Mase talks about the time Big L tried to get him robbed "It Is What It Is"

[Crumple]

Oh great another segment where the deceased can't defend themselves

That's what I'm saying.

L had heart. Recording artists at THAT level of skill arn't out in the streets like that.

L was a studious emcee. There's no time for street bullshyt. He spoke against it while he was alive.

 

[Frump]

Hell, Big L wasn't on Smif N Wessun or OC's level of popularity either honestly. Times Up and Bucktown was literally played all the time. None of L's records impacted like that during that era.

Definitely not in NY, so I imagine the same was true out of state.

Mic G is a good comp.

OC is was ill I thought he was gonna blow when he dropped that second album

He had some mainstream radio joints on it but they didn’t sound forced like Mic Geronimos single

I don’t know why the album didn’t sell great and then he disappeared for awhile after that

 

[FunkDoc1112]

So a guy who wasn’t top 15 in his own city at his death, how does he go from that to “OMG Big L da GOAT, Big L woulda been top ten all time, big L woulda been a superstar if he lived”

You can pretty much trace it directly to Eminem name dropping him on Patiently Waiting

 

[moa213]

Different eras I know but who would yall say was bigger at the time of their death?

Big L or Pop Smoke?

Big L was never a factor in any era of New York rap history. He didn't have any hits from 1996 until his death in 1999 and passed away broke. Pop Smoke, on the other hand, dominated New York streets, strip clubs, and achieved global recognition while he was alive. If you play both their music in 10 years, Pop Smoke's music will still pump you up, while Big L's music has been outdated since 1995. It's crazy to think that old school KRS was still going strong after '96 while Big L's career was ice cold.

 

[premier58]

LOL what makes this even funnier is Cam'ron is on the end of this song saying "Now what kinda life is that for a child"

"Controversial, not commercial, niqqa!!" Thats Cam?!?!

 

[premier58]

Damn, L ain't shyt for that...went through all them extra steps and could've Just gave Mase the Fade like a man and kept it moving smh.

Thats actually surprising because I have heard Joe compliment Big L's knuckle game and fearlessness. So him backing down to Mass, makes no sense. Though that seems to be what happened.

 

[Yaboysix]

Thats actually surprising because I have heard Joe compliment Big L's knuckle game and fearlessness. So him backing down to Mass, makes no sense. Though that seems to be what happened.

 

[Zero]

Did Em mentioning L next to Big and Pac on Patiently Waiting start the "Big L is a GOAT/the GOAT" talk?

100%

 

[Juggalo Fred]

Mace was on mixtapes in the mid 90s and getting hella more buzz than Big L who sounded like Big Daddy Kane past his expiration date. He did not stand out to niqqas during that time….at all. Sounded like a Washington Square Park rapper who got a minor deal.

Maybe this is why NYC rap fell off a cliff after L died. You guys were too busy supporting wack rappers like Mase and Jay z and ignored the talented ones.

 

[mson]

Maybe this is why NYC rap fell off a cliff after L died. You guys were too busy supporting wack rappers like Mase and Jay z and ignored the talented ones.

It did not fall off a cliff after L died. Jay Z is wack? Stop it!

 

[FreshAIG]

"Controversial, not commercial, niqqa!!" Thats Cam?!?!

Yep!

 

[Street Knowledge]

Big L was never a factor in any era of New York rap history. He didn't have any hits from 1996 until his death in 1999 and passed away broke. Pop Smoke, on the other hand, dominated New York streets, strip clubs, and achieved global recognition while he was alive. If you play both their music in 10 years, Pop Smoke's music will still pump you up, while Big L's music has been outdated since 1995. It's crazy to think that old school KRS was still going strong after '96 while Big L's career was ice cold.

You know you right. But it’s funny cause when complex did their 50 greatest nyc rappers they had Pop ahead of L and there was outrage online even tho Pop has a bigger legacy

 

[NYC Rebel]

Maybe this is why NYC rap fell off a cliff after L died. You guys were too busy supporting wack rappers like Mase and Jay z and ignored the talented ones.

I love when outta towners play save a New York rapper to down New York.

Sounding like Big Gip

 

[Awesome Wells]

Mace was on mixtapes in the mid 90s and getting hella more buzz than Big L who sounded like Big Daddy Kane past his expiration date. He did not stand out to niqqas during that time….at all. Sounded like a Washington Square Park rapper who got a minor deal.

L's buzz was earlier than the mid-90's.

After "Represent" and "Yes You May" remix, he had a lot of hype in Harlem and The Bronx. Mase was still in high school when all of this was going on. He definitely stood out because he sounded like Finesse. I never heard anyone say he sounded like Kane. Ever. LOL!! His whole style was Finesse's back then. Then around '93, he would always be on Underground Railroad, Stretch and Bob, WNYU, and all the other college stations after he got signed, doing insane freestyles. He also had mad shows all over the city before and when the album dropped. The album just didn't do well, so he was low for a minute after that.

So for those of us who were into the underground sh*t and not really into radio, L was definitely a big deal. Which is why I said, his run was popping way more before people even knew Mase existed.

Excluding you, there's a lot of people who weren't even around back then, or even from NYC, who are always speaking on NYC in the 90's like they were there. Sh*t is wild.

 

[L. Deezy]

what year was this?


Remember 50 mentioned Mase on How to Rob? was this a known thing that Mase got robbed?

Since these Harlem World nikkas seem to all be fam
I put the gun to Cardan, tell him, "Tell your man"
Mason Betha, haha
Come up off that watch now, I mean right now