Though his career in hip hop only got to last seven years, the memory of Big L is unforgettable, the influence and impact he had was indisputable and he will continue to be celebrated and live on through his music for decades to come.
Timeline of Lamont Coleman's life:
May 30th, 1974 – "Little L" or "'mont 'mont" Lamont Coleman was born to Gilda "Pinky" Terry and Charles E. Davis.
Sometime in 1980 – A six year old Lamont stopped watching cartoons and was only interested in such gangster films as The Godfather, going so far as to dress like like Don Corleone when he wore his church clothes.
Sometime in 1981 – Seven year old Lamont Coleman became officially known as a certified fan of the emerging hip hop style.
Sometime in 1983 – at age nine 'mont 'mont began rhymin'. Repeating songs he heard by Run DMC or Cold Crush and eventually moving onto freestyling at age twelve.
Sometime in 1983/4 – 'mont 'mont was taken to a Run DMC show by his half brother, Donald Phinazee (Big Don/Don Ice) when his brother's friend couldn't make it and Don was stuck with the extra ticket. (He brought his young brother there at nine years old and the little boy was reportedly fascinated, silently starring up at the stage the whole time.) At a young age he was seen with toy microphones.
Sometime in 1986 – At twelve he started to move on from just singing lyrics to making up his own and freestyling.
Sometime in 1990 – Inspired by LL Cool J but moreso by Big Daddy Kane and Lord Finesse, he began writing his rhymes, appeared on street cipher corners, on house party sound systems and had formed a group called Three the Hard Way, eventually (Two Hard Mother!!ers) but the other members weren't serious so he went solo. During this period he became known as "Big L" both professionally and at home, began battling and winning contests.
Summer of 1990 – on a routine stop to Rock N Will's on 125th for a Monday night hardpack session with DJs like S&S, Kid Capri & Ron G Lord Finesse met Big L who had always said if he saw Big Daddy Kane or Lord Finesse he'd run right up and kick a rhyme for 'em but when he spotted Finesse at an autograph signing after hearing he'd be there that day, L had his friend ask if he could spit. Finesse told him to talk to his manager and send a tape and L jumped in and said, no, I just wanna rhyme for you right now and if ya don't like it then I won't bother you again. Of course 'nesse agreed and by the end he was asking for L's number.
Sometime in 1991 – He named and formed Children of the Corn along with his friend and protégé Herb McGruff, Mase Murda, k!lla Kam, Bloodshed and Digga (and the last three had already been a trio called Caged Fury).
February 11th, 1991 – Yo! MTV Raps first time on television, on screen debut / world premiere (sixteen years old) with Lord Finesse, promoting Return of the Funkyman.
Sometime in 1992 – L graduated from Julia Richmond High School, then came the Rock N. Wills Audition/Hardpack Tape, to the Otis Redding Hard to Handle break and also The Emotions Blind Alley break.
May of 1992 – Finesse and L entered Jazzy Jay's recording studio to lay down L's first vocals on wax, along with T-Ray who provided a beat originally meant for Biz Markie on a b-side for Finesse's Party Over Here single (though he couldn't get L on the released You Know What I'm About, recorded before the Yes You May Remix when L was seventeen or at all for Set It Off Troop for the Class Act soundtrack because L hadn't been signed yet).
Mid to Late 1992 – In that same timeframe he also did You Know What I'm About with and produced by Finesse. Soon after he was a full fledged member of D.I.T.C. or Diggin' in the Crates, which was co-created by Diamond D, Showbiz & Lord Finesse and also included A.G., O.C., Buckwild and Fat Joe. He made his first appearance on radio, with Stretch & Bobbito, freestylin' to the Honeydrippers' Impeach the President break. He recorded his first solo track, Principal of the New School, with Showbiz on production and I Can't Understand It, also with Showbiz. (They went unreleased until Finesse dug 'em out in 2008.) Also in '92, L appeared with Finesse on Yo! MTV Raps and went to the Apollo Theatre, winnin' a trophy as tall as himself.
July 24th, 1992 – Footage from the first trailer of Street Struck: The Big L Story shows this date on the camcorder.
September 22nd, 1992 – Showbiz & A.G.'s Runaway Slave, featuring Big L on Represent (Showbiz beat) and Diamon-D & the Psychotic Neurotics' Stunts, Blunts and Hip Hop featuring Big L on Comments from Big L & Showbiz (Diamon-D beat) both dropped the same day. Two classic debuts.
Late 1992 – Signed to Sony's Columbia Records, just before n@sty NaS did later the very same day because Faith Newman (Columbia A&R) liked him on Represent.
Sometime in 1992/3 – Big L made his on screen video debut in the Diamond D What U Heard music video, named his upcoming debut album Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous.
