On February 15, 1999, around 8:30pm, prior to the release of his second album, Lamont Coleman, known to many as Big L, was shot in the neighborhood he called home and the neighborhood we all became extremely familiar with through his lyrics. Prior to his death, Big L was known as the hottest unsigned talent. Roc-A-Fella Records’ then-rapper, Jay-Z and then-CEO, Damon Dash, paid weekly visits to West 139th Street between Lenox and Fifth Avenue trying to sign Big L to their label. Big, the young lyrical phenomenon, would not sign. Why didn’t he sign with the growing music force of Jay-Z and Dash? According to Big L’s brother, Donald Phinazee, “he ain’t sign right off the bat because he wanted Herb McGruff and C-Town [to be signed] with him.”
So, what would have become of Big L if he wasn’t murdered? Where would he be placed in the history of Hip-hop? These questions have been asked millions of times. Each answer calls for more speculation on what could have been.
Even though Big L’s killers’ identities are still unknown, what is known is that Big L’s lyrical flow and talents still hold weight in 2010. We see this on a new album released by Big L’s label, Flamboyant Entertainment, called Return of the Devil’s Son. This album is a collection of rare and unreleased tracks that have only appeared on bootlegs, but never on one LP.
Unlike many new albums, Return of the Devil’s Son exemplifies Big L’s ability to change his flow on each track while keeping each metaphor strong. Each beat is relatively simple and you get the feeling Big L could have easily spit to anything. Like Eminem, he has an ability to make his rhymes fit in each verse. He exhibits this talent in “Unexpected.”
I can go without some of Big L’s homophobic lyrics on this album but I do believe if his life wasn’t cut short, Big L would have matured not just as a lyricist but as a person. His future lyricism would have represented his neighborhood in addition to showcasing his growth as an artist and also his entrepreneurial sprit.
Through this album, we realize Big L would not have been a follower of the rap game but more of a leader. His potential future would have been Jay-Z’s present.
Track Listing Below:
1.) “Return Of The Devils Son” (produced by Showbiz)
2.) “Devil’s Son (produced by Showbiz)
3.) “Zone Of Danger” (produced by J-Love)
4.) “Sandman 118”
5.) “School Days”
6.) “Principle Of The New School” (produced by Showbiz)
7.) “Unexpected Flava” (produced by Lord Finesse)
8.) “Tony’s Touch”
9.) “Right To The Top” f/Royal Flush & Kool G Rap (produced by Domingo)
10.) “Once Again” (produced by J-Love)
11.) “Harlem World Universal”
12.) “I Won’t”
13.) “Hard To Kill”
14.) “Power Moves”
15.) “If You Not Aware”
16.) “I Should Have Used A Rubber”
17.) “Doo Wop #5”
18.) “Yes You Can”
19.) “Audition”
20.) “MC’s What’s Going On” (produced by Showbiz)
21.) “Slaying The Mic”
