/10-best-verses-from-big-ls-the-big-picture-album/|title=Big L Remembered: The 10 Best Verses From 'The Big Picture'|website=theboombox.com|date=February 15, 2017 }}</ref>
<ref name="Picture Review">{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-big-picture-r489942/review | title=''The Big Picture'' – Big L > Review | last=DiBella | first=M.F | work=[[AllMusic]] | access-date=October 31, 2011}}</ref> He stated, "I was there with a bunch of strangers that didn't really know my music."<ref name="crate">{{Cite journal | last=Lewis | first=Mike | year=1998 | title=The Crate & The Good | journal=[[Hip Hop Connection]] | issn=1465-4407}}</ref>

In 1997, he started working on his second studio album, ''[[The Big Picture (Big L album)|The Big Picture]]''.<ref name="allhiphop10">{{Cite web | last=Salaam | first=Ismael | date=February 15, 2009 | url=http://allhiphop.com/2009/02/15/rapper-big-l-remembered-10-years-later/ | title=Rapper Big L Remembered 10 Years Later | work=[[AllHipHop.com]] | access-date=February 11, 2012}}</ref> COC folded when Bloodshed died in a car accident in New York on March 2, 1997.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.xxlmag.com/today-hip-hop-rip-bloodshed-july-31-1975-march-2-1997/| title=TODAY IN HIP-HOP: RIP BLOODSHED| date=March 2, 2015| publisher=XXL | access-date=August 3, 2016}}</ref> Later that year, DITC appeared in the July issue of ''On The Go Magazine''.<ref name="timeline" /> Coleman then appeared on [[O.C. (rapper)|O.C.]]'s single "Dangerous" from O.C.'s second album ''[[Jewelz]]''.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.allmusic.com/song/dangerous-t1633810 | title=Dangerous: O.C. | work=[[AllMusic]]| access-date=November 9, 2011}}</ref> That November, he was the opening act for O.C.'s European Jewlez Tour.<ref name="timeline" />

In 1998, Big L formed his own [[independent label]], Flamboyant Entertainment.<ref name="riverfront">{{Cite news | last=Park | first=April | date=September 13, 2000 | url=http://www.riverfronttimes.com/2000-09-13/music/big-l/ | title=Big L: ''The Big Picture'' (Rawkus/Flamboyant) | newspaper=[[Riverfront Times]] | access-date=February 5, 2012}}</ref> According to ''[[The Village Voice]]'', it "planned to distribute the kind of hip-hop that sold without top 40 samples or [[R & B]] hooks."<ref name="Jasper1999-2">[[#Jasper1999|Jasper]] (1999), p. 2</ref> That same year, Coleman released the single "Ebonics".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.vh1.com/news/articles/1122625/20000731/index.jhtml |last=Berry |first=Jahna |date=July 31, 2000 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140513212749/http://www.vh1.com/news/articles/1122625/20000731/index.jhtml |archive-date=May 13, 2014 |title=Big L's Second Album Due, More Than A Year After His Death |work=[[Vh1]] |publisher=[[Viacom (2005–present)|Viacom]] |url-status=dead  }}</ref> The song, based on [[African-American Vernacular English]], was called one of the top five independent singles of the year by ''The Source''.<ref name="Rawkus Bio" /> Also in 1998, DITC released their first single, "Dignified Soldiers".<ref name="allmusic" />

Following the release of  "Ebonics", Big L caught the eye of [[Damon Dash]], the CEO of [[Roc-A-Fella Records]]. Dash offered to sign him to Roc-A-Fella, but Big L wanted his crew to sign as well.<ref name="Don Tube Interview" /><ref name="Hess2010-41">[[#Hess2010|Hess]] (2010), p. 41</ref> On February 8, 1999, Coleman, [[McGruff (rapper)|Herb McGruff]], C-Town, and [[Jay-Z]] started the process to sign with Roc-A-Fella as a group called "The Wolfpack".<ref name="timeline" /><ref name="McGruff Video Interview">{{Cite interview | subject=Herb McGruff | interviewer=Mikey T | date=July 25, 2010 | title=Herb McGruff Jay Z & Big L Deal | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6F0-i6sBAY&feature=fvwrel | work=[[YouTube]]}}</ref>

