Emerging from Harlem, New York in the early to mid-1990s, Coleman became well known amongst underground hip-hop fans for his freestyling ability, and was eventually signed to Columbia Records, where he released his debut album, Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous in 1995 and is now considered by many fans as a classic album. On February 15, 1999, Coleman was shot nine times and killed by an unknown assailant in a drive-by shooting in his hometown of Harlem.
Noted for his use of wordplay, multiple writers at AllMusic, HipHopDX and The Source have praised Coleman for his lyrical ability, and he has also been described as "one of the most auspicious storytellers in hip hop history." Regarding Coleman's legacy, Nas said on MTV, “He scared me to death. When I heard that on tape, I was scared to death. I said, ’Yo, it’s no way I can compete if this is what I gotta compete with.'
Lamont Coleman was born in Harlem, New York City, on May 30, 1974, the third and youngest child of Gilda Terry (d. 2008) and Charles Davis. Davis left the family while Coleman was a child. His two older siblings, Donald Coleman and Leroy Phinazee (d.2002), were the children of Gilda and a man named Mr. Phinazee. Coleman received the nicknames "Little L" and "'mont 'mont" as a child. At the age of 12, Coleman became a big hip hop fan and started freestyling with other people in his neighborhood. He founded a group known as Three the Hard Way in 1990, but it was quickly broken up due to a lack of enthusiasm amongst the members. It consisted of Coleman, Doc Reem, and Rodney. No projects were released, and after Rodney left, the group was renamed Two Hard Motherfuckers. Around this time, people started to refer to Coleman as "Big L". In the summer of 1990, Coleman met Lord Finesse at an autograph session in a record shop on 125th Street. After he did a freestyle, Finesse and Coleman exchanged numbers.
Coleman attended Julia Richman High School. While in high school, Coleman freestyle battled in his hometown; in his last interview, he stated, "in the beginning, all I ever saw me doing was battling everybody on the street corners, rhyming in the hallways, beating on the wall, rhyming to my friends. Every now and then, a house party, grab the mic, a block party, grab the mic." He graduated in 1992.
On February 15, 1999, Big L was killed at 45 West 139th Street in his native Harlem after being shot nine times in the face and chest in a drive-by shooting. Gerard Woodley, one of Big L's childhood friends, was arrested three months later for the crime. "It's a good possibility it was retaliation for something Big L's brother did, or Woodley believed he had done," said a spokesperson for the New York City Police Department. Woodley was later controversially released, and the murder case remains unsolved.
Big L is buried at George Washington Memorial Park in Paramus, New Jersey.
On June 24, 2016 at 139th St. and Lenox Avenue, Woodley, 46, was shot in the head and later died at Harlem Hospital.
Coleman is often credited in helping to create the horrorcore genre of hip hop with his 1992 song "Devil Son." However, not all his songs fall into this genre, for example, in the song "Street Struck" Coleman discusses the difficulties of growing up in the ghetto and describes the consequences of living a life of crime. Idris Goodwin of The Boston Globe wrote that "[Big L had an] impressive command of the English language", with his song "Ebonics" being the best example of this.
He was notable for using a rap style called "compounding". Coleman also used metaphors in his rhymes. M.F. DiBella of Allmusic stated Coleman was "a master of the lyrical stickup undressing his competition with kinetic metaphors and a brash comedic repertoire". On the review of The Big Picture, she adds "the Harlem MC as a master of the punch line and a vicious storyteller with a razor blade-under-the-tongue flow." Trent Fitzgerald of Allmusic said "a lyrically ferocious MC with raps deadlier than a snakebite and mannerisms cooler than the uptown pimp he claimed to be on records.
Da Graveyard
Big L Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The Big L be lightin' niggas like incense
Gettin' men lynched, too intense, I'm killin' infants for ten cents
Cause I'm a street genius with a unique penis
Got fly chicks on my dick that don't even speak English
I'm makin' ducks shed much tears, I buck queers
I don't have it all upstairs but who the fuck cares?
