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Big Twan
I had that joint One for the Lyricist released on Blindside Recordings, London indie, that was classic. Check it, it's fire. Old fire but still fire. Three tracks on the joint.
What up y'all, it's your boy Big Twan. Eight is still enough, one love! Man, we went in on that. It wasn't just a song, it was a movement. If we only knew…
Chino XL
Yeah we did (record the Wake Up Show freestyle together), we came to L.A. for the first time around the same time, he was a great cat and an incredible MC. Yeah man…L was the illest.
DJ Lennox
Harlem's finest…what more can I say? Dude was a beast. One of the best to ever hit you with the witty comical punch lines. Lines that you would repeat to your boys, trying to act like they were your own. (Laughs.) Rest in peace L.
Digga
Big L, the best from Harlem!
I know we did a photo-shoot for Children of the Corn. A professional shoot. The pics were mostly of me, Cam and Blood. A few with L and Gruff. I'm still looking; I think Cam stole them from me a few years ago. Those pics would be dope.
I think A Star is Born was first, then we did Harlem U.S.A. and American Dream. All of the releases were singles on vinyl through Freeze / Priority. I'm pretty sure American Dream was the first single because Columbia and Bad Boy weren't trying to clear L and Mase.
Donald Phinazee (L's older brother.)
L did a lot of songs in other studios and they will get in trouble for releasing them without permission.
Love for my little brother, love always from his real big brother, Big Don.
El Da Sensei
Big L, my dude.
Yo L was one of them dudes when you hear him spit, you cringe. I mean, you be like damn, did you hear what he said? Lyrics that make you wish you had thought of it first. So clever and not afraid at all to say what he thought was the shit. His skill was elevated to a level that most cats might take a while to get to or will never get to the point he was. I had the pleasure of meeting and doing a show with him once. At a church in Harlem. Real quiet humble dude. Until he got on that mic. A beast and it's a shame we couldn't enjoy the fruits of his labor. I write this as the biggest fan of a dude cut short by time that wasn't his. Damn my dude right now you would still crush niggas, big niggas too.
Fat Joe
I was introduced to Big L through Lord Finesse; you know I'm a member of the Diggin' in the Crates crew. That's me, Lord Finesse, Showbiz, A.G., Diamond D, O.C. and of course Big L. One of the best records I ever recorded, one of my favorite moments in my life was recording The Enemy with Big L. I had just dropped Don Cartagena and it went gold and I'm in the studio with him and I never had, through all my years of rappin' and you think of how many collaborations, how many artists I rocked wit', I never had an artist threaten me. So Big L was like my little brother and he was funny so he sat next to me and he said, man, you just sold half a million records, I'm a take all your fans. Half a million fans when you get on a song with me, I'm gonna burn you b. So he starts threatenin' me, so I had to write that rap on that record for like my dear life. Like I've never had anybody on the spot threaten me, you know we was in D&D Studios, very legendary studio out in New York, Primo did the beat and other than that, just Big L, you know what I'm sayin', that was my little brother, he was a very funny guy man. A beautiful person, ya know? And I believe not just musically as an artist, I think he would've grown to be an entrepreneur and be a big giant in the game as far as a business man. His business savvy was incredible. You know what I'm sayin'? So you know, rest in peace, one three ninth 'n Lenox, Big L.
GZA
No, that [battle with Big L] never happened. Jay-Z, yes. No actual battle though. Just a clash of swords back in the eighties. ODB was present also.
Grand Daddy I.U.
L was my man, that's how I got on it [Da Graveyard].
Jewlz / Tommy the Director
We gettin' it [the documentary] together, it's coming along real proper.