== How Did Big L Died ==
On February 15, 1999, Coleman was killed in a [[drive-by shooting]] writers at 45 west 139th street in his native harlem. He was hit nine times in the face and chest.<ref>{{Cite web | last=Romano | first=Will | url=http://www.mtv.com/news/871586/slain-rapper-big-ls-posthumous-album-due/ | title=Slain Rapper Big L's Posthumous Album Due | work=[[Vh1]] | publisher=[[Viacom (2005–present)|Viacom]] | access-date=February 8, 2012 | date=May 3, 2000 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2381387.stm | title=Violence and Hip Hop | work=BBC News | date=October 31, 2002 | access-date=November 2, 2011}}</ref> Gerard Woodley, one of Coleman's childhood friends, was arrested three months later for the crime.<ref name="Woodley MTV">{{cite web | url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1425709/suspect-arrested-big-l-shooting.jhtml | title=Suspect Arrested in Big L Shooting | work=[[MTV.com]] | publisher=[[MTV Networks]] | date=May 21, 1999 | access-date=November 2, 2011}}</ref> "It's a good possibility it was retaliation for something Big L's brother did, or Woodley believed he had done," said a spokesperson for dibella of the new york city police department.<ref>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090321124712/http://rollingstone.com/artists/bigl/articles/story/5921403/arrest_made_in_big_l_case | archive-date=March 21, 2009 | title=Arrest Made in Big L Case | date=May 17, 1999 | work=[[Rolling Stone (magazine)|Rolling Stone]]| url-status=dead | url=http://rollingstone.com/artists/bigl/articles/story/5921403/arrest_made_in_big_l_case }}</ref> Woodley was later released due to lack of evidence, and the murder case remains officially unsolved.<ref name="Time Bio">{{Cite web | url=http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2092656_2092485_2092478,00.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110923161859/http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2092656_2092485_2092478,00.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=September 23, 2011 | title=Big L – Top 10 Unsolved Hip-Hop Murders | publisher=[[Time Inc.|Time]] | access-date=November 13, 2011 | date=September 13, 2011 | last=Gray | first=Madison}}</ref>

Woodley was fatally shot in the head on June 24, 2016.<ref>{{cite news| url = http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/man-52-shot-death-brooklyn-dispute-dice-game-article-1.2686804| title = Man suspected of killing hip-hop star Big L in 1999 shot, killed in Harlem; one of two men gunned down Thursday | last =Sommerfeldt| first =Chris| newspaper = New York Daily News}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://hiphopdx.com/news/id.39377/title.big-ls-alleged-killer-murdered-in-harlem |title=Big L's Alleged Killer Murdered In Harlem |date=June 25, 2016 |access-date=November 9, 2016 |last=Clark |first=Trent |website=HipHopDX}}</ref> Woodley's family maintains his innocence in Coleman's killing.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://hiphopdx.com/news/id.39377/title.big-ls-alleged-killer-murdered-in-harlem|title=Big l'S Alleged Killer Murdered in Harlem|date=June 25, 2016}}</ref> Rapper [[Cam'ron]], who was a close friend of Coleman and Woodley, posted a video to [[Instagram]] claiming Coleman had attempted to murder Woodley a week before his death.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mazariego |first1=Omar |title=Cam'Ron Hints At The Story Behind Big L's Murder In New Verse |url=https://hiphopwired.com/511241/camron-hints-true-story-behind-big-ls-murder-new-verse/ |access-date=3 September 2022 |work=The Latest Hip-Hop News, Music and Media {{!}} Hip-Hop Wired |date=26 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=ESPINOZA |first1=JOSHUA |title=Cam'ron Drops a New Verse About Big L and His Suspected Murderer |url=https://www.complex.com/music/2016/07/camron-new-verse-big-l-suspected-murderer |access-date=3 September 2022 |work=Complex |date=July 26, 2016 |language=en}}</ref>

