On February 15, 1999, Lamont Coleman was shot nine times and killed in his near his often named checked 139th & Lenox neighborhood in Harlem. It was just shy of four years since L had released his breakthrough debut Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous on Columbia Records. L’s murder – which was connected to his brother who was in prison on drug charges – was not met with the outcry that Tupac or Biggie’s received. Unlike the aforementioned, Big L’s life was cut short before he reached the pinnacle of the Rap game.
There are people out there who call Big L the greatest emcee of all-time, and while that statement gives no thought to the importance of longevity, it is a testament to just how talented L was. Taking the blueprint mentor Lord Finesse laid down, Lamont took the style and turned it up a dozen notches; combining lethal shit-talk with shocking lyrics that paved the way for Eminem and Chino XL. Sadly, L was gone by the time his sophomore album The Big Picture was released in 2000. The LP may have been partially pieces together, but still went gold in just a month, far surpassing the sales of his debut.
Like The Notorious B.I.G., L didn’t leave a vault of music behind to be released for years after his death. A decade since The Big Picture, we’re just getting the next “official” releases. This summer the label Big L founded (Flamboyant Entertainment), released 139 & Lenox, a collection of rare and unreleased tracks. Return Of The Devil’s Son isn’t much different; rare songs that have only appeared on bootlegs, unreleased material and a handful of freestyles.
It may be far from the “regular” albums we’ve gotten from 2Pac’s vault over the years, but it is still a welcome addition to any collection. Return Of The Devil’s Son shows off all the facets of L’s game. The Showbiz-produced “Principal of the New School” is pure early ’90s Hip Hop with L firmly in Finesse’s mold. In fact, a few of these recordings sound like they pre-date L’s first solo single on wax (1993’s “Devil’s Son”). “MC’s Whats Going On” is a noticeably different emcee than you hear on more recent tracks like “School Days” or the outstanding Large Professor-produced “Unexpected Flava.” Extra P is behind the boards for another of the albums finest moments, “I Should Have Used A Rubber.” L shows off his flawless storytelling ability over Paul’s stripped down, raw beat.
There are a few questionable moves here unfortunately. “Once Again” is nothing more than a re-working of “Size’Em Up,” it shouldn’t be listed like a new song. A handful of the freestyles also feature rhymes that we’ve since heard, or at least some of the bars. Not to say they shouldn’t have been included, just don’t be surprised if you’d heard some of this before.
Ultimately, Return Of The Devil’s Son is a no-brainer for any Big L fan. Or any fan of lyricists for that matter. It may be a hodge-podge of old material, but unfortunately that is all we have left from one of the greatest talents this game has ever heard.
RIP Big L
RIP to one of the greatest rappers ever, far ahead of most cats today.
I’M GOIN TO BUY THIS ALBUM MIDNIGHT.
BIG L NEW ALBUM MUST BE DOPE,
rip. 7 tracks i haven’t heard, nice!
dude had some serious skill.
BIG L
WHAT KILLS ME IS JAY DONT EVEN TALK BOUT L HE ALWAYS COMMENTS BIGGIE BUT L IS THE ONE THAT PUT HIM ON
I know right? Fuck Jay-Z
No. Fuck you G! That g stands for gay.
This mofo…im tired of fake ass studio pranksters claiming there someone who there not….muthfucka claiming hes Jay Z…what a bitch
i haven’t heard this album and idk if i will big l was dope his 1st album is a classic but i doubt if this album is a 5 star theres other albums that get underrated on here
Big L never lost a Battle, and he battled some of the best out.
meh
Big L, rest in peace
Congrats on the 5. I wonder if all the greats they left us got some dope material recorded up stairs.
R.I.P.
After The Big Picture, I’m good on Big L albums. I’d urge anybody to begin at Lifestylez.
yeah mang, Lifestylez is an amazing album.
Album is dope but it sounds like a bootleg or mixape with used freestyles and and some re work songs like zone of danger
Dis ish is jammin!
This is where papoose gets his style from!!!
Haha, I don’t know if it’s the voice that makes people think that more, but he does have a similar style with those multi-syallable rhymes..
Im giving it 5 stars without even listening to the album, big l was and always will be one of the best
I agree with the guy below me. Now I’m going to give 1 or something to the crap like, Rihanna or Nelly.
Yo, L was shot nine times?! Damn, Im sure a shitload of you people on here are probably wondering why HE had to be the one who died from nine shots…(Hint: 50…)
BIG L, FOREVER WILL BE BEST LYRACIST. BIGGIE N PAC BEST? NEGATIVE, BIG L, N BIG PUN TAKE THE TOP 2.
Big L is one of those rappers that makes me wish I could turn back time. I’m giving this a 5 because it’s real hip hop from one of the best to ever touch a mic.
Big L wasn’t shot 9 nine times, he was shot in the head, like once or twice. Dude got in a fight with his brother and figured the best way to get his brother back was to kill Big L because its harder to live with that then being killed yourself. Big L was shot in the head from behind right outside his house. This review gives no mention that he signed to Roc A Fella only a few months before he was killed and was ready to break it big. Big L had was oozing with potential and talent, not to mention the charisma it takes to become a superstar. I have already said that Big L is the greatest lose hip hop has ever suffered because he got killed before he could even peak. And even still just go pick up the Big Picture if you wanna hear some of the purest hip hop in your life.
Thanks for the info. Big L was crazy sick. His cadence was second to none.
your wrong he never signed to rockafeller beacuse he wanted his boys like herb mcgruff to come with him but they wouldnt take them so he didnt sign
5 Star!!!
the real hip hop is ova here.
classic material everytime
Could 0f been more better laid out but his still a MC freestyle
recycled material is recycled
Classic album, Big L forever.
i ignore the word “recycled”!
nowadays hip hop n rap mostly sucks. it’s not just refreshing, but oldschool at the same time. definitely 5 f***in’ stars!
When I was 12 ….