The doc is something that's been cooking for a good minute. It's being put together by me and L's brother Don. It'll be a doc highlighting L's life in the truest and best way possible. We plan to involve all the artists and friends of L's who were instrumental in his career developing. We plan to regain production once again in mid-August. We will start collecting as much archival footage as we can and also conducting interviews as well. We'd like to work with all the sites that memorialize L in order to get the word out to the public as well as us doing other forms promotion. Right now the tentative title for the project is: Street Struck: The Big L Story. For now that's all we plan on speaking on in regards to this project but as more things develop we definitely plan to pass on the info to those who are truly interested. On behalf of Donald Phinazee / Flamboyant Entertainment. Peace.
Thanks for the love on keepin' my homie's words alive, his family definitely appreciates the support. Please keep an eye out for the upcoming documentary celebrating the life of Big L. The tentative title is gonna be Street Struck: The Big L Story. 2056 Media, Donald Phinazee, Flamboyant Entertainment. Peace.
Thanks for all the support BigLOnline. Peace y'all, Jewlz the Director, Big Don Phinazee, Dangerzone Music.
Keith Murray
Damn, it's been ten years.
He was a gemini like me so we clicked, we used to hang on his block 135 and go to The Tunnel and other clubs just gettin' to know each other. Which would have led to makin' records together but I went to the pen and he got killed so we never got to work together. A good friendship in the makin' snuffed out by jail and death; the way most black male's relationships get destroyed.
Big L was and still is one the most creative artists to touch the mic and he was my personal friend. I remember hanging with him in Harlem all the time. I'm still fucked up over his death and to top it off, we didn't get a chance to rock together. I know it's hard for him to do so, but rest in peace Big L, you're gone but not forgotten.
Lenaisa Phinazee (L's oldest niece.)
I was his first niece. Rest in peace, uncle 'mont, your dream still lives on. I love you and you are truly missed by me and the rest of the Phinazee family. There could never be another Big L. My uncle 'mont is gonna always be the one and only. No nigga could ever have a flow as good as the great Big L.
I don't know much about the new album because my grandmother (Gilda "Pinky" Terry) was the one that told me about it and she don't get down with the rap game like that, she's too old for that shit. She just knows the simple facts [laughing]. I'll holla if I hear anything.
Marquee
Big Zil and Liz Lucci are the same person and I did a song with her also.
Mic Geronimo
Big L was definitely my people. What is so ill is I always remember I saw him two days before he was killed.
O.Gee
The only thing I have here is a video tape of three of the shows we all did on the road back then and you know I'm not going to just pass that along...
We were on the road for almost a month, and a half.
Phat Kat
Big L was clearly one of illest MCs from the NYC, hands down! May you never be forgotten L, rest in peace.
Scatta
I was in a group then and the group's name was and is Truth or Sq. from Trenton, New Jersey. Yo, it was a show at Victoria 5 in Harlem on 125th St., a few doors down from The Apollo. Video Music Box's Crazy Sam, in collaboration with Russell Simmons put it together. Kid Capri was with L that night, Group Home performed, A.Plus got a deal that night. We didn't win, 'cause we was from Jersey. Frankie Cutlass, DJ Premier, Fat Joe, just to name a few, were all judges that we had, wildin' for the kids, you know? Group Home showed us mad love, as well as Big L, 'nough respect to the iconic legend that son is, one hundred.
Stan Spit
Holdin' it down for my dude, the Harlemite Big L. Y'all know what it is!
Statik Selektah
Yo, I wanna play that Now or Never shit on Sirius…
Stricklin (of eMC)
I'm a huge fan of his.
I had that joint One for the Lyricist released on Blindside Recordings, London indie, that was classic. Check it, it's fire. Old fire but still fire. Three tracks on the joint.
What up y'all, it's your boy Big Twan. Eight is still enough, one love! Man, we went in on that. It wasn't just a song, it was a movement. If we only knew…
Chino XL
Yeah we did (record the Wake Up Show freestyle together), we came to L.A. for the first time around the same time, he was a great cat and an incredible MC. Yeah man…L was the illest.
