Big L - "Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous"

“Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous” was the debut and only album to be released by Big L (1974 – 1999) while he was alive.  The album released in March of 1995 on Columbia Records and received solid reviews from Hip Hop publications such as The Source, who gave it 4 out of 5 mics.  Big L’s lyricism, wordplay and storytelling was ahead of its time and on full display on “Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous.”  Production was handled by members of the legendary D.I.T.C. crew and features include a very young in the game Cam’ron and Jay-Z. “Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous” has a classic status among the backpacker community and is a testament to Big L’s abundance of talent and the loss of a life and a career in which undoubtedly would have put Big L into the greatest of all time conversation.

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Chris: Mike, I chose “Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous” because I had been recently been thinking about Big L and what his legacy would be now had he not been killed.

Mike: It’s so difficult to say what the Hip Hop communities view of Big L would be like if he were still alive. A lot depends on what path he would’ve chose regarding his overall style (beats chosen, his flow, his lyrical content, even the style that he dressed, etc). It seems like a lot of Golden Age Hip Hop fans over-romanticize the idea Big L would still be vicious on the mic and would be somewhat of a savior of “real Hip Hop”. Personally, I don’t agree with that thought process, as Big L would have inevitably developed over the last 20 years since his death, whether it be good or bad. Slightly off topic, but I feel like he could’ve totally rode out a commercial career with less emphasis on shocking lyrics, or done the opposite and stayed grimy with releases under smaller independent Hip Hop labels.

Chris: Good points, Mike. There a lot of variables of course, I guess I was just looking at it from the perspective of where Big L was in terms of skill at that time in comparison to his contemporaries that we all hold in high regard today.

Big L was known for raw lyrics and graphic storytelling, what is your opinion on Horrorcore Hip Hop?

Mike: I like this question, because it is something that crosses my mind often. Not only regarding Horrorcore, but also other offshoots of the Hip Hop genre in general. I feel that in most cases, the originators of these subgenres are leaps and abounds ahead of the acts that follow them and confine themselves to the parameters of that subgenre. The originators’ work reflected their personalities while the ones who followed seemed like characters (ex. Necro). I don’t necessarily hate contemporary Horrorcore Hip Hop but I can’t say that is something that I feel the need to bump regularly.

Chris: That’s very true. It’s very hard to sustain a career as a character. Very few have been able to do it especially in Horrorcore.

Big L feat. Herb McGruff – “All Black”

I think Big L’s harder, grimier tracks are our favorites but as you kind of already brought up, would he have continued to make those kind of songs or would he have opted for songs with lyrical content that would have gotten him more radio play? It seems like his label was already trying to transition him that way with the inclusion of more conscious type songs like “Fed Up wit the Bullshit” and “Street Struck”.

Mike: I think the weakest part of the album as a whole is the lack of cohesion, but that turn means some phenomenally ill singles. While “Lifestylez ov da Poor and Dangerous” isn’t an album I find myself yearning to play through, each track hold its weight in its own certain aspect. You have the classic Hip Hop songs of “Put It On”, “8 Iz Enuff” and “Da Graveyard”, showcasing Big L’s battle type lyrics with no particular underlying theme and then you have the introspective tracks like “Street Struck” and “Fed Up wit the Bullshit”. All very dope in their own respective ways.

Big L – “Fed up wit the Bullshit”

Chris: How did you think DITC handled the production?

Mike: After re-listening, I’m much more impressed with DITC’s production on this album than when I first bumped this album. It has a wider range of styles than some of the other DITC releases, while style maintaining the definitive “DITC sound”.  The production team laid down the perfect backdrops for the posse cuts, introspective tracks and even minimalistic joints where Big L’s flow was the main instrument.

Chris: Full disclosure for anybody who is reading this, we are both huge DITC fans, they basically can do no wrong in our ears but I thought the production was great.  My favorite was the Showbiz beat “No Endz, No Skinz”, love those horns from that sample he used.

Big L feat. Showbiz – “No Endz, No Skinz”

Paul Humphrey, Shelley Mane and Willie Bobo – “4 Aces”

Chris: So Mike, did “Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous” stand the test of time for you?

Mike: After revisiting, I like the album more than ever. However, it feels like a collection of tracks as opposed to an album with direction. I think this could’ve easily been remedied with the insertion of an intro, some interludes and an outro. I’ve always felt like this album opening with “Put It On” seemed awkward as does ending with “Let em Have it L”. That being said, this is Lamont Coleman’s one true studio album. Lyrically he DESTROYED the game and all over prime era DITC beats. There isn’t much more you can ask for. This is a classic album that has exceed the test of time. Lamont Coleman aka Big L RIP (1974-1999).

Chris: I couldn’t agree with you more about the arrangement of the tracks on this album but if that’s our biggest complaint, it must be a pretty solid album! I enjoy this album even more today than I did back then and I think it’s because I have more of an appreciation for the tracks that weren’t chosen for single. And I think that like you said we look at it a little more fondly because it’s Big L’s only studio album, but yes, this is a classic Hip Hop album in my opinion.