Despite only completing one album in full during his tragically short life the legacy of Lamont Coleman, better known to the world as Big L, will always be that of one of the wittiest, most charismatic and technical emcees ever to step footh inside a recording booth. As part of the D.I.T.C. crew and an understudy of Lord Finesse, the young Coleman hung around recording sessions with several industry heavyweights like Freddie Foxxx, Large Professor, Diamond D and DJ Jazzy Jay, while planning his own future LP debut. His shot came when L was signed to Columbia Records (on the strength of his bugged out Showbiz produced demo "Devil's Son") on the very same day as another young aspiring emcee by the name of Nas. Throughout 1993 Big L recorded his debut album which was to be called "Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous". Using dark hardcore beats with pouncing rhythm, grooving basslines and agressive horn stabs chopped up from long forgotten jazz records by Showbiz, Lord Finesse and Buckwild, the sound complimented Big L's often hilarious, often shocking and always on point lyrics to a Tee. The problem was that Columbia kept pushing the LP back as they had more faith in other artists on the roster such as Nas, Fugees and Cypress Hill which meant L had to take a backseat and sit on his material. A whole year before "Lifestylez..." was finally released a promotional cassette containing a full LP was released to selected magazines and radio stations. Hip Hop, by then still a relative young phenomenon, was in a constant state of change and elevation and sometime during '94, L even begged permission from his label to remix and update some of the material on the LP to make it sound current against competition from popular New York artists like Raekwon, Notorious BIG and Mobb Deep. The answer was a negative one, which left L with a debut album partly recorded as early as the beginning of 1993. Had "Lifestylez..." been released in January 1994 I think Big L might have had a very different career over at Columbia. It's interesting to note that they decided to go with the Summer Smooth Remix by producer Selah for the "M.V.P." video, a song much more in line with the times of 1995 - yet it sounds like nothing else on the actual album.
The last tracks that had been recorded for the album was "MVP" and "Street Struck", which were both created in the same session and especially in the case of the former it does sound more in line with where hip-hop was at in early '95 than a song like "I Don't Understand It". As L couldn't remix or update the sounds of any song he instead opted to delete certain tracks from inclusion on the final version. "Devil's Son" (click to download) had already been available since early 1993 and considering its shocking subject matter it worked better as a promotional introduction to the world than an album cut. The Lord Finesse produced "School Daze" (click to download) was not only one of the joints from the very earliest Columbia sessions, the rhymes were Coleman "reminisces" about his school days were probably written while L was still in school, and would have sounded dated had it been released in late '93. However, the two remaining tracks that appeared on the original promo cassette but failed to materialize on the retail release are another story altogether. "I Shoulda Used A Rubba" and "Timez Iz Hard..." (both produced by Buckwild) were to my ears just as potent and in line with the hardcore boom bap vibe of the album as anything on there. For years low quality rips of these four songs have circulated on mixtapes, bootlegs and on the net. Unfortunately even the semi-official compilation "Return Of The Devil's Son" failed to produce decent sounding versions of these joints (matter of fact, avoid this compilation at all cost). However it has come to my knowledge that the Japanese CD edition of "Lifestylez..." actually included "I Shoulda Used A Rubba" (sometimes known as "Clinic") as a bonus track. So after the original pressing was reissued in Japan in 2010 a rip of said bonus tracks has popped up on the internet. Finally hearing this classic lost Big L track in its full glory, properly mixed, mastered and in a high quality rip is pure bliss for a D.I.T.C./Big L fan, now let us just hope an equally good version of "Timez Iz Hard..." will get a proper release. Much thanks to whoever ripped this "Clinic" originally (as I got it in the mail by friend I have no idea who to credit); I also added a decent rip of "Timez Iz Hard..." for your listening pleasure.
People who have followed this blog for some years know that wile I do like a lot about Big L's only true posthumous album, given that he was actually working on it at the time of his death, true posthumous release "The Big Picture", it could have been so much better. Some years ago I made my own version of it, posted it and let you the readers decide whether my "A&R:d" version was closer to L's original vision than the sometimes cheesy shit that ended up in retail stores. Don't get me wrong, the album had plenty of hot joints, many of them recorded by L in his lifetime and released as the first singles from his upcoming album ("We Got This", "Ebonics", "Size 'Em Up", etc.). Yet other songs he recorded, albeit maybe a little dated at the time from a production standpoint, like "Games Females Play" were remixed into one of the albums absolute worst club imitating cuts that had me shaking my head in disbelief.
