"When I'm outside walking around, I hear things, even, the youngest be like "That's Big L's mother." Or I hear people playing his music or talking about him; I say to myself 'Dang, people still remember Lamont.' -Gilda Terry
SOHH.com is honored to examine the life and times of Big L with those who know his story best, his mom Gilda Terry, his friend and mentor, the legendary Lord Finesse, and the attorney of his estate, Renata Lowenbraun Esq.
Coming straight outta Harlem, 139th & Lenox Avenue, aka The Danger Zone, Lamont "Big L" Coleman put his hometown on the map with an incredible flow and wordplay like no other. He had an ear for punchlines, beats, and unpolished talent. Before the pink and before the retirement, even before Puffy and BIG, L had Children Of The Corn with hungry emcees like Killa Kam (Cam'Ron), Murder Mase (Mas$e), Herb McGruff, and Bloodshed. L's ear for talent was sharp enough to feature a pre-Reasonable Doubt Jay-Z on his debut, Lifestyles Ov The Poor And Dangerous.
Big L knew his was the gift to deliver; whether it be breaking down slang on wax, breaking down emcees on stage, or breaking down barriers. Big L had larger plans for life. The week he was set to announce the opening of his label Flamboyant Entertainment; L was gunned on the block he'd come to symbolize.
SOHH: What was L like as a child?
Gilda Terry: Headstrong, always wanted to figure stuff out for himself. Even when he wanted to learn how to read his bicycle, he tried and tried all day until he learned how to ride it. Anything he made up his mind to do he would do. Even when he started rapping. Lamont was young. Lamont was like 12.
SOHH: Were you supportive of him from the start?
GT: To tell you the truth, at first, I didn't know who Big L was. He'd tell me and be mad at me like "Ma, why you being mean to my friends? My friends said they calling for me and you hanging up on them." I'm like 'Cause they keep calling here asking for Big L.' He like, "Ma, that's me!" I just said, 'Well I didn't know. You didn't tell me.'
SOHH: Well once you did know, did you listen to his music then?
GT: No, to be honest with you, that "Devil's Son" of his, that was the first song I heard of his. I was like, 'Oh Lord, Lamont, you gonna have every preacher in Harlem knocking down our door.' I thought they were gonna run us out of Harlem. But I got the clean version of it. I listen to that, I like that.
SOHH: Do you listen to any of his music now?
GT: Not really, sometimes; it puts me in a mood. For some reason, I was thinking about him the other day and I got off the train and I heard his voice. Somebody had been playing his music and it put me in a mood and I started crying. I don't like to feel like that all the time. But I do look at his videos when they come on.
SOHH: What is your understanding of who and what your son is to Hip-Hop community?
GT: Really, I didn't know how big he was in Hip-Hop until afterwards. He would always come home bragging to me and my mother. When he went overseas to Europe and Japan, he was like, "I'm like Michael Jackson overseas." And me and my mother, not being into Hip-Hop, just thought he was fooling around or exaggerating or whatever. But when he died and I saw the people that came out for him, that's when I realized that Lamont really meant something to them.
SOHH: Finesse, you and L sounded very similar with your phors and flow. How was it working with him? Did you ever worry about competition?
Lord Finesse: I mean I always got the "Yo, he sounds just like you's," but to be 17 at the time when he did that record and to sound the way he sounded, you couldn't front, the man was bad. And I wouldn't take that from nobody. Throughout the game and the people that I've met, I don't turn down talent. If you're exceptionally nice, I'm gonna do what I can do to get you in the door. The only way I ain't gonna do that is if you got an ego. But with L, he was mad humble. If you see him, you ain't think he rhymed until he rhymed.
GT: Finesse is so sweet. He really loved Lamont. Finesse is the first one I met in the industry with Lamont. He was always like a big brother to Lamont. He was with him from the beginning of his career all the way to the end.
SOHH: Finesse, what happened when you first met L?
LF: Around early 1990, I was at a store called Rock and Will's on 125th street. At Rock and Will's, is where I was introduced to Big L. It's was a famous record store that everybody used to have mixtapes at; Buckwild, Kid Capri, S&S, Ron G, Doo Wop, some of the original mixtape pioneers. That's when you used to get $20 for a mixtape. And around that time I was introduced to Big L through one of his friends. His friend was like, "Yo, my man is nice. He wanna rap for you." I went to the back of the record store where they had a set of turntables. So he rhymed for me and I liked him and I called Show like "I found this rapper and he's dope." That's how L was brought into the fold.
The "Yes, You May" remix was really the first record he was on. During the time of that, me and Show was working on trying to get him a deal. Me and Buck went on The Source tour. After we came back from tour, I started really trying to get him a deal.
SOHH: Gilda, what does it mean to you to see all the love and support your son had?
GT: You know, when I'm outside walking around, I hear things, even, the youngest be like "That's Big L's mother." Or I hear people playing his music or talking about him; I say to myself 'Dang, people still remember Lamont.' I do feel good.
Renata Lowenbraun Esq.: I represent a lot of people in music, but I really do feel an emotional attachment to Lamont's case. Not because he was a star, but because to be so talented, he didn't get to reach his fullest potential yet. Although he has an incredible fanbase, he was well on his way to a much bigger and longer career. And then to see all the artists he's worked with earlier go on to have great success, it's really sad. Mase and Cam'Ron, their careers began in large part due to Big L. Jay-Z's first major label appearance was on Big L's first album, Lifestyles Ov The Poor and Dangerous.
SOHH: Gilda can you say what it was about Harlem that Lamont embodied?
GT: Before Lamont died , he died that Tuesday, on Thursday he was suppose to be working on bringing out his label Flamboyant Entertainment. I know he was really working hard to put the word out. He was up and down these streets handing out flyers. The only street he knew was 139th Street. Even when he met Finesse he was in Harlem. Lamont won his first rap contest at The Apollo. So everything Lamont did was of Harlem.
SOHH: What did you know about Lamont's label?
GT: I don't know much about Flamboyant, all I know is before he died he was excited his record label was coming out cause he felt it would put him over the top. I think what he wanted to do is what they call the producing side. When he died I noticed he had a lot of different tapes people had sent him.
SOHH: Renata, what are some of the difficulties you face in representing Big L's estate?
RL: You have to deal with a whole different set of issues than from if he was alive. We want to do another album and DVD to introduce a new era of Big L fans. And I don't have him here to get his input and feedback. I don't have a Big L here to take strategies from. There are no second chances. We got to do what Big L deserved.
Here is Gilda who loved her son, didn't know the first thing about rap, very religious woman and now she has the responsibility to ensure her son's musical legacy. And its my job to educate her on that process.
SOHH: Is there one thing you want the world to know about Lamont?
GT: To know how sweet he was. Even though he talked the way he talked. He was as sweet as can be. I never had no trouble with Lamont. I never had no trouble with him in school. He was never into any drugs. He really was a good kid.
There were witnesses to the what happened. And I hope that they would come forward and let my child rest in peace.
Tomorrow night Big L fans, friends, and family will join together at SOB's in New York to honor his music, dreams, and sweetness. Performances and appearances will include DITC(Lord Finesse, Fat Joe, Showbiz & AG, Buckwild, Diamond, and OC) Grand Puba, Black Rob, Herb McGruff, Cam'Ron, Pharoah Monch, DJ Premier, Kid Capri, Freddie Foxx, Large Professor, Immortal Technique, and many more along with a special surprise guest.