In 2017, Lou Black, Gerard Woodley's cousin, published ''Ethylene: The Rise and Fall of The 139th St. NFL Crew''. The book details Black's first hand interactions with the NFL crew and Big L. In the book, Black claims Leroy "Big Lee" Phinazee, Coleman's eldest half-brother and leader of the NFL crew, violated his probation when he was found to be in possession of an illegal weapon and was sentenced to prison. According to Black, while in prison, Phinazee met and contracted a hitman from [[Brooklyn]] to murder three members of the NFL gang including Woodley. Phinazee had tasked Big L to identify the targets to the hitman. On the day when the murder was planned, Woodley noticed the hitman following him and successfully scared him off. As Big L had been seen multiple times with the alleged hitman days prior, Woodley assumed Big L had taken part in the attempted shooting. Approximately a week after the attempted shooting of Woodley, Big L was killed. Black did not specify if Woodley personally killed Big L.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Black|first1=Lou|title=Ethylene: The Rise and Fall of The 139th St. NFL Crew|date=June 19, 2017|publisher=Respect the Pen LLC|isbn=978-0-9989986-0-2|edition=1st|pages=147–152}}</ref>

== Posthumous releases ==
The tracks "Get Yours", "Way of Life", and "Shyheim's Manchild" [[b/w]] "Furious Anger" were released as singles in 1999 for DITC's [[D.I.T.C. (album)|self-titled album]] (2000) on [[Tommy Boy Records]].<ref name="timeline" /><ref name="DITC album review">{{cite web | url=http://allmusic.com/album/ditc-r465103/review | title=''D.I.T.C.'' – D.I.T.C. > Overview | work=[[AllMusic]] | access-date=November 2, 2011}}</ref> The album peaked at number 31 on [[R&B/Hip-Hop Albums]] and number 141 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://allmusic.com/album/ditc-r465103/charts-awards | title=''D.I.T.C.'' – D.I.T.C. > Charts @ Awards > ''Billboard'' Albums | work=[[AllMusic]] | access-date=November 5, 2011}}</ref> Coleman's first posthumous single was "[[Flamboyant (Big L song)|Flamboyant]]" b/w "On the Mic", which arrived on May 30, 2000.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1425708/big-ls-first-posthumous-single-arrives.jhtml | title=Big L's First Posthumous Single Arrives | last=Gill | first=John | date=May 3, 2000 | access-date=November 5, 2011 | work=[[MTV.com]] | publisher=[[MTV Networks]]}}</ref> The single peaked at number 39 on the ''Billboard'' [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs]]<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://api.billboard.com/apisvc/chart/v1/list?artist=big_l&song=flamboyant&sdate=2000-09-16&edate=2000-09-17&api_key=bvk4re5h37dzvx87h7rf5dqz |title=Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |publisher=[[Prometheus Global Media]] |format=XML |access-date=November 7, 2011 |date=September 16, 2000 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120422121723/http://api.billboard.com/apisvc/chart/v1/list?artist=big_l&song=flamboyant&sdate=2000-09-16&edate=2000-09-17&api_key=bvk4re5h37dzvx87h7rf5dqz |archive-date=April 22, 2012 }}</ref> and topped the [[Hot Rap Tracks]],<ref name="Allmusic singles" /> making it Coleman's first and only number-one single.

Coleman's second and final studio album, ''[[The Big Picture (Big L album)|The Big Picture]]'', was released on August 1, 2000, and featured [[Fat Joe]], [[Tupac Shakur]], [[Guru (rapper)|Guru]] of [[Gang Starr]], [[Kool G Rap]], and [[Big Daddy Kane]] among others. ''The Big Picture'' was put together by his manager and partner in Flamboyant Entertainment, Rich King. It contains songs that he had recorded and [[a cappella]] recordings that were never used, completed by producers and guest emcees that Coleman respected or had worked with previously.<ref name="timeline" />

