R.I.P. Big L

On this fifteenth day of Febuary, 2009, the death anniversary of one of the greatest rappers of all time, we remember Harlem's own, Big L.

Lamont Coleman was a lyrical master who was what I refer to as a 5 tool emcee; meaning he was equally excellent in the rhyme skills of storytelling, freestyling, flipping metaphors, executing hilarious punchlines and flowing on beat. A member of some of NYC's all-time greatest groups like Children Of The Corn and D.I.T.C., L stuck out even amongst other greats. A literal book of Hip-Hop quotables he was downright one of the most clever cats to ever pick up a microphone and one of the most hardcore as well. L contributed to the then upstart rap sub-genre of horrorcore but could also kick rhymes about a fly "flamboyant" lifestyle too....he could bring any scenario to life with ease and was a force performing live.

Sadly he was cut down only a week before he was set to sign a record deal with Roc-A-Fella, then a burgeoning label home to fellow supremely gifted emcee Jay-Z, whom L had once before in a freestyle session gave a run for his money. Murdered in his Harlem neighborhood in a hail of gunfire, authorities would later learn that the assailant who shot L was a childhood friend named Gerard Woodley, but due to the NYPD fumbling and bumbling, Woodley was cleared of the murder and it is now considered unsolved. It pains me to this day to think about how close he came to accomplishing his dreams and how he went out....

Many of L's close friends still mourn him and remember the laid back emcee as a honestly funny guy. Fellow Harlemite and frequent collaborator of L's Cam'ron, remembers how L was always snappin' on friends and family but wasn't a hateful guy. “He was mad funny…that’s why when he rhymed, he had a lot of slick sh*t to say,” says Cam.

On their tribute to him from their "Worldwide" LP, an album L helped make a bonafide classic, the members of D.I.T.C. somberly but strongly pay their respects to someone that they deeply miss, looked up to and held in the highest esteem. I always thought that it was one of the best tribute tracks of all time....

So yes, ten years to the day of his untimely passing we all sort of feel a lil' bit sad....but we shouldn't, we should just pour out a lil' liquor, turn on one of his many classic freestyles or songs, raise our hands up and put two L's in the sky and remember that he was one of the greatest.....a true legend that will live on forever through the music he gave us....

-BIG D O