I get cash and stash figures and harass them bitch ass niggas
After you your man'll get scarred next
And if your squad flex I'm lettin' off like Bernard Goetz
A Tec-9 is my utensil
Fillin' niggas with so much lead they can use they dick for a pencil
I'm known for snatchin' purses and bombin' churches
I get more pussy by accident than most niggas get on purpose
I got drug spots from New York to Canada
Cause Big L be fuckin' with more keys than a janitor
Now it's the dictator who's style is greater
It's the man with more wild flavors than motherfuckin' Now & Laters
And rappers I hit 'em well
They automatically go to heaven fuckin' with me cause I give 'em hell
So don't try to front troop
When your style is played out just like an Oshkosh jumpsuit
I'm out to collect figures
I'm on some Wu-Tang shit so protect your fucking neck nigga
Not a role model I'm a bad figure
When it comes to rap I got skills out the ass nigga
I got it locked like a warden
Rap without Finesse is like the NBA without Jordan
So all ya new jacks kickin' wack raps
It's a fact that I'll be on your fuckin' back like a knapsack
It ain't shit you can tell me
Because bitches still gel me without a motherfuckin' LP
It's the number one crew in the area, known for sendin' garbage MCs to the graveyard
Yo I got a death wish
That's why I talk so much fuckin' shit
I want these bitch motherfuckers to try to flip
So I can fill up this clip
And stick the gun between they lips like a cigarette
And let 'em smoke the four fifth
Ah fool, ah goodbye no need to try to lie or cry
It's time for motherfuckers to die
Because to me death is like sex
And if my brain was a deck of cards I'd be missing a whole deck
Strap up a Mac clack clack motherfuckers are runnin' like rats
The blind bats are fuckin' crazed cats
Cause the Microphone Nut's loose
And you're wonderin' how the fuck did this madman get cut loose
From 25 consecutive 25 to life bids
For murderin' up some fuckin' white kids
These were the kids of the prison guards
Then I startin' killin' squads of prison guards in the prison yard
One two everybody's through
The Microphone Nut flew over the prison walls without a clue
And now I'm back to haunt shit and talk shit
Whoever flaunt shit I leave 'em unconscious
I run through ya with a maneuver and German luger
Wreck like Das EFX straight out the fuckin' sewer
Please show me where the crack is at
While they quarter crack the sack I crack they backs like Cracker Jacks
So I'm the one you should run from
Because the Microphone Nut is like a motherfuckin' stun gun
The way I rock no way you could stop
I shock pop and drop when Jay gets hot
When I'm in the zone better hold ya own
Cause I like to break when I finish a poem
Pound for p-p-pound the best around
No way you can get up when I get down
I shake rattle and roll and wreck shit like none
And beat a nigga ass half silly on the one
Fuckin' A fuckin' Jay ill with skill
So ladies step up I get around like a wheel
I'm never chokin' off chronic skills are bionic
Bitches are screaming like Onyx
Respect that I'll peel a punks cap back and sign it
Creep through your block fuck a Glock I step
Through your neighborhood armed with nothing but a rep
I'm giving these ladies something they can feel cause I'm real
Ya man get outta line and it's kill kill kill
It's the number one crew in the area known for sendin' garbage MCs to the graveyard
Yo you step up and you'll get played like the small fry
I'm throwin' niggas off the roof said you wanna be the Fall Guy
So mess around you'll be a dead man
I get hype tonight's the night like Redman
Nuff respect to Big L who get wreck
Chiggidy check yourself cause I ain't workin' with a full deck
I'm lethal, eatin' people
Not Jeffery Dahmer I'm the sequel, head or gut like Illegal
So what cha want?
Yo I'm strapped with the gats step up plap plap
I'm leavin' caps in your back fool
I rip tracks wanna say peace to hip hop
A nigga disagree bring it on and get dropped
I get wreck I'm Party Arty so hit the deck
The kid with the Tec smokin' niggas like cigarettes
Now some ask me how I'm gettin' jewels
I say big up big up it's a stick up stick up
I stick and move
And that's how we do. So I.U. grab the gat and let loose
Yo rat tat tat I got the gat cocked
Nigga we ghost man a punk?
I let it roast and leave your pussy ass comatose
I'm shootin' up like the west is
Fuck suggestions
I'll blow out a niggas intestines
Better dip fast quick fast or you won't last
One blast will put your ass in a body cast
And I be killin' for rep get ill in a sec
Nine mil on your neck blood spill is still in effect
Constantly comittin' grand larceny
Arsony niggas don't want no parts of me
Never past up a fast buck ask the last duck
His jewels was truck he got his ass stuck
So what the fuck is you sayin' hops?
I'm wanted for slayin' cops
Who's ever around when I be sprayin' drops
But I ain't givin' a fuck who gets hit
Niggas coppin' pleas but I ain't tryin' to hear shit
I'll burn you faggot niggas like toast
If you die and come back I shoot your spirit
Now your ass is just a holy ghost
You tried to play me to the left
You better put a target on your head
Cause you're marked for death
Da Graveyard by Big L is a hip hop song that tells the story of a violent and ruthless character. The lyrics are full of crude commentary and violent imagery. Big L portrays himself as a street genius with a unique penis that gets fly chicks on his dick who don't even speak English. He talks about killing infants for 10 cents and getting men lynched. The song is about how Big L and his crew are the number one crew in the area known for sending garbage MCs to the graveyard. The lyrics also contain references to drug dealing, robbing, and killing, with Big L boasting about the number of drug spots he has from New York to Canada. The lyrics are profane, violent, and graphic, emphasizing the shock value of Big L's style of rap.