Luckily they had a lot of ill acapellas to work from, inviting bonafied legends like DJ Premier, Showbiz, Hi-Tek, Mike Heron and Pete Rock to add new boom bap type of soundbeds for L's masterful lyricism. But the latter producer I mentioned, who happens to be one of my all time favorites, turned the track that L recorded with Buckwild shortly before his passing into a superbly mediocre club anthem called "Who You Slidin' Wit", also adding an uneccesary verse by weed carrier Stan Spit (and as if that wasn't enough the one Pete Rock track that actually goes replaces the impeccable Party Arty once again with Stan Spit). The album version of "Who You Slidin' Wit" strangely sounds nothing like either Pete Rock or Big L, and considering that it's a "remix" (as using a total backdrop for the same vocals) of a song Buckwild gave L for inclusion on the LP, and was even cut at the very last minute in favor of the Soul Brother beat. SMH. Check out the album version up top and download the Buckwild original version below (320 kbps); a track that luckily made its way to the public through a very rare Rawkus promo of the album released in 1999, but we definitely needed more DITC/DJ Premier type of joints on this album and that's a fact.
One of the finest long players of 2014 is the Slice-Of-Spice/D.I.T.C. release "The Remix Project" from earlier this year. While any hardcore fan of the crew are well familiar with the origins of tracks like "Time to Get This Money", "Diggin' in the Crates", "Best Behavior" and "Foundation", one song that might not be as easily recognizable is "We All" which is featured as the album opener on the CD. Featuring excellent performances from OC and AG that both sound like recent verses (ala "Oasis") coupled with the fact that an alternative version never has been made available to the public in any official capacity made the song the most curious track on the LP. Maybe The Alchemist mix heard here in fact was the original? That's not an unlikely scenario but fact is that the original version is an unreleased single from Showbiz's still unreleased solo album which was supposed to drop sometime in the middle of 2010. DJ Premier played the original verison of "We All" at least two times on his LiveFromHQ radio show in the beginning of that year and I got a rip of the song for anyone who might've missed it right here. I'm not sure who ripped this one as it's a different, longer version than the one I originally downloaded from DJ Premier Blog back when, so however ripped it - many thanks and a big shout out goes out to you (and that goes for you too Gim, of course).
And in case you've been living under a rock, you can still stream and/or download the entire "The Remix Project" for free via Slice-Of-Spice. However I strongly recommend purchasing a physical copy (from UGHH or HHV for example) while they are still around, as both the packaging and the music is a thing of beauty. Finally, I want to mention the Lord Finesse remix of "Thick" one last time as people strangely enough don't seem to recognize what a HUGE thing that song is - seeing how Finesse uses the vocal take from a different "Thick" session, resulting in the unearthing of previously unheard '99 verses from both OC and Big L. And that is not something to take lightly...
D.I.T.C. is definitely up in the house right now, bringing on both new shit and classic ish for our listening pleasure. Complex Magazine has somehow unearthed two previously unseen clips of the late, great Big L. The first video shows Coleman getting down in D&D Studios for the recording of the all-time hip-hop classic "Size 'Em Up", the B-side to "Ebonics" which was the final 12" ever released before his tragic and untimely passing. It's short but sweet to see L in the studio, just like it's equally mindblowing to hear him go bar-for-bar with the super lyrical Big Pun.
No, this is not from the slamming D.I.T.C. remix album but it's non the less a slamming remix of Big L's Danger Zone as the always impressive Tokyo Cigar sets up L's masterful flow over a thumping beat constructed around the Kenny Loggins joint of the same name. TURN IT UP!
Still to this day and age, 25 years since the beginning of their careers, the D.I.T.C. crew is by far one of the most interesting crews on the hip-hop scene, and as they are gearing up to release their free "D.I.T.C. Remix Project" in a few days, we are treated to one final single before the official proejct becomes available. This is Buckwild's take on one of Big L's last and greatest story telling records, "Casualties of a Dice Game", and I gotta say it's easily as dope as the original. Having had the benefit of actually hearing the entire project a few days early, I can assure you that the D.I. crew does not dissapoint. Granted it's old and beloved verses but who cares when you get fresh bangers of beats supplied by all original DITC producers, DJ Premier and then some? Oh and without revealing too much, there's actually one track carrying exclusive never before heard late '90s verses from two of the crew's best. Oh you'll have to wait until May 6 and see...
The always underrated Bink gives us his take on one of the hardest hip-hop bangers of all time, D.I.T.C.'s "Da Enemy" featuring stand out performances from both Big L and Fat Joe. This is the third single from the upcoming "D.I.T.C. The Remix Project", and every single track so far has been absolutely blazing. I previously posted the radio rip of DJ Premier's remix of the first D.I.T.C. posse cut ever recorded, 1991:s "Diggin' in the Crates" - which is now also available in its full CDQ version for download via the official D.I.T.C. Entertainment website. This LP is definitely extremely high on my wish list right now and we only have to wait about a week to get it in all its glory. BANG THESE OUT LOUD!!
It's hard to believe it's already been fifteen long years since the young Lamont Coleman, better known to hip-hop heads as Big L - the definition of true lyricism, was ripped away from this earth and into the spiritual. L will always be remembered as one of the finest, funniest and illest rapper to ever hold a mic and continues to inspire emcees for generation to come. Yet he really only released one album during his lifetime, 1995:s "Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous" which not only stands as a bonafide classic, but also holds personal affection for me as it was actually the first piece of vinyl that I ever bought. In the last couple of years of his life he had begun working on two new albums simultaneously - the follow up to "Lifestylez" on Rawkus as well as the debut LP from his group D.I.T.C. on Tommy Boy.