''The Big Picture'' debuted at number 13 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'']] 200, number two on [[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums]], and sold 72,549 copies.<ref name="vh1-street buzz">{{cite web|url=http://www.vh1.com/artists/news/1122983/20000810/big_l.jhtml |title=Street Buzz, Duets Fuel Sales of Big L's ''The Big Picture'' |work=[[Vh1]] |publisher=[[MTV Networks]] |access-date=October 30, 2011 |date=August 11, 2000 |last=Berry |first=Jahna |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111012151608/http://www.vh1.com/artists/news/1122983/20000810/big_l.jhtml |archive-date=October 12, 2011 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> The album was [[RIAA Certification|certified gold]] a month later for shipments of 500,000 copies by the [[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]].<ref name="picture-cert">{{Cite certification | region=United States | date=October 11, 2000 | access-date=September 29, 2011 | type=album | title=The Big Picture | artist=Big L}}</ref> ''The Big Picture'' was the only music by Big L to appear on a music chart outside of the United States, peaking at number 122 on the [[UK Albums Chart]].<ref>{{Cite web | last=Zywietz | first=Tobias | date=May 7, 2011 | url=http://www.zobbel.de/cluk/CLUK_B.HTM | title=Chart Log UK: Darren B – David Byrne | publisher=Zobbel.de | access-date=April 8, 2012}}</ref>

''[[Children of the Corn: The Collector's Edition]]'', a  compilation album containing COC songs, was released in 2003. Big L's next posthumous album, ''[[139 & Lenox]]'', was released on August 31, 2010.<ref name="Lenox DX">{{Cite web | url=http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.11846/title.tuesday-rap-release-dates-kanye-west-big-l-gucci-mane-black-milk | title=Tuesday Rap Release Dates: Kanye West, Big L, Gucci Mane, Black Milk | work=HipHop DX | publisher=Cheri Media Group | date=August 3, 2010 | last=Hanna | first=Mitchell | access-date=November 11, 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110212171702/http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.11846/title.tuesday-rap-release-dates-kanye-west-big-l-gucci-mane-black-milk | archive-date=February 12, 2011 | url-status=dead }}</ref> Issued by Rich King on Flamboyant Entertainment, it contained previously unreleased and rare tracks.<ref name="Lenox DX" /><ref name="139 Overview">{{Cite web | url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/139--lenox-r1967694 | title=''139 & Lenox'' > Overview | work=[[AllMusic]] | access-date=November 21, 2011}}</ref> The follow-up album, ''[[Return of the Devil's Son]]'' (2010), peaked at number 73 on R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.<ref>{{cite web|title=Charts & Awards: Big L|url=http://allmusic.com/artist/big-l-p144340/charts-awards/billboard-albums|work=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=April 29, 2011}}</ref> Coleman's next releases were ''[[The Danger Zone (album)|The Danger Zone]]'' (2011),<ref name="Danger DX">{{cite web|last=Vasquez|first=Andres|title=Big L – The Danger Zone|url=http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/album-reviews/id.1692/title.big-l--the-danger-zone|work=HipHop DX | publisher=Cheri Media Group|access-date=June 5, 2011|date=June 3, 2011| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110608092157/http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/album-reviews/id.1692/title.big-l--the-danger-zone| archive-date=June 8, 2011| url-status= live}}</ref> and an album called ''[[L Corleone]]'', which was released on February 14, 2012.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://itunes.apple.com/preorder/l-corleone/id494578821?v0=9988&affId=1927918&ign-mpt=uo%3D1 | title=''L Corleone'' by Big L | work=[[iTunes Store]] | publisher=[[Apple Inc.|Apple]] | access-date=January 28, 2012}}</ref>

Coleman is buried at [[George Washington Memorial Park (Paramus, New Jersey)|George Washington Memorial Park]] in [[Paramus, New Jersey]].<ref>[https://www.harlemworldmagazine.com/harlems-lamont-big-l-coleman-1974-1999-videos/ ''Harlem World Magazine'']</ref>

