Lamont Coleman (May 30 1974 – February 15 1999), better known by his stage name Big L, was an United States|American rapper. Big L was born, raised, lived, and fatally shot in the same New York City neighborhood, Harlem, which frequently appeared in his rhymes. He is mostly remembered for his freestyle rap|freestyling, storytelling, punchlines, his critically acclaimed debut album ''Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous'', and his murder at the age of 24.
Biography
Early life
Lamont Coleman was born to Gilda Terry on May 30, 1974, in Harlem, New York. As an adolescent, Lamont listened to the talents of Run-D.M.C., The Cold Crush Brothers, and Big Daddy Kane. He learned to rhyme in the park near his house at 104th West 139th Street where he would spend hours trading rhymes with friends to pass the time. While attending Julia Richmond High School he was given the alias Big L to spite his childhood nickname, Little Lamont. L described his lyrical growth, "I started writing rhymes in 1990 and was in a group called Three The Hard Way, but they wasn't serious so I went solo. Then I started winning rap contests and battling everybody in my 'hood and roastin' em."<ref>[http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/columns-editorials/id.722/title.remembering-lamont-big-l-coleman Remembering Lamont "Big L" Coleman | Columns & Editorials > HipHopDX.com<!-- Bot ... read all
Big L The Big Picture