Due to his tragic death on February 15, 1999 he never managed to complete his Rawkus album "The Big Picture", but it's clear that he was almost there though we can be pretty certain that the LP would have sounded vastly different had L had the opportunity to complete it, rather than the posthumous work put in by Rawkus. His final official release was the "Ebonics"/"Size 'Em Up" 12" and I remember having it on constant rewind when it dropped and how especially the A-side literally had my jaw drop every time - and it still does! It's clear that L had the charisma, humor and mad skills that with a little commercial push could've put him up there with the likes of Jay-Z around 2001. What he recorded for "The Big Picture" was definitely more accessible to the average hip-hop fan than the dense, agressive, dark jazzy boom bap sounds that defined his first LP. I think had he lived on it would've only been a question of time before he truly would've made it HUGE. Sadly, we'll never know now.
What is also sad is that due to his short time on this earth he didn't leave that much material behind as he wasn't a musical machine like a 2Pac or a J Dilla. Still the occassion of the anniversary warrants some unreleased music to be listened to - and since I already posted all the "Lifestylez..." outtakes and demos, my version of "The Big Picture" and then some, I haven't got that many choices to hook y'all up with. Of course if you don't own his two retail solo albums and the first D.I.T.C. abum, then that should be priority #1 for you; all those are must haves in any respectable collection. However while there have been some horrendous posthumous cash-in albums of unreleased L material ("Return Of The Devil's Son" being the worst of the bunch), I remembered that the semi-official Corleone Records released a fat freestyle collection of Big L's hottest radio moments in 2003 entitled "Harlem's Finest: A Freestle History (Vol. 1 & 2)". Since it's long been out-of-print by now, I don't see any harm in posting it on here, and if anyone involed feels otherwise please send me an e-mail and I'll take it down ASAP. Ripped in 320 kbps this great sounding baby features 19 amazing L freestyles and verses ranging from early '92 stuff with Lord Finesse, to the infamous '95 one with Jigga, to '98 verses - basically covering Coleman's entire career as an emcee. Listening to nothing but freestyles for 45 minutes straight would get tiresome with almost anyone... but not with Big L, that's for damn sure! It also features two original, at the time previously unreleased, Big L songs near the end - "Nigga Please" and the beautiful Dramatics sampling "How Will I Make I". Grab this below, enjoy it and TURN IT THE FUCK UP!!! Rest in peace Lamont Coleman, you are not forgotten!
* Link to "Harlem's Finest", borrowed from the dope Urbanleakz.net - much props and all credit and thanks to them!
Production/DJ duo Freqnik & WDRE lets loose this stupid funky boom banger of a remix for Big L's "Deadly Combination" verse. Those blazing horns fittingly reminds me of some vintage early '90s DITC shit, and as 'Pac states at the end "rewind this motherfucker, you know you can't help it!" Freqnik & WDRE created this way too short monster for an upcoming mixtape placing classic hip-hop accapellas over brand new beats from this powerful duo. You better stay tuned for more info on that as we go along fellas! Below you also find a HARD ASS Freaqnik/WDRE beat below called "Funky Friday 45" (whether it's an actual 7" single or not I'm sure, but it's sure as hell is sick). Be sure to peep Freqnik's Soundcloud page which is filled to the limits with crazy remixes and funky beats.
As my loyal readers surely have noticed, I have always been greatly fascinated not only by true school hip-hop music, but also by any trivia, interviews and information about those classic recording sessions that resulted in all these legendary albums. Another thing that is of high interest to me is alternative mixes, cut records, original sequencing, and all that. In this respect, Big L's short but powerful discography is one to be heavily discussed even today, 13 years after Lamont Coleman's tragic murder.
Almost one and a half year ago, I revisited L's posthumous "The Big Picture", putting together a version that I personally felt better represented what that album might've sounded like if L was still alive to complete it; cutting out many, but not all, of the after-the-fact remixes, etc. For this post I am taking a look at his groundbreaking 1995 debut, "Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous", but since that's already a complete LP, released along L's and his producers vision, I am obviously not gonna disgrace it by trying to change it or give you an alternative version. Instead, I will bring you high quality rips of all the cut tracks and alternative versions from that album, which equals to about 30 minutes of classic Big L rhymes and D.I.T.C. beats. As a bonus, I also included all the official remixes of songs from the albbum released on their original singles. Some of these have been rather hard to find in full versions, with no DJ mixing and in excellent quality, but over the years I've managed to track them all down; some ripped fromm my own collection, but most of the huge thanks to the fantasticBigLOnline.com and its webmaster ThaBigSleep, who originally provided many of these rips.The "Gorilla in a Phone Booth" rips are courtesy of the ever mangificent T.R.O.Y. Blog, so many thanks to y'all brothers as well.