Big L - Devils Son - YouTube
Sometime in 1993 – was when L dropped his first (promotional) single, Devil's Son produced by Showbiz. He also recorded Unexpected Flava, (originally a rejected '91 Isn't He Something Remix) produced by Large Professor & Lord Finesse, but it never made the cut for his album and went unreleased (except for a few DJs) until 2008 when Finesse put it out. Went on DJ Riz & Wildman Steve and spit a verse to Redman's Tonight's Da Night.
February 18th, 1993 – Uptown Lord Finesse Birthday Bash:
October 28th, 1993 – Participated in a semi-formal interview and freestyled to Diamon-D's You Can't Front (…!! is Real) with Herb McGruff on Stretch & Bobbito. That night was also the world premiere of No Endz, No Skinz (produced by Showbiz).
Sometime in 1994 – Clinic was released as L's second single, the 8 Iz Enuff Crew appeared on Stretch & Bobbito. Big L recorded vocals for Finesse's Shorties Kaught in the System Remix (produced by Finesse).
March of 1994 – the video for No Endz, No Skinz aired (directed by Richard Lewis*).
July 11th – Radio edit and a capella of Put It On pressed on one sided vinyl, released by The Hit Factory/Sony Music.
October of 1994 – the video for Put It On (directed by Brian "Black" Luvar**) aired, Danger Zone was in The Source's Fat Tape.
Sometime in 1994/5 – L asked Columbia (who were lagging on putting out his debut) if he could redo/update some of the beats for his album so they were current when it dropped and they said no, it's too late.
Sometime in 1995 – MVP Summer Smooth Remix ft. Miss Jones and Street Struck were all released as singles and MVP Summer Smooth Remix ft. Miss Jones as a video (directed by Brian "Black" Luvar**), L showed up for Masta Ace's Sittin' on Chrome video and helped promote Hip 2 Da Game, Finesse's first single off of The Awakening as well. And he also appeared on Yo! MTV Raps, the Wake Up Show, Hip-Hop Connection magazine article / interview Hype Big L by Tom McKeown, was interviewed, had an article and was on the cover of On the Go Magazine and spit the Sandman 118 freestyle that year.
Early 1995 – Stretch & Bobbito appearance with a pre-Reasonable Doubt Jay-Z, flowin' to Miilkbone's Keep It Real.
February of 1995 – Put It On was released as a single and appeared in The Source's Fat Tape.
March of 1995 – Appeared in The Source magazine, All Black was in The Source's Fat Tape and Da Graveyard verse was the Hip Hop Quotable.
March 28th, 1995 – Big L's debut, Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous was released on Columbia Records.
August 7th, 1995 – Hot 97 Funkmaster Flex & Tim Westwood interview and freestyle to the Notorious B.I.G.'s Who Shot Ya?.
Sometime in 1995/6 – Big L named his second album The Big Picture.
Sometime in 1996 – Big L recorded Games Females Play, Hit It and Now or Never but was then released from Columbia Records late in the year, he left because "I was there with a bunch of strangers that didn't really know my music." and considered giving up being a lyricist altogether, according to Showbiz. Children of the Corn appeared on Stretch & Bobbito, freestyling to Ghostface k!llah's Motherless Child. He took the train over to be in the Smoothe Da Hustler Broken Language video (directed by Chris Robinson*****), Shyheim showed up too. He was also in both of the Lord Finesse videos for The Awakening (directed by Abdul Malik Abbott****), Hip 2 Da Game and Gameplan. Children of the Corn released American Dream / Harlem USA single (produced by Digga).
December of 1996 – DJ Premier released American Dream on Crooklyn Cuts Volume III Tape B.
Sometime in 1997 – Big L was voted best rapper ever by HHC magazine. Herb McGruff and Big L freestyled to Faith Evans' You Used to Love Me Remix for DJ Clue and recorded Harlem N.Y.C. with Bootsie. L spit to Ten Crack Commandments for the Tony Touch 139 freestyle, The Enemy, produced by DJ Premier and featuring Fat Joe was released as a single, as was Work is Never Done featuring N.O.T.S. Click and Dangerous The Sequel featuring The Lost Boyz on the Can't Go Wrong O.C. single. Let Me Find Out was recorded, so was Furious Anger (and couple of others that went unfinished) with Shyheim.
March 2nd, 1997 - Children of the Corn ended due to Derek "Bloodshed" Armstead's untimely [rip] in a car wreck (exactly one week before The Notorious B.I.G.), he was twenty two.
July of 1997 – Unreleased Diggin' in the Crates interview done by DJ Max Glazer for On the Go magazine.
August 19th, 1997 – O.C. dropped his sophomore effort, Jewelz, including Big L on Dangerous (which was also a single that year, produced by Da Beatminerz).
August 26th, 1997 – Diamond D dropped his sophomore effort, Hatred, Passion & Infidelity, including the D.I.T.C. cut 5 Fingas of [rip] (produced by Kid Capri).