Line by Line Meaning
It's the number one crew in the area
This crew is widely recognized as the best in the area
The Big L be lightin' niggas like incense
Big L has a talent for defeating his opponents easily
Gettin' men lynched, too intense, I'm killin' infants for ten cents
Big L takes his brutality to the extreme, even targeting innocent infants
Cause I'm a street genius with a unique penis
Big L is highly intelligent and possesses a distinctive skill
Got fly chicks on my dick that don't even speak English
Big L attracts attractive women who don't speak his language
I'm makin' ducks shed much tears, I buck queers
Big L brings fear to his enemies and targets homosexual individuals
I don't have it all upstairs but who the fuck cares?
Big L admits he may lack intelligence, but he doesn't care what others think
I'm grabbin' brews takin' fast swiggas
Big L quickly drinks alcoholic beverages
I get cash and stash figures and harass them bitch ass niggas
Big L earns money and saves it while also tormenting weak individuals
After you your man'll get scarred next
Big L will harm the person who comes after you as well
And if your squad flex I'm lettin' off like Bernard Goetz
Big L will retaliate aggressively if your group tries to intimidate him
A Tec-9 is my utensil
Big L uses a Tec-9 as his weapon of choice
Fillin' niggas with so much lead they can use they dick for a pencil
Big L shoots people with so many bullets that they could use their penis as a pencil
I'm known for snatchin' purses and bombin' churches
Big L has a reputation for stealing and attacking religious buildings
I get more pussy by accident than most niggas get on purpose
Big L attracts a significant amount of women unintentionally, surpassing others' deliberate efforts
I got drug spots from New York to Canada
Big L is involved in drug trafficking across a wide geographical area
Cause Big L be fuckin' with more keys than a janitor
Big L deals with a larger quantity of drugs than a janitor deals with keys
Now it's the dictator who's style is greater
Big L is now the dominant figure with a superior style
It's the man with more wild flavors than motherfuckin' Now & Laters
Big L has a wide range of unique and diverse styles
And rappers I hit 'em well
Big L defeats other rappers easily
They automatically go to heaven fuckin' with me cause I give 'em hell
Rappers who challenge Big L will face severe consequences
So don't try to front troop
Don't pretend to be tough
When your style is played out just like an Oshkosh jumpsuit
Your style is outdated and no longer cool, just like an Oshkosh jumpsuit
I'm out to collect figures
Big L's goal is to accumulate wealth
I'm on some Wu-Tang shit so protect your fucking neck nigga
Big L is inspired by the Wu-Tang Clan and warns others to be prepared for danger
Not a role model I'm a bad figure
Big L is not a positive influence, but rather a negative one
When it comes to rap I got skills out the ass nigga
Big L is extremely skilled in the art of rapping
I got it locked like a warden
Big L has complete control and authority, like a prison warden
Rap without Finesse is like the NBA without Jordan
Rap without Finesse is incomplete, comparable to the NBA without Michael Jordan
So all ya new jacks kickin' wack raps
Big L criticizes inexperienced rappers who produce low-quality verses
It's a fact that I'll be on your fuckin' back like a knapsack
Big L will constantly be watching and monitoring these rappers, like a backpack on their back
Yo I got a death wish
Big L has a desire to engage in deadly activities
That's why I talk so much fuckin' shit
Big L boasts and talks aggressively to provoke a response
I want these bitch motherfuckers to try to flip
Big L wants his enemies to confront him and face the consequences
So I can fill up this clip
Big L desires to load his gun with ammunition
And stick the gun between they lips like a cigarette
Big L intends to place the gun inside their mouth like a cigarette
And let 'em smoke the four fifth
Big L will let them experience the deadly consequences of the gun
Ah fool, ah goodbye no need to try to lie or cry
Big L dismisses any attempts to deceive or plea for mercy
It's time for motherfuckers to die
Big L believes it's time for his enemies to face death
Because to me death is like sex
Big L views death in a provocative and pleasurable manner
And if my brain was a deck of cards I'd be missing a whole deck
Big L suggests that he is mentally unstable or lacking a complete set of cards
Strap up a Mac clack clack motherfuckers are runnin' like rats
Big L prepares a Mac gun and intimidates his enemies into fleeing
The blind bats are fuckin' crazed cats
Big L compares his enemies to insane and reckless blind animals
Cause the Microphone Nut's loose
Big L, known as the Microphone Nut, is unpredictable and dangerous