Two related gems that you might, or might not, have seen upon their original publishing is two extremely informative articles on the making of "Lifestylez..."; straight from the two main producers of the record, Lord Finesse and Buckwild. Back in July 2010, HipHopDX posted a long interview with Lord Finesse about the original recording sessions, and events around the release of the album, especially focusing on the tracks he, himself produced for the LP. Unfortunately, Buckwild, who had agreed to do the interview, could not be reached and therefore was never featured in the final article. However, in celebration of Big L's born day, on May 30 of this year, XXL posted a shorter but similiar track-by-track breakdown of the Buckwild productions from "Lifestylez...", as told by the producer himself. Both of these are essential reading to anyone who, like myself, hold Lamont's earliest recorded work in the higest regards. It's also recommended to read them both before listening to the EP provided, and shortly explained, below.
01. "Devil's Son"
This was as you know Big L's solo debut to the world, as it was the song on his demo tape that caught Colombia's interest, due to it's bizzare horrorcore content. Released as a promo only on the label in 1993, the track quickly gained a lot of underground buzz and together with several mindblowing cameos around the same time, definitely had people wanting to know what was up with his crazy rhymer. As Lord Finesse mentions in the interview above, "Lifestylez" was basically completed in 1993 but got caught up in limbo. Evidence of this can be seen on the original promo 12", where ithe credits listed are those of the album producers (Showbiz, Buckwild, Lord Finesse and Craig Boogie). For this reason, this song have often mistakenly been thought to have been a production collaboration between these four, when in fact the actual sole producer is Showbiz.
02. "Let 'Em Have It L" [Original Mix]
Craig Boogie produced the album version which with it's rugged uptempoproduction and L's agressive flow, was the perfect album closer as it truly ended the experience with a bang. The original version is completely different in many aspects, not only does it feature many never before heard Big L lyrics, 0but they are placed over a Showbiz beat that's much more mellow and laid back, though definitely thumping, with a classic D.I. bassline groove and a mesmerizing keyboard sample. In fact, it's kinda hard to choose which one I like better since they are both so different, but as far as outro tracks goes, the Craig Boogie mix is definitely the obvious choice.
03. "Timez Iz Hard..."
I don't know why this failed to make the final cut of the album, despite appearing on a promo LP, sequenced between "Da Graveyard" and the title track. This is definitely in the same key as the rest of the album and, to me, is the one song that would have helped to improve the album even more. The rhymes are classic hardcore storytelling mode L, where he rhymes about his extended robbery crusadesover a jazzy backdrop, complete with stand-up bass, saxophones and well placed cuts; presumably handled by DJ Roc Raida as he often helped out on the early D.I.T.C. albums. The track is a co-production between Buckwild and Lord Finesse.
04. "School Daze"
"School Daze", together with the aforementioned track, appeared on a 1994 cassette only promo for the album, that also featured a totally different sequencing from the finalized retail. According to Finesse, this was possibly the first track they even recorded for the album, and compared to the songs on the retail, it may sound a little dated in comparision, which is most likely the reason it was cut. That does not mean that it's not a banging cut though, rhyme and production wise. I'm pretty sure 'Ness hooked this up for L.
05. "No Endz, No Skinz" [Original Mix]
Similiar to track #2, this is a completley different take than the "Lifestylez..." version, featuring many alternative lines from L as he obviously re-recorded the vocals for the second version, rather than just placing the original vocal over a new beat. Showbiz produced both versions, and while they both bare his trademark, they are still completey different. The chorus over the horns section is amazing, but otherwise I'd personally think they made the right choice going with the LP version. This was unearthed as recently as 2010, when the supreme Freestyle Professor Recordson the very limited "Gorilla in a Phone Booth". There's still a few presses leffor those who are interested, but considering how pricey it is and diggers will definitely buy the EP whether or not they already heard the song, I decided to include both tracks from thee EP.
06. "Clinic (Shoulda Used A Rubba)"
"Clinic" also appeared on the 1994 cassette promo, but for some reason it didn't make the LP. I love this song, it's classic L/D.I.T.C. with a rugged, yet very jazz beat that has lots of interesting layers to it; I believe this was produced by Finesse as wel, but it could also possibly be Njckl. Once again Lamont is in storytelling mode, and his verses are full of hilarious quotables as it deals with a fictional story about how he catched an STD forom some trick. The outro monolouge is funny as hell too. I could absolutely see this on the retail, although I's not really as hard as the majority of the album which might be why it eventually was left off.
07. "I Can't Understand It" [Original Mix]
On the retail, Show had two beats, "No Endz..." and thealbum mix of this. As seen with all these joints that were left off or changed, it's easy to see that Show played as large a role as Buck and 'Ness when it came to producing for the album (he also made this original mix). This is probably the alternative mix with most different verses, as it features an entire never released classic L verse. I can't place the sample right now, but I know it's something I have in my record collection; I got strong a feeling it's from on one of my Weather Report records. However that may be, it has a very jazzy feel, much more so thna finalized version. Once again, it's accoustic bass, agressive drum patterns a, saxophone hook that fades in and out throughout. It's a cool track for sure, but the album version is much, much beter.
