Big L and a Lifestyle Deferred - Chris "Preach" Smith

Hearing that today was the day the late Big L had his first album release, Lifestylez Ov 
Da Poor & Dangerous set off a whirlwind of memories for me. I still have that album on
original cassette somwhere in an old Nike box. And I still remember riding up to Jamaica
Avenue in my boy Kyle’s Dodge Raider on that mission to get the album. For all of us
on the block and everywhere else in New York City on this day in 1995, this was when
Big L was set to further cement his name not just as a great MC, but possibly one of
the best. Ever. This was another must-have album in those years. Listening to it now
give us a time capsule of a lyricist whose potential hip-hop lifestyle was deferred with his
murder in 1999.

Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous is one of those albums that once you hear it, you 
immediately appreciate Big L’s wordplay. I mean, this dude threw out a few classic 
punchilines here: “I’m lookin nuthin like ya poppa/I wouldn’t give a chick 10 cent to put
cheese on a Whopper” and “A tech nine is my utensil/Fillin’ n****s with so much lead
they can use they d**k for a pencil”. He was showing off the edgy style that made him
a sensation and a member of the Diggin In The Crates crew. The production by Buckwild,
Lord Finesse, Showbiz & Craig Boogie serve as a decent frame for his rhymes. I’ve heard
opinions that production should have been better, but I think Big L wanted it that way.
What has to be understood is that he made his bones as a dedicated lyricist, and didn’t
want to lose the grittiness of his music by watering down the boom-bap heavy production
the streets respected with too much radio-friendly sounds and R&B styled hooks. This
album is made for the heads cruising down streets, hanging out on park benches or
on milk crates around a folding table of cards. The only real tinges of R&B you might get
would be on the first single, ‘Put It On’ which was the most popular one chart-wise.
But that didn’t translate into sales.

Which brings me to this: it’s a shame that this album WAS NOT promoted properly by 
Columbia as it should have been. Perhaps if it was, more would’ve bought it but as it
stands at last count, it hasn’t gone gold as far as record sales figures show. Another
factor to consider with that is, Big L’s album didn’t have four tracks originally intended
for it. Columbia opted to release those as a promo tape. That tape contained ‘Devil’s
Son’ which was a track that got him a lot of buzz because he took that classic Nas
line from his stint on Main Source’s “Live At the BBQ” and got even MORE foul with
it. Big L with this album should be mentioned in the same breath as Gravediggaz for
being in the same horrorcore vein, way before Eminem’s rise. Another element to
this album is the fact that you get a young Camron on ‘8 Iz Enuff’ who was part of
the same Children of The Corn group that featured Mase and Cam’s cousin Bloodshed
before his death in a car accident. And on ‘Da Graveyard’, Jay-Z has one of his earlier
guest appearances. I don’t think there’s any doubt Big L’s lyrical prowess influenced
Jay to push himself as an MC, evidenced by their ‘98 Freestyle’. They were even on 
the verge of signing as a group with Herb McGruff and C-Town in 1998 to Rocafella.


Lifestyles Ov Da Poor & Dangerous is going to always be a part of the ‘what if’ cloud
that surrounds the legacy of Lamont ‘Big L’ Coleman. But what has to be appreciated
is that it gave the hip-hop world its first complete look at an MC who, had he lived,
might have changed a few discussions and a few lists. Not to mention possibly stifling
a few rappers’ careers. With that, I’m going to put this album on and grab a Beck’s
for Big L.