DJ Lennox
Harlem's finest…what more can I say? Dude was a beast. One of the best to ever hit you with the witty comical punch lines. Lines that you would repeat to your boys, trying to act like they were your own. (Laughs.) Rest in peace L.
Digga
Big L, the best from Harlem!
I know we did a photo-shoot for Children of the Corn. A professional shoot. The pics were mostly of me, Cam and Blood. A few with L and Gruff. I'm still looking; I think Cam stole them from me a few years ago. Those pics would be dope.
I think A Star is Born was first, then we did Harlem U.S.A. and American Dream. All of the releases were singles on vinyl through Freeze / Priority. I'm pretty sure American Dream was the first single because Columbia and Bad Boy weren't trying to clear L and Mase.
Donald Phinazee (L's older brother.)
L did a lot of songs in other studios and they will get in trouble for releasing them without permission.
Love for my little brother, love always from his real big brother, Big Don.
El Da Sensei
Big L, my dude.
Yo L was one of them dudes when you hear him spit, you cringe. I mean, you be like damn, did you hear what he said? Lyrics that make you wish you had thought of it first. So clever and not afraid at all to say what he thought was the shit. His skill was elevated to a level that most cats might take a while to get to or will never get to the point he was. I had the pleasure of meeting and doing a show with him once. At a church in Harlem. Real quiet humble dude. Until he got on that mic. A beast and it's a shame we couldn't enjoy the fruits of his labor. I write this as the biggest fan of a dude cut short by time that wasn't his. Damn my dude right now you would still crush niggas, big niggas too.
Fat Joe
I was introduced to Big L through Lord Finesse; you know I'm a member of the Diggin' in the Crates crew. That's me, Lord Finesse, Showbiz, A.G., Diamond D, O.C. and of course Big L. One of the best records I ever recorded, one of my favorite moments in my life was recording The Enemy with Big L. I had just dropped Don Cartagena and it went gold and I'm in the studio with him and I never had, through all my years of rappin' and you think of how many collaborations, how many artists I rocked wit', I never had an artist threaten me. So Big L was like my little brother and he was funny so he sat next to me and he said, man, you just sold half a million records, I'm a take all your fans. Half a million fans when you get on a song with me, I'm gonna burn you b. So he starts threatenin' me, so I had to write that rap on that record for like my dear life. Like I've never had anybody on the spot threaten me, you know we was in D&D Studios, very legendary studio out in New York, Primo did the beat and other than that, just Big L, you know what I'm sayin', that was my little brother, he was a very funny guy man. A beautiful person, ya know? And I believe not just musically as an artist, I think he would've grown to be an entrepreneur and be a big giant in the game as far as a business man. His business savvy was incredible. You know what I'm sayin'? So you know, rest in peace, one three ninth 'n Lenox, Big L.
GZA
No, that [battle with Big L] never happened. Jay-Z, yes. No actual battle though. Just a clash of swords back in the eighties. ODB was present also.
Grand Daddy I.U.
L was my man, that's how I got on it [Da Graveyard].
Jewlz / Tommy the Director
We gettin' it [the documentary] together, it's coming along real proper.
The doc is something that's been cooking for a good minute. It's being put together by me and L's brother Don. It'll be a doc highlighting L's life in the truest and best way possible. We plan to involve all the artists and friends of L's who were instrumental in his career developing. We plan to regain production once again in mid-August. We will start collecting as much archival footage as we can and also conducting interviews as well. We'd like to work with all the sites that memorialize L in order to get the word out to the public as well as us doing other forms promotion. Right now the tentative title for the project is: Street Struck: The Big L Story. For now that's all we plan on speaking on in regards to this project but as more things develop we definitely plan to pass on the info to those who are truly interested. On behalf of Donald Phinazee / Flamboyant Entertainment. Peace.
Thanks for the love on keepin' my homie's words alive, his family definitely appreciates the support. Please keep an eye out for the upcoming documentary celebrating the life of Big L. The tentative title is gonna be Street Struck: The Big L Story. 2056 Media, Donald Phinazee, Flamboyant Entertainment. Peace.