08. "Eiht Iz Enuff" [Original Mix] *
* I really wasn't sure if I should include this on here or not, since the dark Buckwild beat is exactly the same, Big L's verse is actually the same (even exactly the same take). The same goes for five of the other verses featured on the reccord. The difference is that Terra's and Herb McGruff's verses are both different, although they incorporates some of the retail's lyrics as well. Also there's no intro or outro from Big L. But whatever, people might not have heard it, and it is an early version of a track from "Lifestylez...", and of course a bonafide classic, so it might as well be included. This was first unearthed as late as 2008, on the limited Herb McGruff vinyl, "The Demo" on One Leg Up Records.
09. "MVP" [Summer Smooth Mix] [*]
In the Finesse interview, it's implied that he wasn't too happy that Columbia decided to use the 12"'s "Summer Smooth Remix" for the video rather than the original. It's alot smoother and features some R&B-type vocals by a girl called Indigo. As he say, a remix will never appear on an artists record unless it's been approved by the artist, which of course Big L had done, and it was a decision on both L's and the labels behalf to use this one for the video. I personally don't like it nearly as much as the original, but it's most def a nice, and very different take on the record which gives it another sound. Proudcer Salah is not exactly prolific, but prior to this he had remixed records for Super Cat, Diana Kang, Coolio, a cut on the "New Jersey Drive Soundtrack" and even released a solo album in 1993 called "Caged Bird". In 1998 he also produced a pretty dope jam for MC Lyte, but that's pretty much all he's ever released.
10. "Put It On" [LG Street Mix]
I've been thinking about putting together a LG Experience compilation one of these days, because he's done a lot of hot shit, which seems to run in the family (he's Easy Mo Bee's brother for those that didn't know). This is a lot darker and more "L"-like in it's approach, and seems to have been a lot more in Finesee's mind according to the HipHopDX breakdown. Totgether with the "MVP" remix, this is the only B-side exclusive to any of the singles from "Lifestylez...", and appeared on the "Put it Down" VLS in 1995.
11. "MVP" [Buckwild Remix]
In 1995 Buckwild also remixed "M.V.P.", not only once but actually in two totally different versions. They remained unreleased until 2007, when he put it out himself on the unbelivably fat 2xCD compilation "Diggin' in the Crates: Rare Studio Masters ('93-'97)". However, I only included one of the remixes here and the reason is that it was, in a way, released in 1995 on a "M.V.P." promo 12". I say in a way, because it was a mistake on the label's behalf to incude it; the DJ promo single was to include the original version and the instrumental on the flip. Rather than the expected instrumental, what later turned out to be the Buckwild remix, turned up in instrumental form instead.
Can y'all believe that it's almost been 13 years since we lost one of hip-hop's greatest and most charismatic lyricists in Lamont Coleman? A damn shame and a travesty is what it was and still is but it's good to see that his name is still being repped and his legacy continues. Since last year fans of Harlem's Finest has been treated to two compilations of rare material and outtakes with"Return Of The Devil's Son"and last months"Danger Zone". One thing that hasn't found it's way to the stores or the festivals is the "Street Struck: The Big L Story" documentary about the life and times of Big L. The original trailer for the flick was released to the net a couple of years ago with the added text of 'Coming Soon' although the matter has been quiet since then.
That is all finally about to change now as the film is said to be finished and ready for release between August and September this year. This is definitely something that I want to see as I think it will make a very interesting movie for any fan of the man as well as it's a fitting tribute to his name. In promotion of the film and its accompaning soundtrack, a music video has been shot for a track called "Me & L" by Mike Boogie who we heard with L on the classic posse cut "8 Iz Enuff". Check out the BTS clip from the video shoot below.
Mega shouts to DangerZone Films for making this project happen, as well as Big L 0nline and 2 Dope Boyz for spreading the word!
I was meant to post this months ago but totally forgot about but better late than never for those who might not have seen it, right. Top DJ Mag presents a complete taped performance by Big L and OC ripping the shit out in Croatia back in 1998 which means it wasn't too long before the tragic passing of Lamont Coleman. I often wonder how L's career would have turned out if he hadn't been so tragically taken away from this life. He had the charisma of a true rap hero and while his one, complete album "Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous" was and is a classic and his best, the dark, agressive but jazzy DITC beats sounded dated from a sellpoint in 1995 resulting in low sales. However the stuff he worked for on "The Big Picture" and "Worldwide" maintained his hardcore appeal and raw humour over beats that was more polished but still real banging. His last single "Ebonics"/"Size 'Em Up" caught a super hype and he was supposed to sign to Roc-A-Fella Records right before his death as ou surely now. Unlike Fat Joe, I think Big L would've been able to become an absolute superstar without forgetting his roots and refuse to sell ("You can't pay me to rhyme if the beat trash").