And you're wonderin' how the fuck did this madman get cut loose
Others are puzzled by how Big L, a dangerous individual, was released
From 25 consecutive 25 to life bids
Big L was imprisoned for a significant amount of time, serving consecutive life sentences
For murderin' up some fuckin' white kids
Big L was convicted of killing white children
These were the kids of the prison guards
The victims were the children of the prison guards
Then I starting killin' squads of prison guards in the prison yard
Big L proceeded to murder groups of prison guards while in the prison yard
One two everybody's through
Big L killed everyone in his path, leaving no survivors
The Microphone Nut flew over the prison walls without a clue
Big L managed to escape from prison, leaving everyone unaware
And now I'm back to haunt shit and talk shit
Big L returns to cause trouble and provoke others
Whoever flaunt shit I leave 'em unconscious
Big L renders anyone who shows off or challenges him unconscious
I run through ya with a maneuver and German luger
Big L swiftly overpowers his enemies using a German luger gun
Wreck like Das EFX straight out the fuckin' sewer
Big L destroys his opposition with intensity, similar to Das EFX emerging from the depths of a sewer
Please show me where the crack is at
Big L demands to be shown the location of cocaine
While they quarter crack the sack I crack they backs like Cracker Jacks
As others prepare the cocaine for sale, Big L brutally injures them, likening it to cracking open a box of Cracker Jacks
So I'm the one you should run from
Others should flee from Big L in fear
Because the Microphone Nut is like a motherfuckin' stun gun
Big L possesses a powerful and shocking presence, like a stun gun
The way I rock no way you could stop
Big L's performance style is unstoppable
I shock pop and drop when Jay gets hot
Big L's energy electrifies the crowd and makes them go wild when he performs
When I'm in the zone better hold ya own
When Big L is in his element, others need to be prepared and defend themselves
Cause I like to break when I finish a poem
Big L enjoys creating a strong impact with his verses and then abruptly ending
Pound for p-p-pound the best around
Big L is the superior rapper, pound for pound
No way you can get up when I get down
Others cannot surpass Big L when he delivers his best performances
I shake rattle and roll and wreck shit like none
Big L causes disruption, destruction, and chaos like no other
And beat a nigga ass half silly on the one
Big L severely beats someone, leaving them half-unconscious, to the beat of the music
Fuckin' A fuckin' Jay ill with skill
Big L emphasizes his exceptional skills and talent
So ladies step up I get around like a wheel
Big L attracts women easily and is constantly moving from one to another
I'm never chokin' off chronic skills are bionic
Big L never struggles or falters in his rapping skills, as they seem superhuman
Bitches are screaming like Onyx
Women are attracted to Big L and express their admiration similar to the rap group Onyx
Respect that I'll peel a punks cap back and sign it
Big L demands respect, and if someone disrespects him, he will retaliate and leave them humiliated
Creep through your block fuck a Glock I step
Big L navigates through a neighborhood without using a gun, displaying his confidence and fearlessness
Through your neighborhood armed with nothing but a rep
Big L relies solely on his reputation when entering a neighborhood
I'm giving these ladies something they can feel cause I'm real
Big L provides women with genuine experiences and emotions because he is authentic
Ya man get outta line and it's kill kill kill
If someone disrespects Big L, he will respond aggressively and violently
Yo you step up and you'll get played like the small fry
If someone challenges Big L, they will be easily defeated and treated as insignificant
I'm throwin' niggas off the roof said you wanna be the Fall Guy
Big L punishes his enemies by throwing them off roofs, mocking their desire to play the role of the victim
So mess around you'll be a dead man
If someone messes with Big L, they will end up dead
I get hype tonight's the night like Redman
Big L is full of energy and excitement, like the rapper Redman
Nuff respect to Big L who get wreck
Big L deserves respect and recognition for his abilities
Chiggidy check yourself cause I ain't workin' with a full deck
Others should be cautious and take into account that Big L may be mentally unstable or unpredictable
I'm lethal, eatin' people
Big L is highly dangerous and enjoys causing harm to others
Not Jeffery Dahmer I'm the sequel, head or gut like Illegal
Big L compares himself to the infamous serial killer Jeffery Dahmer, suggesting that he is as deadly, targeting either the head or abdomen like the rapper Illegal
So what cha want?