== Legacy and influence ==
Henry Adaso, a music journalist for , called him the 23rd-best [[Master of ceremonies|MC]] of 1987 to 2007, claiming "[he was] one of the most auspicious storytellers in hip hop history."<ref name=":0">Adaso, Henry. [http://roovet.com 50 Greatest MCs of Our Time (1987–2007)].  Retrieved August 27, 2011</ref> ''[[HipHopDX]]'' called Coleman "the most underrated lyricist ever".<ref name="dx-remember" />
Many tributes have been given to Coleman. The first was by Lord Finesse and the other members of DITC on March 6, 1999, at the Tramps.<ref name="timeline" /> ''The Source'' has done multiple tributes to him: first in July 2000,<ref>{{Cite journal | title=The Tragic Story of an 11 Year Old Killer, Our Tribute to Big L | last=Rodriquez | first=Carlito | journal=[[The Source (magazine)|The Source]] | date=July 2000 | issn=1063-2085 | issue=130}}</ref> and then in March 2002.<ref>{{Cite journal | last=Rodriquez | first=Carlito | title=The Greatest MC, Albums and Moments | journal=[[The Source (magazine)|The Source]] | issue=150 | date=March 2002 | page=118 | issn=1063-2085}}</ref>
''[[XXL (magazine)|XXL]]'' also did a tribute to Coleman in March 2003.<ref name="xxl tribute">{{Cite journal | title=Big L, Book of Rhymes, Vol. 2 | date=March 2003 | journal=[[XXL (magazine)|XXL]] | publisher=Harris Publications | volume=7 | issue=45}}</ref> On February 16, 2005, at SOB's restaurant and nightclub in Manhattan, a commemoration was held for him.<ref name="SOBS">{{cite web | url=http://sobs.com/urban/0216.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050204033836/http://sobs.com/urban/0216.htm | url-status=dead | archive-date=February 4, 2005 | title=Commemorating the Life of the Legendary 'Big L{{'-}} | publisher=SOB's}}</ref> It included special guests such as DITC, Herb McGruff, and Kid Capri.<ref name="SOBS" /> All the money earned went to his estate.<ref name="SOBS" />

In 2004, [[Eminem]] paid tribute to Coleman in the music video for his single "[[Like Toy Soldiers]]". In an interview with [[MTV]], Jay-Z stated: "We were about to sign him right before he passed away. We were about to sign him to Roc-a-Fella. It was a done deal…I think he was very talented…I think he had the ability to write big records, and big choruses."<ref name="mtv.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1835250/big-l-40th-birthday-legacy-jay-z-mac-miller/|title=Big L Would Have Been 40 Today: Here's How He Impacted Jay Z, Mac Miller And More|first=Adam|last=Fleischer|website=MTV News|access-date=April 8, 2019}}</ref> Rapper [[Nas]] also said on MTV, "He scared me to death. When I heard that on tape, I was scared to death. I said, 'Yo, it's no way I can compete if this is what I gotta compete with.'"<ref name="mtv.com" />

In 2017, [[Royce da 5'9"]] said he believed Coleman would have been a "top 3" rapper all time if he had not been killed so prematurely.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thesource.com/2017/05/10/royce-da-59-believes-big-l-better-jay-z/|title = The Source &#124;Royce da' 5'9" Believes That Big L "was better than Jay Z"|date = May 10, 2017}}</ref> In 2019, [[Funkmaster Flex]] said "People can get mad at me for saying this, but he was the best lyricist at the time. He was a better lyricist than [[The Notorious B.I.G.|Biggie]] and Jay-Z. He just didn't have the marketing and promotion. Let me go on the record and say that. It's the truth."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vibe.com/features/editorial/flamboyant-how-rap-legends-remember-big-l-20-years-after-his-death-635681/|title="Flamboyant:" How Rap Legends Remember Big L 20 Years After His Death|date=March 28, 2019}}</ref> In 2022, the 140th Street and Lennox Avenue intersection in Harlem was co-named Lamont "Big L" Coleman Way.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.vulture.com/2022/06/big-l-rapper-harlem-street-naming.html | title=Big L, Forever | date=June 2022 }}</ref>