OC is a criminally slept on MC, even after all the classic albums and 12"s he's done or been involved in I rarely see people talk about him in the same regards as someone like Big Daddy Kane or even Sean Price. To me D.I.T.C. was the best crew (together with Wu-Tang Clan) to ever emerge on to the scene and one of the main reasons is that all the producers were pretty much equally dope (we're talking about DJ Premier/Pete Rock skilled) and all the main rappers were equally dope - Lord Finesse, OC, Big L and AG. Diamond D was great on the mic but I prefer him much more as a producer although he held down "Stunts, Blunts & Hip-Hop" earning himself the title 'By far the best producer on the mic' for many listeners.
OC and Big L also had a fantastic chemistry together on the songs they appeared as a duo, including "Get Yours" and "Dangerous". In other words this 40 minutes live performance a must see for any fan of authentic true school East Coast hip-hop a/k/a D..I.T.C. (amongst others of course). The quality isn't fantastic but it's well worth watching, I shouldn't need to tell you that. Much props to TOP DJ MAG - which I believe was a tv program in Croatia showcasing live performances from international hip-hop concerts in the country!
Following last years dissapointing "Return Of The Devil's Son" put together by L's younger brother and sounding abolutely amazing on paper. Problem was that the sound quality was absolutely horrible, it sounded like a cassette rip ripped to a low VBR and on top of that they renamed several songs to get L fans to think the album contained previously unreleased material, which it didn't, save for maybe a couple of freestyles. I was so hyped when I heard about that project, to finally get tracks like "Devil's Son", "Timez If Hard On The Boulevard", "Clinic (Shoulda Used A Rubba), "School Dayz", "Principle of the New School", etc. After I downloaded the leak to get a sneek peak i ended up never buying the album and will not do so either.
Lucky for us Flamboyant Entertainment (in conjunction with the Coleman estate) is putting together a proper and official Big L's "rare and unreleased" tracks, but this time newly remastered and in CDQ if possible which just made my day. It will feature classic tracks that didn't make "Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous" or "The Big Picture" plua some remastered classic freestyles (please include the nine minutes Jay-Z/Big L freestyle session from 1995 on Stretch & Bobbito).
The album will be released on May 31 this year and I've just sarted counting the days, but in the meantime we already got the first "single" from the project - which is a remastered take on the Lord Finesse / Big L collaboration (one of his first), 1992s "You Know What I'm About" - a track recorded for the "Tresspass Soundtrack"but the label didn't want any unknown rappers on there and Finesse had to record a solo version instead, and it took a few years before this leaked.. Listening to it now though and this is by far the best version I ever heard of it before, it sounds a little raw but hey, it was recorded in '92 and never officially released so what could you expect. If the rest of the album sounds this good this is truly a MUST-HAVE! Can't wait to see the full tracklisting.
Shouts to The Manhattan.com for the link and parts of the info, much props! Also thanks to Manhattan 360 for putting me on to the article.
"The Big Picture" was Big L's first (and in my eyes only worthy) posthumous full-length album, released via Rawkus about one and a year after Lamont's untimely and tragic passing. The main executive's of the album/compilation was Rich Nice and Big Leroy, with associate help from DJ Premier, Lord Finesse, Show and Mike Heron. Without a doubt, It's a dope album, but in many ways, which really isn't that suprising, it feels whole lot like a compilation of some of L's last track, remixes and even freestyles. What's worse is that some of the original tracks that Big L originally had recorded, for some reason were remixed, resulting in a weaker version not at all representative of Big L's original style and featuring beats that I highly doubt the emcee would've even touched if he was alive. The two strongest examples of this is how the very good, original Buckwild mix of "Who You Slidin' Wit'" run laps around the suprisingly weak Pete Rock remix which made the album insteas (which was very suprising to me). The second example of this, is the Ysae remix (?) of Big L's overloked "Games Female Plays", that totally switched the somber feeling to a party track gone wrong, which even deleted two L verses to have Sadat X and GURU On the flip side, DJ Premier and Mike Heron's respective remixes outshined the originals.
There's certain other things that I feel could make the album better and closer to L's original vision of an original album. For example the track "We Got This" with Mr. Cheeks was even released as a single but mysteriously was left off the Rawkus retail. This could, and should have, replaced tracks like "'98 Freestyle" and "Deadly Combination", two absolutely terrific mixtape joints that however have no place on an actual retail album at all; especially not since there were plenty of other songs to replace them with. This might all sound very negative, but the fact is that "The Big Picture" is a great album and major props to all involved for making it happen. The album presented below is simply my vision of how I think the album could've been improved,... To your ears, this might not at all be better, but I recommend you at least give it a chance, and play it front-and-back as intended I can say, that countless hours and research have gone into this project..
As any Lost Tapes fan knows, I never post albums that are not out of print, but here I make an exception. The reason for this is because it is still different from the retail, and the word is that since Lamont returned to the essence, people like Lord Finesse and Show have mentioed that the deceased artist's biological father, who was never there during Lamont's life, is claiming a large amount of any sales of Big L albums, which is the main reason why we still haven't seen the proper posthumous album that 'Ness and Premo was working on. So it's a real fucked up situation, and I hope he doesn't get a cent for any of Big L's music now or tand rest in peace to Lamont Coleman, one of the best to ever do it. You are surely missed!! And with that being said, let's get to the music - as I present the tracklist, I am giving y'all a track-by-track take on each song and why it is included, and possibly why I chose this version rather than what's heard on the retail. I hope y'all enjoy it fo what it is, and I also hope that you give it a fair chance and please drop a comment on your feelings of this c7 take of L's final, but not finalized, album.
