Lamont Coleman (May 30, 1974 - February 15, 1999), better known as Big L, was a one of the most influential and acclaimed rap artists ev. Big L was born, raised, lived, and was fatally shot in an uptown Harlem, New York neighborhood. He is mostly remembered for his freestyling, storytelling, punchlines, his critically acclaimed debut album Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous, his Gold album The Big Picture, and his murder at the age of twenty-four.

Born and raised in Harlem's uptown sector, what he called the "Danger Zone," at 139th Street and Lenox Avenue; Coleman chose rap as a way of getting away from the ghetto. His first appearance on a song came in 1992 on Lord Finesse's "Yes You May (Remix)."
In 1993 he signed with Columbia Records and released one vinyl 12", "Devil's Son." This song was quickly banned from radio, due to lyrics which stations dubbed too violent or vulgar, such as "I pistol whip the priest every Sunday." In 1995, still with Columbia, he released his debut album Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous. The album was hardly promoted and commercially not very popular, but was praised by The Source, which gave it 4 mics out of 5. The album featured now-popular rappers such as Jay-Z and Cam'ron, but after its lack of success, he was dropped from the label.

His career was furthered with a group called Children of the Corn, formed by himself and fellow Harlemites Ma$e (under the name Murda Mase), Cam'ron (as Killa Cam), Cam'ron's cousin Bloodshed and McGruff. The group recorded numerous songs, enough to make a full length album, compiled later as "The Collector's Edition." The group never signed a deal, as Bloodshed was killed in a car accident in 1997 and Ma$e and Cam'ron temporarily quit rapping to pursue professional basketball careers.

On the evening of February 15, 1999, Big L was shot multiple times in the head and chest and killed just blocks away from his Harlem home. Early implications led many to believe that Coleman was killed because of a debt owed by his brother, Lee Coleman, who was in jail at the time and was therefore inaccessible. It has also been speculated that the murderer mistook Lamont for his brother on the night he was shot. Later sometime around his release from prison Lee Coleman was also murdered on the same street as his brother.

His last recorded release was The Big Picture on August 1, 2000, which was released posthumously and was put together by his manager and partner in Flamboyant Entertainment, Rich King, contains songs L had recorded and acapellas that were never used, completed by producers and guest rappers that Big L respected or had worked with previously. The album was certified gold a month later.