November 11th, 15th, 17th, 20th, 1997 – Photos exist documenting Big L & O.C. on the European Jewelz tour (L toured/performed in Japan, the Netherlands, England, Croatia & Germany.) During that time L spit to Notorious B.I.G.'s One More Chance Hip Hop Remix at Subterania in London.
Sometime in 1998 – Big Lee (Leroy Larry Phinazee) was locked up, Big L formed Flamboyant Entertainment with his brother Leroy and Rich King, the freestyle track Flamboyant was recorded (and spit multiple times on radio), Platinum Plus (original mix) was recorded, Who You Slidin' Wit' (original version) and so was We All Can't Ball with Liz Lucci and Richie Thumbs. Spits to Pete Rock's Tru Master for Stretch & Bobbito. He also recorded to Pitch Black's Show and Prove for both Stretch & Bobbito and a Roc Raida Mixtape. Recorded to Ras Kass' H20 Proof for Fat Beats and Sauce Money's Pre Game for Doo Wop's My niccaz freestyle. Spits DJ 279 freestyle with O.C. and Universal/NY freestyle with McGruff, I-Born & C.L. Smooth (produced by DJ Premier). At a Harlem night club callled the Latin Quarter L did an interview that would eventually find itself on the end of The Big Picture album. Hip-Hop Connection magazine The Crate & The Good interview by Mike Lewis. Appeared in McGruff's This is How We Do video. D.I.T.C. released All Love (and Dignified Soldiers). Showbiz & A.G. released Full Scale, including Big L on the D.I.T.C. cut, Dignified Soldiers.
June 16th, 1998 – McGruff's debut, Destined to Be dropped, including the interlude "The Spot" with Big L and Danger Zone featuring both Mase and Big L.
June 17th, 1998 – 9 P.M., Uptown at The Quarter featuring Cam'Ron, Big L & Herb McGruff.
Summer of 1998 - Ebonics and Size 'em Up were released (produced by Rondell aka Ron Browz).
August of 1998 – Big L spit a verse for the Halftime Radio Show to Kool G Rap's Foul Cats.
September 5th, 1998 – Big L, Herb McGruff, The Lost Boyz & Noreaga show at The Beacon Theatre.
September 29th, 1998 – A Great Day in Hip Hop History XXL photo-shoot with director of Shaft, Gordon Parks and two hundred other hip hop artists.
October 8th, 1998 – Fat Beats Party, Live from Amsterdam, with A.G. and Roc Raida (also there that night: DJ Shortcut, Dilated Peoples, Missin' Linx & Gangstarr). Recorded what would become his final radio show interview for Oxygen FM in Amsterdam.
Sometime in early 1999 – Way of Life was recorded.
February 6th, 1999 – Live at the Tramps freestyle with Lord Finesse where Finesse says catch us hear March 6th, which then turned into the first Big L tribute.
February 8th, 1999 – Started drawing up plans and filling out paperwork to form a group called Wolfpack with Herb McGruff, C-Town and Jay-Z, to be signed to Rocafella Records.
February 11th, 1999 – Recorded a freestyle for Kay Slay to Cool Breeze's Watch for the Hook.
February 15th, 1999 – Roughly eight thirty at night on the Monday after Valentine's Day, Big L was shot to [rip] at only twenty four years old, with nine bullets to the head and chest, a victim of a drive-by just blocks from his Harlem home. Police identified him using the Flamboyant Entertainment party flyer he was handing out and putting up just after Valentine's Day. His k!ller, allegedly one Gerald Woodley was someone who lived farther uptown, someone five years older than L, who he had known through his brothers since childhood and who had eaten at the same dinner table as Lamont and his family, purportedly murked L over money owed while his brother Big Lee was in prison. Some have said there is a connection between Big Lee being locked up and Gerald Woodley coming after Lamont, but who knows. Gerald Woodley was brought in for questioning, released and never charged. (Later he was nabbed on a drug charged.) Even L's mom knew there were witnesses, says Woodley had something to do with the murk though he may not have been the shooter. However, no one has come forward, there are no other suspects and the case remains open.
February 18th, 1999 – Three days after Lamont Coleman was k!lled would have been the date of the Flamboyant Entertainment party that announced that Herb McGruff, C-Town and Big L had been signed to Roc-A-Fella Records (who would’ve then distribute the music on L’s label, Flamboyant) and were forming a super group with Jay-Z called The Wolfpack, named by Big L. It was a deal which took nearly six months to work out due to L wanting his friends/protégés to get on and the label wanting just L. Lamont won out, the signed and finished paperwork was found in his room by his mother Gilda and brother Donald.
March of 2002 – "Big Lee", Leroy Larry Phinazee was k!lled on the same streets as L, looking to find who k!lled his brother.
Lamont "Big L" Coleman Timeline. - BigLOnline®