01. "The Big Picture Intro" This intro was obviously created posthumously, but it's the perfect introduction of the album, and I wouldn't dream of leaving this off the tracklist. In reality DJ Premier and Big L really didn't get the chance to work much together ("Thick" and "Da Enemy" are the two that comes to mind), which is a shame considering their chemistry were equal to that of Preem and Nas.The L verse is an all-time classic, although it been used in freestyles and on other songs; parts of it even appear on a later song but who really cares. The live intro by Bumpy Knuckles and DJ Premier from the Big L tribute concert is a perfect way to set up the album; I'm glad they didn't put it together to constantly remind us of the fact that the artist we're listening to had just been killed, but it would be equally wrong to not give it some kind of tribute. 02. "Ebonics" Wow, this is one of the best hip-hop tracks ever recorded in my opinion, and is also the last song L released officially; as a 12" single on his own Flamboyant imprint with the equally stunning "Size 'Em Up" on the flip. Right before L was killed, I remember how I used to bump this multiple times each and every day and were just stunned by the concept an the way L delivered it; and to this day, it sounds just as fresh. This, together with the following song, is, to me, Ron Browz absolute best work. 03. "Size 'Em Up" As mentioned before, this was the B-side to "Ebonics" , and to me both songs proved that L was on a warpath, going in a totally new direction from his debut. A direction that potentially would give him a lot more exposure while still keeping it hardcore with a capital H. There's also a L song called "On The Mic" whih uses the same lyrics as "Size 'Em Up", but I think we can safely assume that the latter is the only "real" version. Even if you have "The Big Picture" on CD, cassette or LP, I would strongly recommend getting the "Ebonics / Size 'Em Up" 12" as well, as it's without a doubt one of the best singles released in the late '90s.
04. "We Got This" (Ft. Mr. Cheeks) Another song produced by Ron Browz, or Rondell as he was called then, who seemed to be something like L's in-house producer during his final days. Featuring Mr. Cheeks of The Lost Boyz, this was most likely L's next planned, and completed single, as it was released on Flamboyant Records, with "The Heist" on the flip, shortly after his death. While it's not at all one of my favorite tracks, I think it makes zero sense that Rawkus did not include this in favor of tracks like "Games" and "'98 Freestyle Pt. 1". Lyrically, Cheeks and Big L bounces off eachother to great effect, and as a strictly lyrical record it's really good.
05. "Devils Son '98 (Interlude)" Rather than using the Stretch Armstrong freestyle, I felt that the 1998 one verse-and-hook live recording of "Devil's Son" worked a lot better as a cool lil' interlude. While the beat remains the same, Big L totally flipped out with a brand new verse, that's just as off-the-wall hardcore and dark humorous as the original '93 mix. This was recorded during Big L's last European live performance, in Amsterdamn on October 8, 1999.
06. "Holdin' It Down" (Ft. AG, Party Arty & Pete Rock) This is the original 12" version of "Holdin it' Down" and it's the superior and more hardcore version without a doubt. Pete Rock does a great job on the beat, scratches and typical ad-libs, but the real treat here is to hear L go head to head with AG and Party Arty, another now deceased D.I.T.C. affiliate and Ghetto Dwellas member. P-80 also appeared on "Da Graveyard", and has an equally raw verse here so it's ahrd to figure out why his verse was replaced by one of Stan Spit. The other main difference, that goes a long way, is that instead of Miss Jones' singing the hook (a singer I often liked on hip-hop tracks of the '90s), the hook is made up of a superb scratch hook courtesy of Pete Rock.
07. "The Heist" (Lord Finesse's Re-Visit) The original Ron Browz produced version of this flawless exercise in storytelling appeared as the B-side to the '99 single "We Got This", as mentioned above. The Lord Finesse remix takes on a much more funk infused sound that places the story in an altogether new setting, much like movie music is so important to establish a scene. I like both versions, but in my opinion Finesse's revisit is the stronger mix, and since it's The Funky Man's only contribution to the album, I eventually decided to go with this one for my take.
08. "The Enemy" (Ft. Fat Joe) Originally started making the mixtape circuit as early as 1997, and even making a stand-out apperance on DITC's "Worldwide" the same year as "The Big Picture". Therefore, it might have been logic to cut this off the album, but I didn't have the heart for that considering how fucking ridiciolous this monster of a track really is.Not only is it one of the best anti-police anthem's of all time, DJ Premier hooks up one of his hardest beats of all time and Big L and Fat Joe soun so damn nice together, Historic track!
