[Kyzer Soze]

... and why is Big L's name always hyphenated in flyers? I've seen his name spelled Big-L like four times and it really bugs me.

[The Big Sleep]

Actually L himself signed his name that way in autographs, so it's just as acceptable as the usual way, maybe he even preferred it, though almost all releases bill him as Big L.

[Kyzer Soze]

Now that you mention it I do remember seeing Big L sign his name that way. But even though that may have been his preferred spelling, I still hate it. There's something understated and cool about Big L's name, and when I see that hyphen it instantly kills that understated appeal.

I guess Big L (and the producers of his flyers) thought that the 'L' would confuse people. Without a hyphen certain idiots might think that 'Big' and 'L' were two different performers. But I guess this is one of those tragic questions with no answer. No one can really explain the motivation behind that hyphen except for Big L.

[The Big Sleep]

Yeah I think it was just easier for him to sign his name that way and I've seen others close to him write it that way as well. I prefer the unhyphenated version as well, I think most fans do.

He started out writing it Big -L back in '92 (or maybe even before that) and then it got changed. The '93 Lord Finesse party flyer bills him with the dash.

Some people still chose to write his name that way when promoting him, either because they had an autograph / saw his writing, saw others do it, remember back to those days or just coincidence.

I doubt by '98 that L was involved with the production of his fliers and by then he was known, he didn't need the hyphen any longer. So yeah, that's on the people who made those fliers I guess. They are either old school hip hop heads or didn't know what they were doin' but since it was the Latin Quarter in Harlem and they got Cam and Gruff's name right, I'll go with the former in this case, though it's hard to tell.

I'm glad he'll go down in history as Big L, not Big - L, however he chose to write it.

[patKa]

Yeah, Big L is better. BiG-L ain't that bad though.

[Kyzer Soze]

I love the 'L' without a hyphen because few rappers have been so bold as to let one single letter represent them. Even artist like Q-Tip and Heavy D are respectively referred to as 'Tip' or 'Heavy'. LL Cool J is sometimes referred to as 'LL' and DMX is sometimes referred to as 'X', but Big L is constantly referred to as 'L'. And when you're talking hip-hop and you mention L, there's no confusion. "L" in hip-hop vernacular always means Big L.

And Big L is such a great and appropriate name. Big Pun and Biggie Smalls used their names as allusions to their weight. But Big L was 5' 8" and skinny, so at first his name seems like an ironic joke. But it's not ironic and no other name could be more appropriate, for if L wasn't physically big, his intellectual heights more than compensated.

This post has been edited by Kyzer Soze: 29 July 2010 - 08:02 AM

[DaFonetikKFluuZe]

Kyzer Soze, on 29 July 2010 - 06:00 PM, said:

I love the 'L' without a hyphen because few rappers have been so bold as to let one single letter represent them. Even artist like Q-Tip and Heavy D are respectively referred to as 'Tip' or 'Heavy'. LL Cool J is sometimes referred to as 'LL' and DMX is sometimes referred to as 'X', but Big L is constantly referred to as 'L'. And when you're talking hip-hop and you mention L, there's no confusion. "L" in hip-hop vernacular always means Big L.

And Big L is such a great and appropriate name. Big Pun and Biggie Smalls used their names as allusions to their weight. But Big L was 5' 8" and skinny, so at first his name seems like an ironic joke. But it's not ironic and no other name could be more appropriate, for if L wasn't physically big, his intellectual heights more than compensated.

no doubt man, well written.

[Kyzer Soze]

Thanks! I've been thinking about that one for a while now, and when I've been thinking about something for a while the words just sort of flow by themselves.

I've also thought about how the letter "L" is slang for blunts and most hip-hop heads smoke weed. So the name Big L has an instant appeal to most hip-hop fans, beacause it reminds them of a big ol' blunt.

[The Big Sleep]

The other meanings of Big L, besides Lamont:

Big Loser (with the L to the forehead).
Big Loss (as in taking a Big L, an L versus a W).
Big L (blunt, occasionally a joint or spliff, traditionally and almost always a blunt).

And yeah I've thought about this for a while myself and I also enjoy the idea of breaking down and reducing a name until you can represent yourself by a single letter.

DMX is probably the closest to L with X but within D.I.T.C. circles A can be A.G. and O can be O.C., though obviously isn't as widely known or used. You could say J for Jay-Z or M for Eminem but that's cheating because Jay and Em just sound the respective letters, then there are outdated and underused ones like U for Grand Daddy I.U. or ones where you start having to use more than just the letter itself The R for Rakim or Extra P for Large Pro (with Styles P and Prodigy both occasionally using P).

L definitely started that whole style. It was simple yet effective. Instead of Little Lamont or 'mont 'mont, he flipped it and was Big L (plus the Big could've also been a nod to Kane who was really the only major Big before L).

[Kyzer Soze]

Hell yeah, totally agreed!

[LorDie]

Yeah, Big L is the name!

Not very important lol but around here a big L is more something like a 2 paper joint in shape of a L. Always though so but it's the same. In many song I hear it, like Smif-n-Wessun P.N.C. ''Before I go to bed, I take a L to the head. Reminisce over words that was once said...''

[LorDie]

Those autographs are amazing. Thanks for showing. The one for D.J. Oni One is sick, with the Devil's wrote backward and the arrow on the ''n'' of son.

[The Big Sleep]

Word, that's one of my favorites. And if you notice, it's been incorporated into the site banner (left side).

[patKa]

Quote

You could say J for Jay-Z or M for Eminem but that's cheating because Jay and Em just sound the respective letters

True, though at least Eminem got that M&M thing from his name initials, while I don't see any connection between Jay-Z and Shawn Carter.

[The Big Sleep]

You mean other than the fact that people call him Jay? Because that's what I was goin' for when I said it was kinda like cheating.

[patKa]

Yeah, cause M is cheating with Em but at least Em is not cheating with Marshall.

[The Big Sleep]

Yeah I got that, Marshall Mathers, M&M, but there's nobody else who people refer to as J except Jay-Z. I can think of at least a few others like that too.

[Kyzer Soze]

There's a show on FOX called 'Glee', and their advertisements use the thumb and index finger shape for the 'L' in the title. I think that's a subtle Big L influence. L's the man who made that shit fly. He changed the spectrum of that 'L' image from representing "loser" and "loss" to representing something cool and authentic. And fifteen years later people are still eating off his plate.