Big L challenges others to state their desires or intentions
Yo I'm strapped with the gats step up plap plap
Big L reveals that he is armed with guns and threatens anyone who challenges him
I'm leavin' caps in your back fool
Big L shoots his enemies in the back, leaving them injured or dead
I rip tracks wanna say peace to hip-hop
Big L excels at destroying rival rappers and expresses his respect for the genre of hip-hop
A nigga disagree bring it on and get dropped
If someone disagrees with Big L, he challenges them to physically confront him and assures their defeat
I get wreck I'm Party Arty so hit the deck
Big L causes destruction, just like his associate Party Arty, and warns others to take cover
The kid with the Tec smokin' niggas like cigarettes
Big L, armed with a Tec-9 gun, shoots and kills people, comparing them to cigarettes
Now some ask me how I'm gettin' jewels
Others inquire about how Big L obtained his valuable possessions
I say big up big up it's a stick up stick up
Big L attributes his wealth to robbing others and jokingly announces a robbery
I stick and move
Big L quickly attacks and retreats, avoiding retaliation
Yo rat tat tat I got the gat cocked
Big L rapidly fires his gun, ready to attack
Nigga we ghost man a punk?
Big L questions if his enemies are ready to face death
I let it roast and leave your pussy ass comatose
Big L shoots his enemies, rendering them unconscious and almost dead
I'm shootin' up like the west is
Big L injects drugs, likely referring to cocaine, like a person on the West Coast
Fuck suggestions
Big L rejects the idea of taking advice or following suggestions
I'll blow out a niggas intestines
Big L threatens to shoot and kill someone, causing their intestines to spill out
Better dip fast quick fast or you won't last
It's advised to flee quickly if you want to survive, as Big L will eliminate anyone who stays
One blast will put your ass in a body cast
A single gunshot from Big L will cause severe injuries and leave the person hospitalized
And I be killin' for rep get ill in a sec
Big L is willing to kill others to maintain his reputation and can become violent instantly
Nine mil on your neck blood spill is still in effect
Big L threatens to shoot someone in the neck, causing bloodshed and emphasizing the ongoing danger
Constantly comittin' grand larceny
Big L engages in the continuous theft of valuable goods
Arsony niggas don't want no parts of me
Big L sets fires, instills fear, and enemies avoid confrontation with him
Never past up a fast buck ask the last duck
Big L always seizes opportunities to make money and mocks those who fail to do so
His jewels was truck he got his ass stuck
Big L references someone who was robbed of their valuable possessions, resulting in their capture
So what the fuck is you sayin' hops?
Big L challenges someone who is speaking foolishly or disrespectfully
I'm wanted for slayin' cops
Big L is being pursued by the police for killing police officers
Who's ever around when I be sprayin' drops
Anyone present during Big L's shooting sprees will be hit by his bullets
But I ain't givin' a fuck who gets hit
Big L doesn't care who becomes a victim of his violence
Niggas coppin' pleas but I ain't tryin' to hear shit
Big L dismisses any attempts by his enemies to plead for mercy or forgiveness
I'll burn you faggot niggas like toast
Big L threatens to harm homosexuals, comparing them to burned toast
If you die and come back I shoot your spirit
Big L is so merciless that even if his enemy is reincarnated, he will still kill them
Now your ass is just a holy ghost
After being killed, the person becomes nothing more than a phantom or spirit
You tried to play me to the left
Someone attempted to deceive or manipulate Big L
You better put a target on your head
As a result, Big L advises them to make themselves a target for retaliation
Cause you're marked for death
Big L has targeted them for elimination
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANTHONY BEST, LAMONT COLEMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@dariuswilliams6683
Big L snapped on his intro! 💯💯💯
@eat-a-richard
Does anyone else miss good rap songs like this?
@storm_filter
yes!
@guddahgod
This beat goes hard
@joshgoldbullion
Party Artay verse is my favorite ❤
@iceb-akap77ice93
R.I.P. 🔥
@jameleason6124
🔥 🔥 🔥 Rest Easy L Carleone 💯
@sebperkins5412
Jay Z wasn't shit on this, he was actually decent, held his own. But Big L another level to anyone.
@dmercy8477
I’m not a Jay fan but I agree with you. Too many people hate on his verse. Big L to me is a better rapper and lyricist but Jay’s verse ain’t that bad. It’s not even the worst verse on here. It’s just extremely popular to hate Jay nowadays.
@timothyhux5090
@@dmercy8477facts. I’m not really a Jay-Z fan, but he was sick here. Gotta give the credit. Wish L was still around. He’d body any modern emcee.