09. "Flamboyant"
This is The Ghetto Pro's Mike Heron's only contribution on the album, and although it's one that was made after L's passing, it's an absolute stand-out on the album. I moved this back a step on the album, because I felt it sounded somewhat superior when sequenced between "The Enemey" and "Platinum Plus".Mike Heron might be one of the most underrated producers in the game, this joint is aboslutely magic and was the first choice for a single; in the linear notes A&R Rich Nice thanks Mike Heron for "giving L a #1 single". This is a true anthem right here my friends!
10. "Platinum Plus" [OG Riverside Mix] (Ft. Stan Spit)
A lot of things point to this being the original version, as well as originally meant to be included on the album. It sounds much more natural than the weak Pete Rock remix on the retail, which is one of the wackest Pete beats I've ever heard, and it's also Buckwild's only contribution to the known songs recorded around this time. Add this to the fact that the linear notes shouts out Buckwil in the list of artists labeled under "thanks to all the artists and producers involved in the making of this album". This was also released before the album on an earlyRawkus sampler for the project. This sounds so much better in the context of what Big L was doing at the time of his last singles and guest apperances.
12. "Games Females Play" Just like "The Enemy", this is an older record, made for a Columbia sequel that never materialized around '96-97. As mentioned eaerlier, this is the song that was remixed for the retail by no-name producer Ysae into the emb(wherarassing club-track gone wrong called '"Games", that appeared on the
retail. It's cool to hear Sadat X and GURU make an apperance on the album, but when you take into account that neither verse were actually done in studio with L, and that none of them are particular good, it becomes nothing more than a missed opportunity. Worse yet, is that, for this reason, it deletes not only the original beat, but also two excellent Big L verses which were never released on anything official. and we all kno how brilliantly funny L was when taking stabs at shady female!
13. "Fall Back" (Ft. Kool G Rap) It's quite clear that this collaboration never really took place in reality; I would imagine that Big L at least would've give a shout out to G Rap in his verse or even in the intro or something in any other case. But shit, G Rap and Big L
on the same record - that's an obvious dream collabo, just like the after-the-fact joint with Big Daddy Kane and DJ Premier. Producer Shomari (?) does a great job with the backdrop too, so in the end this is obviously a keeper.
14. "Furious Anger" (Ft. Shyheim) This collaboration with Shyheim was one of the last tracks L ever recorded, and was made for Shyheim's 1999 album "Manchild". The song was produced by E-Blast and Jimmy Swag, but an interesting fact is that Lamont actually produced another record on Shy's third LP, "Trust It's On". Hanging so closely with Finesse, Show, Buckwild, Diamond D and later DJ Premier and many others, it's possible that L would've been getting more into production. In fact on the 12" releases, Big L was credited to have produced "Ebonics", "Size 'Em Up", "Yje Jeost" and "We Got This" together with Rondell/Ron Browz. But back to "Furious Anger", it's an absolute classic and if they could reuse "Da Enemey" they could've easily used this for both "Manchild" and "Big Picture".
15. "Causualties of a Dice Game" On the retail, this was placed much earlier in the sequencing, which to me was somewhat of a mistake. I admit to not liking the production that much, but the minimalist approach works in the context that it put L's story at the forefrnt. "Casualties of a Dice Game" is another vivid exercise in story telling that put most rappers describing the backsides of street life to shame. As the title indicates, this is a story about a dice game gone horribly wrong, and told from an "I perspective", which results in Big L getting shot and killed at the end. This is both pretty morbid and a bad omen of what was to come when listening now, but due to the nature of the end this should definitely be sequenced closer to the end of the album.
16. "Platinum Plus" [DJ Premier Remix] (Ft. Big Daddy Kane)
I placed the original version a little higher up, but it would be a cardinal sin not to include the DJ Premier remix of "Platinum Plus" as well. To me, this is the Big L / Preem equivallent to, say, "Nas is Like" with an up-tempo beat that's absolutely impossible to resist. This also shows DJ Premier's impeccable remixing skills, as L sounds so natural over this beat that it might've weel been the beat he actually spat that verse over. And then of course, you got Big Daddy Kane closing it out with an unforgettable performance. This is without a doubt, one of the five best songs on the LP; some days I would say it's even #1. I made a mistake when I uploaded the .rar file though, and put this as track 17, but just switch it to 16 and the next joint to 17 and you got the intended sequence.
17. "The Triboro" (Ft. OC, Fat Joe, Show & Remy Ma) Finally, we get a true D.I.T.C. posse cut, that should satisfy any fan of the crew or either rapper appearing here. Come to think about it, there's very little directly D.I.T.C. related material featured on this disc, so once Show's booming and bapping beat, complete with a fat ass bass line and well used synth lines, you know you're in for a treat. If I remember right, Big L's verse is the same as that on "We Got This", but that's easy to overlook considering how dope it is to hear L with OC, Fat Joe and even Remy Ma on a beat like this, one last time. The perfect album closer, although it will have you fineding for more... Something we unfortunately never will get. Aight, hit download and LET'S GO listen to one of the all time greats. Enjoy!