Thanks for all the support BigLOnline. Peace y'all, Jewlz the Director, Big Don Phinazee, Dangerzone Music.
Keith Murray
Damn, it's been ten years.
He was a gemini like me so we clicked, we used to hang on his block 135 and go to The Tunnel and other clubs just gettin' to know each other. Which would have led to makin' records together but I went to the pen and he got killed so we never got to work together. A good friendship in the makin' snuffed out by jail and death; the way most black male's relationships get destroyed.
Big L was and still is one the most creative artists to touch the mic and he was my personal friend. I remember hanging with him in Harlem all the time. I'm still fucked up over his death and to top it off, we didn't get a chance to rock together. I know it's hard for him to do so, but rest in peace Big L, you're gone but not forgotten.
Lenaisa Phinazee (L's oldest niece.)
I was his first niece. Rest in peace, uncle 'mont, your dream still lives on. I love you and you are truly missed by me and the rest of the Phinazee family. There could never be another Big L. My uncle 'mont is gonna always be the one and only. No nigga could ever have a flow as good as the great Big L.
I don't know much about the new album because my grandmother (Gilda "Pinky" Terry) was the one that told me about it and she don't get down with the rap game like that, she's too old for that shit. She just knows the simple facts [laughing]. I'll holla if I hear anything.
Marquee
Big Zil and Liz Lucci are the same person and I did a song with her also.
Mic Geronimo
Big L was definitely my people. What is so ill is I always remember I saw him two days before he was killed.
O.Gee
The only thing I have here is a video tape of three of the shows we all did on the road back then and you know I'm not going to just pass that along...
We were on the road for almost a month, and a half.
Phat Kat
Big L was clearly one of illest MCs from the NYC, hands down! May you never be forgotten L, rest in peace.
Scatta
I was in a group then and the group's name was and is Truth or Sq. from Trenton, New Jersey. Yo, it was a show at Victoria 5 in Harlem on 125th St., a few doors down from The Apollo. Video Music Box's Crazy Sam, in collaboration with Russell Simmons put it together. Kid Capri was with L that night, Group Home performed, A.Plus got a deal that night. We didn't win, 'cause we was from Jersey. Frankie Cutlass, DJ Premier, Fat Joe, just to name a few, were all judges that we had, wildin' for the kids, you know? Group Home showed us mad love, as well as Big L, 'nough respect to the iconic legend that son is, one hundred.
Stan Spit
Holdin' it down for my dude, the Harlemite Big L. Y'all know what it is!
Statik Selektah
Yo, I wanna play that Now or Never shit on Sirius…
Stricklin (of eMC)
I'm a huge fan of his.
And here's some excerpts from my talks with:
Quote
The King of Da Crates, DJ Mike Nice
One of hip hop's illest MCs. Big L's demo tape contained the following four tracks: Rock N. Wills audition freestyle, Principal of the New School, Unexpected Flava, Devil's Son. Unexpected Flava I had since '97 on a DAT. I was lucky enough to have met L and spoke with him when he dropped his first album. I got my info from L himself, he had done an in-store with us at Upstairs Records when he dropped Lifestylez. L was a very cool and humble cat, I only met the cat that one time. Real chill and soft spoken, he seemed to enjoy signing autographs for his fans. All I can say, L was a quiet and humble cat, he transformed into a beast when a mic was put in front of him.
Our Big L did not produce The Lost Boyz track, discogs(.com) is wrong reverting back to our Big L. Big L the MC did not produce the track for Lost Boyz, the Big "L" was a big dude named Latrell, again, discogs is incorrect. What a lot of people don't know is that the beat they are rocking over in Deadly Combination was actually produced by Louie Vega (yes Little Louie Vega). It was on his break beat series Phat Kat Breaks. Real short vinyl press, maybe a thousand copies of each title were available.
