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.
Fed Up Wit The Bullshit
Big L Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm a nig who don't dig a muthafuckin pig
Cause to me they ain't nothin but harassers
That misuse they badges to whip niggas' asses
Then one day they slow rolled through the hood
With the .38s cocked, 2 deep, up to no good
They say that my skin was black so they attacked
Threw me on the back and stuck a gat to my fuckin cap
For the life he ended he got suspended with no pay
But if a man woulda took the cop life, he woulda got life
And never again see the street lights, and that's trife
Around my way they shot many teens
And them cops better stop, or I'mma stop em, by any means
The Big L won't hesitate to cold diss em
And if you ask me, muthafuck the whole system
There are too many young black brothers doin life bids
Cause justice means 'just us white kids'
So take heed to the rhymes I kick
I'm about to flip, cause I'm fed up with that bullshit
I'm fed up with that bullshit (bullshit) I'm fed up
Whether it's the hot, warm, cool or the cold season
Pigs be fuckin with a nigga for no reason
You're just gettin home from work
And gotta get searched and treated like dirt by a fuckin jerk
Niggas in the streets got tough luck
First they get cuffed up
Then get roughed up, and that's fucked up
This every day, not every other week
Listen when this brother speak
Muthafuck turnin the other cheek
Or you'll be layin' in a pine box
Bad enough they got .38s, now them clowns gettin nine Glocks
I'm not only fed up with the cops
I'm also fed up with them punk-ass cab drivers who don't stop
They don't care if it's snowin
First they slow down, then they see your skin is brown, then they keep goin
Cause I wasn't white, the cab took flight
But I caught him at the light
And put a bullet right through his windpipe
I keep a tool with a full clip, the trigger I pull quick
Cause I'm fed up with that bullshit
The song "Fed Up Wit The Bullshit" by Big L expresses his frustration with the systemic oppression and mistreatment of black people by the police and other authority figures. He compares them to harassers who misuse their power and have little regard for black lives. Big L tells a story of a friend who was murdered by the police, highlighting the lack of consequences for their actions. He also speaks on the racism and discrimination faced on a daily basis, such as being stopped and searched for no reason or being passed over by cab drivers due to the color of their skin.
Line by Line Meaning
Yo, on the scene is the brother that's big, I'm not a little kid
Introduction, establishing himself as an adult.
I'm a nig who don't dig a muthafuckin pig
Big L does not like policemen, which he chooses to call 'pigs'.
Cause to me they ain't nothin but harassers
Big L thinks cops are only there to bully people.
That misuse they badges to whip niggas' asses
He believes that cops abuse their power by using their badges to assault and mistreat Black people.
Then one day they slow rolled through the hood
Big L experiences an instance of cops on patrol in his neighborhood.
With the .38s cocked, 2 deep, up to no good
The cops had weapons and were behaving menacingly.
They say that my skin was black so they attacked
Big L was targeted because of the color of his skin.
Threw me on the back and stuck a gat to my fuckin cap
A cop put Big L's life in danger by pointing a gun at his head.
One murdered my man like it was okay
Big L's friend was killed by a cop, who faced no punishment.
For the life he ended he got suspended with no pay
The cop who killed Big L's friend was not fired or imprisoned.
But if a man woulda took the cop life, he woulda got life
If a civilian had killed a cop, they would have faced a much harsher punishment.
And never again see the street lights, and that's trife
This shows the injustice and disparity in the justice system towards Black people.
Around my way they shot many teens
Due to police brutality, many young Black people in Big L's neighborhood were shot.
And them cops better stop, or I'mma stop em, by any means
Big L is willing to take action against cops who continue to harass and harm Black people.
The Big L won't hesitate to cold diss em
Big L will not hold back from speaking out and criticizing cops.
And if you ask me, muthafuck the whole system
He thinks the entire justice system is corrupt and needs to be dismantled.
There are too many young black brothers doin life bids
Big L observes that many Black people are unfairly sentenced to life in prison.
Cause justice means 'just us white kids'
Big L implies that the justice system only serves White people and not all races equally.
So take heed to the rhymes I kick
Listen closely to his lyrics and understand what he has to say.
I'm about to flip, cause I'm fed up with that bullshit
Big L is getting angry and frustrated with the ongoing mistreatment of Black people by the police.
Whether it's the hot, warm, cool or the cold season
The season does not matter; the police will still harass Black people.
Pigs be fuckin with a nigga for no reason
Cops often harass Black people without any valid reason.
You're just gettin home from work
Big L describes a scenario where a person is minding their own business after finishing work.
And gotta get searched and treated like dirt by a fuckin jerk
The same person is harassed by a rude cop who searches them aggressively.
Niggas in the streets got tough luck
Black people in the neighborhood face many challenges.
First they get cuffed up, then get roughed up, and that's fucked up
The police often handcuff Black people and use excessive force when dealing with them.
This every day, not every other week
This kind of harassment happens frequently, not infrequently.
Listen when this brother speak
Big L wants his message to be heard and understood.
Muthafuck turnin the other cheek
He is not going to simply ignore the mistreatment of Black people anymore.
Or you'll be layin' in a pine box
If Black people continue to be treated unfairly, they will die prematurely.
Bad enough they got .38s, now them clowns gettin nine Glocks
The police have upgraded their weapons, which is making them more dangerous.
I'm not only fed up with the cops
He extends his frustration to other racist and harmful individuals.
I'm also fed up with them punk-ass cab drivers who don't stop
He has had negative experiences with unhelpful cab drivers as well.
They don't care if it's snowin
Cab drivers don't care about weather conditions.
First they slow down, then they see your skin is brown, then they keep goin
Cab drivers often slow down when they see a potential customer, but they won't pick them up if they are Black.
Cause I wasn't white, the cab took flight
He was not picked up by a cab because of his skin color.
But I caught him at the light
He was eventually able to catch up to the cab.
And put a bullet right through his windpipe
Big L took drastic measures to retaliate against the cab driver.
I keep a tool with a full clip, the trigger I pull quick
He is armed and will use his weapon efficiently if necessary.
Cause I'm fed up with that bullshit
He is angry and frustrated with the systemic mistreatment of Black people by the police and other racist individuals.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind