Considering the mortality rate of rappers, which often seems slightly higher than that of kamikaze pilots,
Big L's tragically early passing isn't such a shock. What brings the listener up short on the posthumous
The Big Picture (released over a year after
Big L's death) is the way
L's descriptions of violence seem like a self-fulfilling prophecy. The great acclaim he earned wasn't based on the graphic quality of his gangsta tales, though. As
The Big Picture makes clear,
L's worldview extended beyond street crime to a broader sociological scope. He even displays a fair amount of humor, as on "Ebonics," a virtual glossary of street slang terms. Even his proclamations of sexual prowess on "Size 'Em Up" have an air of fun about them, as though he knows how far over the top he's going in his statements of machismo. Though he may allow himself a degree of ironic detachment, it's clear that
Big L firmly believed everything that came out of his mouth, and it's that combination of commitment and sarcasm that makes
The Big Picture work. ~ TiVo Staff