=== Style ===
{{Listen
| filename = Ebonics-BigL.ogg
| title="Ebonics"
| description = In "Ebonics", one of Coleman's best-known tracks, he raps about the slang used in Harlem while he was growing up.
}}
Coleman is often credited in helping to create the [[horrorcore]] genre of hip hop with his 1992 song "Devil's Son."<ref name="1995 Source Interview" /> However, not all his songs fall into this genre. For example, in the song "Street Struck," Coleman discusses the difficulties of growing up in the ghetto and describes the consequences of living a life of crime.{{citation needed|date=December 2021}} Idris Goodwin of ''[[The Boston Globe]]'' wrote that "[Big L had an] impressive command of the English language", with his song "Ebonics" being the best example of this.<ref name="globe">{{Cite news | last=Goodwin | first=Idris | date=December 7, 2010 | url=http://articles.boston.com/2010-12-07/ae/29307215_1_rap-critics-jay-z-norton-anthology | archive-url=https://archive.today/20130118131443/http://articles.boston.com/2010-12-07/ae/29307215_1_rap-critics-jay-z-norton-anthology | url-status=dead | archive-date=January 18, 2013 | title=Anthology Expands Rap from Music to Literature | newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]] | publisher=[[New York Times Company]] | access-date=February 9, 2012 }}</ref>

Coleman was notable for using a rap style called "[[Multisyllabic rhymes|compounding]]".<ref name="McGruff-Interview-L-Online">{{Cite interview | url=http://biglonline.com/index.php?showtopic=2152 | title=The Herb McGruff Interview | work=Big L Online | date=April 26, 2009 | interviewer=Francesca Djerejian | subject=Herb McGruff | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120502114845/http://biglonline.com/index.php?showtopic=2152 | archive-date=May 2, 2012 | df=mdy-all }}</ref> He also used [[metaphor]]s in his rhymes.<ref name="Lifestylez Review">{{cite web | url=http://allmusic.com/album/lifestylez-ov-da-poor-and-dangerous-r217577/review | title=''Lifestylez ov da Poor and Dangerous'' – Big L > Review | last=DiBella | first=M.F | work=[[AllMusic]] | access-date=October 31, 2011}}</ref> M.F. DiBella of [[Allmusic]] stated Coleman was "a master of the lyrical stickup undressing his competition with kinetic metaphors and a brash comedic repertoire".<ref name="Lifestylez Review" /> On the review of ''The Big Picture'', she adds, describing "the Harlem MC as a master of the punch line and a vicious storyteller with a razor blade-under-the-tongue flow."<ref name="Picture Review" /> Trent Fitzgerald of Allmusic said Coleman was "a lyrically ferocious MC with raps deadlier than a snakebite and mannerisms cooler than the uptown pimp he claimed to be on records."<ref name="DITC biography">{{cite web | url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/ditc-p396010/biography | title=D.I.T.C. > Biography | last=Fitzgerald | first=Trent | work=[[AllMusic]] | access-date=November 8, 2011}}</ref>

=== Documentary ===
A documentary ''Street Struck: The Big L Story'' was set to be released in 2017. Directed by a childhood friend and independent film director, Jewlz,<ref name="Doc Trailer 1" /> approximately nine hours of footage was brought in, and the film's planned runtime was said to be 90 to 120 minutes long.<ref name="Don Tube Interview" /> Released on August 29, 2009,<ref name="Doc Trailer 1">{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PIrfD31X7Q | title=Big L Documentary Trailer (First Draft) – 'Street Struck: The Big L Story.' Coming Soon! | work=[[YouTube]] | access-date=October 27, 2011 | date=August 29, 2009 | author=BigLOnline}}</ref> the first trailer detailed that ''Street Struck'' would contain interviews from his mother Gilda Terry; his brother Donald; childhood friends E-Cash, D.O.C., McGruff, and Stan Spit; artists Mysonne and [[Doug E. Fresh]]; producers Showbiz and Premier; and recording DJs Cipha Sounds and Peter Rosenberg.<ref name="Doc Trailer 1" /> Put together by Coleman's brother Donald, a soundtrack was said to have been made for the documentary as well.<ref name="Don Tube Interview">{{Cite interview | subject=Donald Phinazee | interviewer=Bill Starlin | url=http://vimeo.com/16695744 | work=[[Vimeo]] | date=November 10, 2009 | title=Big L's Brother Talks His Death and the New Album}}</ref> As of 2023, both the documentary and soundtrack have yet to be released.

