Search - Big L :: Big Picture

Harlem's Finest part 2 (4 and 1/2 stars)

Nuisance | Miami | 11/05/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I heard of Big L threw the same friend that introduced me to Dead Prez's Let Get Free. I heard Lifestylez Ov Da Poor And Dangerous and was impressed. He has the craziest punchlines I've ever heard in a while. I also heard about his death in 1999 and decided to cop this album in 2005. Big L's posthumous album is unlike other posthumous albums because 1. It doesnt sound forced or put together slapdash 2. The songs are with people he would actually and has made songs with. Ebonics is Big L breaking down upnorth slang over a dope beat. The first single Holdin It Down with Stan Spit, A.G and Miss Jones was cool. The 98 Freestyle, The Big Picture and Size Em Up are vintage Big L tracks. Deadly Combination featuring 2pac(RIP) is an unexpected but fresh combo that works. The Enemy feat Fat Joe is another highlight as both of them talk about being harrased by cops. Big L also excells in storytelling which is evidenced in The Heist and Casualties Of A Dice Game. Platinum Plus feat Big Daddy Kane is fire as well as Fall Back feat Kool G Rap. The only tracks I couldnt get with is The Heist Revisited(the boring beat doesnt compliment his rhymes) and Games feat Sadat X and Guru(nice beat, iffy song). Bottom Line: Big L's The Big Picture does justice to the best thing to come out of Harlem. The album was kind of mellow in comparison to Lifestylez Ov Da Poor And Dangerous which was more hard edged. The Big Picture is still a great release that showed that Big L was a nice MC who could have been a force to be reckoned with in Hip Hop if he was still alive. Dont forget Big L and never forget this album. Standout Tracks: EBONICS, DEADLY COMBINATION, 98 FREESTYLE, THE HEIST, FALL BACK, PLATINUM PLUS and THE TRIBORO.







REST IN PEACE BIG L!!!! 1974-1999"

A good collection of songs but not really an album

T. Neves | Portland, OR | 01/22/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"In my opinion Big L is one of the greatest rappers of all time and "lifestyles ov da poor and dangerous" one of hip-hop's best albums. While this release has a lot of good cuts on it, it doesn't really compare with "lifestyles" as an album, because, it isn't really an album at all. "The Big Picture" is a posthumuous collection of Big L's unreleased work with some bright spots and nothing I would call weak, but there are some average songs on here that I don't believe "L" would have released himself had he been around. That being said Big L's talent still shines through strong on many songs, most noticeaby to me on "casualties of a dice game" a dark, gritty story rap and "Ebonics" which cleverly explains the meaning to a variety of slang words over a beat. "L" is a criminally underrated M.C. and any fan of his will find plenty of material to appreciate on this disc, just realize that it isn't complete, don't expect it to be another "lifestyles" and you will be extremely satisfied."