A lot of the older unheard stuff was heard and played before on the underground radio shows here in N.Y., we had Stretch & Bob, Mayhem & Martin Moore, DJ Riz & Wildman Steve. Cats like L were on shows a lot with Lord Finesse. I don't think there is much if anything else out there aside from some freestyles he did on the Underground Railroad and Riz & Wildman Steve, I'm cool with Riz so I'm a see what he has in the stash.
I'll be returning to the mixtape game and I brought one of the game's pioneers along, the one and only cat from Uptown, DJ Showtime. Myself and the legendary Showtime have something special in the works. Showtime and L lived in the same building and Showtime was in the store with Finesse when L did his audition. Showtime was also telling me about L battling cats at the pool hall on 125th. Videotape exists of Big L battling cats and we are trying to obtain it.
DJ Showtime (from the original Hardpack) and myself are doing a very special tribute so stay tuned. We're about to tell a tale of history with Once Upon a Time in Harlem, a tribute to Big L and all the cats he associated with, such as: Kam, Mase, McGruff, N.O.T.S. Click, C.O.T.C., etc. I'm bringing out the heavy ammo on this one, lots of rare demos and unheard material, coming soon. If you're a fan of Big L, Children of the Corn, Killa Kam, Mase Murder, McGruff, this mixtape gets no iller. Certified classic material. I've been bumping this since Showtime and myself laid it down and this has to be one of my most favorite mixtapes I've done. Showtime and myself will be in the lab, part two is being worked on.
Big Sleep, good looking out, as always. L, hip hop still mourns you. You're dearly missed, especially by underground fans worldwide.
One of hip hop's illest MCs. Big L's demo tape contained the following four tracks: Rock N. Wills audition freestyle, Principal of the New School, Unexpected Flava, Devil's Son. Unexpected Flava I had since '97 on a DAT. I was lucky enough to have met L and spoke with him when he dropped his first album. I got my info from L himself, he had done an in-store with us at Upstairs Records when he dropped Lifestylez. L was a very cool and humble cat, I only met the cat that one time. Real chill and soft spoken, he seemed to enjoy signing autographs for his fans. All I can say, L was a quiet and humble cat, he transformed into a beast when a mic was put in front of him.
Our Big L did not produce The Lost Boyz track, discogs(.com) is wrong reverting back to our Big L. Big L the MC did not produce the track for Lost Boyz, the Big "L" was a big dude named Latrell, again, discogs is incorrect. What a lot of people don't know is that the beat they are rocking over in Deadly Combination was actually produced by Louie Vega (yes Little Louie Vega). It was on his break beat series Phat Kat Breaks. Real short vinyl press, maybe a thousand copies of each title were available.
A lot of the older unheard stuff was heard and played before on the underground radio shows here in N.Y., we had Stretch & Bob, Mayhem & Martin Moore, DJ Riz & Wildman Steve. Cats like L were on shows a lot with Lord Finesse. I don't think there is much if anything else out there aside from some freestyles he did on the Underground Railroad and Riz & Wildman Steve, I'm cool with Riz so I'm a see what he has in the stash.
I'll be returning to the mixtape game and I brought one of the game's pioneers along, the one and only cat from Uptown, DJ Showtime. Myself and the legendary Showtime have something special in the works. Showtime and L lived in the same building and Showtime was in the store with Finesse when L did his audition. Showtime was also telling me about L battling cats at the pool hall on 125th. Videotape exists of Big L battling cats and we are trying to obtain it.
DJ Showtime (from the original Hardpack) and myself are doing a very special tribute so stay tuned. We're about to tell a tale of history with Once Upon a Time in Harlem, a tribute to Big L and all the cats he associated with, such as: Kam, Mase, McGruff, N.O.T.S. Click, C.O.T.C., etc. I'm bringing out the heavy ammo on this one, lots of rare demos and unheard material, coming soon. If you're a fan of Big L, Children of the Corn, Killa Kam, Mase Murder, McGruff, this mixtape gets no iller. Certified classic material. I've been bumping this since Showtime and myself laid it down and this has to be one of my most favorite mixtapes I've done. Showtime and myself will be in the lab, part two is being worked on.