== Discography ==
{{Main|Big L discography}}
{{See also|List of songs recorded by Big L}}

;Studio albums
* ''[[Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous]]'' (1995)
* ''[[The Big Picture (Big L album)|The Big Picture]]'' (2000)
;Posthumous studio albums
* ''[[139 & Lenox]]'' (2010)
* ''[[Return of the Devil's Son]]'' (2010)
* ''[[The Danger Zone (album)|The Danger Zone]]'' (2011)
* ''[[L Corleone]]'' (2012)

;Compilation albums
* ''[[Harlem's Finest – A Freestyle History]]'' (2003)
* ''[[Live from Amsterdam]]'' (2003)
* ''[[Big L: The Archives 1996–2000]]'' (2006)
*''[[Big L discography|Unreleased]]'' (2017)
* ''[[Big L discography|The Concealed Tape]]'' (2017)
* ''[[Big L discography|Straight From The Crate Cave – Big L Edition]]'' (2022)

;Collaborative albums
* [[Children of the Corn (group)|Children of the Corn]] & Big L ''– [[Big L discography|Children of the Corn: Collector’s Edition]]'' (2003)
* [[J-Love]] & Big L ''– [[Big L discography|In Memory Of... Vol. 2]]'' (2004)
* Big L Vs. [[Big Pun]] ''– [[Big L discography|Night Of The Living Dead Part III]]'' (2010)
*

== See also ==
* [[List of murdered hip hop musicians]]
* [[List of unsolved murders (1980–1999)|List of unsolved murders]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Sources ==
* {{Cite book | title=Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide: Volume 1: East Coast and West Coast | last=Hess | first=Mickey | publisher=ABC-CLIO | year=2010 | isbn=978-0-313-34323-0 | ref=Hess2010}}
* {{Cite news | ref=Jasper1999 | last=Jasper | first=Kenji | url=http://www.villagevoice.com/1999-07-06/news/of-mics-and-men-in-harlem/ | title=Of Mics and Men in Harlem | newspaper=[[The Village Voice]] | date=July 6, 1999 | access-date=February 6, 2012 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130810113753/http://www.villagevoice.com/1999-07-06/news/of-mics-and-men-in-harlem/ | archive-date=August 10, 2013 | df=mdy-all }}

== External links ==
{{Wikiquote|Big L (rapper)|Big L}}
* {{Official website|https://web.archive.org/web/20180514101612/http://www.biglonline.com}} (archived)
* {{allMusic}}

{{Big L}}
{{Diggin' in the Crates Crew}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:L, Big}}
[[Category:1974 births]]
[[Category:1999 deaths]]
[[Category:Julia Richman Education Complex alumni]]
[[Category:1999 murders in the United States]]
[[Category:20th-century American rappers]]
[[Category:African-American male rappers]]
[[Category:American male rappers]]
[[Category:Columbia Records artists]]
[[Category:Deaths by firearm in Manhattan]]
[[Category:Diggin' in the Crates Crew members]]
[[Category:East Coast hip hop musicians]]
[[Category:Male murder victims]]
[[Category:Murdered African-American people]]
[[Category:Musicians from Harlem]]
[[Category:People murdered in New York City]]
[[Category:Rappers from Manhattan]]
[[Category:Underground rappers]]
[[Category:Unsolved murders in the United States]]
[[Category:20th-century American male musicians]]
[[Category:Burials at George Washington Memorial Park (Paramus, New Jersey)]]