Lamont Coleman was born and raised in uptown Harlem. He started rhyming and adopted the stage name, Big L, in 1990, when he was sixteen years old. In 1992, he had his professional debut, appearing on a B-side single for rapper, Lord Finesse. Also in 1992, he and fellow rappers and emcees, Killa Carn, Murda Mase, and Bloodshed, founded the Harlem-based rap group, Children of the Corn.

Big L

There's a difference between confidence and being cocky, and I'm real confident because I know what I'm capable of.

The Early Years

Lamont Coleman was born and raised in uptown Harlem. He started rhyming and adopted the stage name, Big L, in 1990, when he was sixteen years old. In 1992, he had his professional debut, appearing on a B-side single for rapper, Lord Finesse. Also in 1992, he and fellow rappers and emcees, Killa Carn, Murda Mase, and Bloodshed, founded the Harlem-based rap group, Children of the Corn.

While still working with his group, he signed a contract for his own solo recordings with Columbia Records in 1993. He released his debut solo album, Lifestylez of da Poor and Dangerous. The album was well received among the rap and underground R&B community. It was also the venue by which Cam'ron and Jay Z were first introduced.

Tragedy

Lifestylez was the first studio album for Big L, and it was to be his last. On February 15, 1999, Big L was shot and killed in Harlem. Gerald Woodsley was arrested for the crime, but was later released; the murder remains a mystery. Three years later, while trying to solve the mystery of Bil L's death, his brother, Leroy Phanazee, was shot and killed in the same neighborhood.

At the time of his death, his single, Ebonics, was enjoying heavy radio airplay. His death only served to encourage this. Digital sales of his earlier singles also saw a boost after the shooting. Fans who had not bought the physical album sought mp3 dowloads of his music. Gang Starr released the single, Full Clip, as a tribute to Big L. The single was included on their album, Full Clip: A Decade of Gang Starr.

Remembering

The Big Picture was released in 2000. This was the album he was working on at the time that he died; it was recorded and released in tribute to Big L. Artists who contributed to the album include Big Daddy Kane, Fat Joe, Kool G Rap, and 2Pac. Ebonics/Size 'Em Up was included on the album, as it had been the last single Big L had ever released. In addition, artists contributed their own tracks in tribute to him. The album certified gold, and peaked at #2 on the R&B chart.

Also released in 2000 was the album, D.I.T.C., released by the group, Diggin' in the Crates Crew, to which Big L had belonged. The majority of the album had been recorded prior to his death, and the album contains those tracks to which he had contributed, including Thick, Get Yours, Way of Life, and Da Enemy. Also included on the album is the track, Trbute, a track recorded by O.C., A.G., and Lord Finesse in the memory of Big L.

Did you know . . .

• A documentary of the life of Big L, called Street Struck, is scheduled to be released in May of 2010.
• In 1997, Big L temporarily gave up rapping to try to pursue a career in professional basketball.
• His rap group, Children of the Corn folded when one member, Bloodshed, was killed in a car accident.

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