Big Sleep, good looking out, as always. L, hip hop still mourns you. You're dearly missed, especially by underground fans worldwide.
A little something from none other than:
Quote
The L.G. Experience, Patrick Harvey, Easy Mo Bee's Younger Brother
What up. I have no problem talking about a legend like Big L.
I met Big L through Scoob Lover, Big Daddy Kane's dancer. Scoob had L come meet me at Soundtrack Studios in '93 where I used to record at. He was looking for beats. He picked some beats but we never recorded anything.
About a year and change later Faith Newman (Columbia A&R) wanted a remix from me for Put It On. I did the remix at the original Chung King Studios. Nobody knew it was my brother Easy Mo Bee doing the scratches on the record.
I hooked up with L again in '96. My cousin was seeing a chick who lived in L's building on 139th. We talked about doing some shit but it just never happened. I was outta town when I heard he got killed. The game could use that dude right now.
Anyway, as far as your question about my name L.G., that's the name of the housing projects I grew up in. Lafayette Gardens in Bed-Stuy Brooklyn.
If it's anything else I can help you with, just holla at me. Anything associated with some real hip hop, I'm fuckin' wit' it. I'm still doing my grizzly on them beats so if you know somebody looking for hip hop, holla.
What up. I have no problem talking about a legend like Big L.
I met Big L through Scoob Lover, Big Daddy Kane's dancer. Scoob had L come meet me at Soundtrack Studios in '93 where I used to record at. He was looking for beats. He picked some beats but we never recorded anything.
About a year and change later Faith Newman (Columbia A&R) wanted a remix from me for Put It On. I did the remix at the original Chung King Studios. Nobody knew it was my brother Easy Mo Bee doing the scratches on the record.
I hooked up with L again in '96. My cousin was seeing a chick who lived in L's building on 139th. We talked about doing some shit but it just never happened. I was outta town when I heard he got killed. The game could use that dude right now.
Anyway, as far as your question about my name L.G., that's the name of the housing projects I grew up in. Lafayette Gardens in Bed-Stuy Brooklyn.
If it's anything else I can help you with, just holla at me. Anything associated with some real hip hop, I'm fuckin' wit' it. I'm still doing my grizzly on them beats so if you know somebody looking for hip hop, holla.
And finally, last but not least, a sum up of my multiple phone and email conversations (to date) talking to:
Quote
Marquee, Markita of Femme Fatale, protégé of Lord Finesse
Hello, thank you for contacting me and I'm sorry due to the circumstances.
Big L and I were both protégés of Lord Finesse and some of my first recordings were done under his supervision.
It was Finesse's idea to put us on the Alone Remix because it was a project that he was contracted to do and it was done while L was alive and recorded in N.Y.C.; Stephen Simmonds' record was released in Sweden initially and I did get to meet him.
Big L was part of our family; we all performed in Japan with Organized Konfusion, Showbiz & A.G. and Diamond, as well as Finesse.
You may contact me if you have any further questions. Thank you.
I was Finesse's girlfriend for like nine years. I'm married now, I have a husband. But everybody is still cool because we're family.
So I didn't go hang out with L or anything 'cause like, that's my boyfriend's friend. But he would come over and be hangin' out and just chillin' all day. When he wasn't crackin' jokes he was rhymin' all the time. He was really funny, that's what I remember most.
He was just getting better and better before he died, bless the dead, he was like, at his peak.
I didn't even rhyme much then, I was still learning. So I would just listen, I was intimidated.
