Today marks the 13th year anniversary of the legendary rapper’s death.
Lamont Coleman, better known as Big L, was born and raised in Harlem, where he started his rap career with Three The Hard Way. He was the founder of the group Children of the Corn and was a member of Diggin’ in the Crates Crew before L went solo. He released his debut album, Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous, in 1995, and was very instrumental in the hip-hop underground scene. In 1998, he started his own label Flamboyant Entertainment where he released one of his best singles “Ebonics”.
On February 15, 1999, Coleman was killed by an unknown assailant in a drive-by shooting in his hometown of Harlem. Suspects, including the main suspect Gerald Woodley, were brought in for questioning, but no one was found guilty. His second studio album, The Big Picture was put together by Coleman’s manager, Rich King. It was released the following year and certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Definitely a life cut too short. R.I.P. Big L