There was a lot of people getting put on back with the NFL crew. It was a lot of hard work but some of that pissed me off. Yeah they're good now, but they weren't back then. Well, McGruff's always been good. When you're signed to a major label you gotta do what they say, you can't just put your friends on.
We were in Japan for like two weeks, Organized Konfusion, Showbiz & A.G., I think Diamond was there. L did Ebonics and that one China without rice (laughs). I know he did Ebonics because people were gathered around for that. There'd be people who didn't speak English but they knew the words and were singing along to the song.
There used to be a lot of girls. They'd ask "do you know where Big L is?" and I had to lie. I had to be like sorry, can't help ya with that one.
I didn't think Alone would be the only song I'd get to do with him. It didn't hit me 'til years later, like damn…I don't know if Big L got to meet Stephen [Simmonds]. He came to New York and I met him which was cool but I don't know what L and Finesse were doin'.
It's just my memory of my friend, ya know? I used to braid his hair if there was no one else around to do it. We were gamblin' on the plane to Japan and there's not much to do and not many people that speak your own language so you hang out a lot and he was makin' fun of the women 'cause there was only like four of us and I was like fine, I'm not gonna braid your hair then.
He talked about his brother who got killed who was still locked up when I knew him. Lee. I didn't know he had another brother. I met his mom though 'cause Finesse was close to her and made sure she got everything she needed after everything happened.
I think it's really cool that you're doing this.
Hello, thank you for contacting me and I'm sorry due to the circumstances.
Big L and I were both protégés of Lord Finesse and some of my first recordings were done under his supervision.
It was Finesse's idea to put us on the Alone Remix because it was a project that he was contracted to do and it was done while L was alive and recorded in N.Y.C.; Stephen Simmonds' record was released in Sweden initially and I did get to meet him.
Big L was part of our family; we all performed in Japan with Organized Konfusion, Showbiz & A.G. and Diamond, as well as Finesse.
You may contact me if you have any further questions. Thank you.
I was Finesse's girlfriend for like nine years. I'm married now, I have a husband. But everybody is still cool because we're family.
So I didn't go hang out with L or anything 'cause like, that's my boyfriend's friend. But he would come over and be hangin' out and just chillin' all day. When he wasn't crackin' jokes he was rhymin' all the time. He was really funny, that's what I remember most.
He was just getting better and better before he died, bless the dead, he was like, at his peak.
I didn't even rhyme much then, I was still learning. So I would just listen, I was intimidated.
There was a lot of people getting put on back with the NFL crew. It was a lot of hard work but some of that pissed me off. Yeah they're good now, but they weren't back then. Well, McGruff's always been good. When you're signed to a major label you gotta do what they say, you can't just put your friends on.
We were in Japan for like two weeks, Organized Konfusion, Showbiz & A.G., I think Diamond was there. L did Ebonics and that one China without rice (laughs). I know he did Ebonics because people were gathered around for that. There'd be people who didn't speak English but they knew the words and were singing along to the song.
There used to be a lot of girls. They'd ask "do you know where Big L is?" and I had to lie. I had to be like sorry, can't help ya with that one.
I didn't think Alone would be the only song I'd get to do with him. It didn't hit me 'til years later, like damn…I don't know if Big L got to meet Stephen [Simmonds]. He came to New York and I met him which was cool but I don't know what L and Finesse were doin'.
It's just my memory of my friend, ya know? I used to braid his hair if there was no one else around to do it. We were gamblin' on the plane to Japan and there's not much to do and not many people that speak your own language so you hang out a lot and he was makin' fun of the women 'cause there was only like four of us and I was like fine, I'm not gonna braid your hair then.
He talked about his brother who got killed who was still locked up when I knew him. Lee. I didn't know he had another brother. I met his mom though 'cause Finesse was close to her and made sure she got everything she needed after everything happened.
I think it's really cool that you're doing this.
This post has been edited by The Big Sleep: 14 July 2010 - 04:08 PM
MultiQuote
