In honor of what would have Big L’s 40th birthday, Complex presents a newly discovered clip of Big L and Big Pun freestyling in 1998, along with some studio footage of Big L and Ron Browz in the studio in the second clip. Both clips are provided by Jewlz of Danger Zone Filmz, the mastermind behind the upcoming documentary, Street Struck: The Big L Story, which has been in production since 2009. You can see the trailer for that down bottom.

The Corleone classic gets a Buckwild remix, from the upcoming D.I.T.C. The Remix Project LP, which is in stores today. Sidenote, this would have been good for Buck’s Wildest Beats….

ForDaFresh Films presents: “Big L – Now or Never“. The video features rare live footage as well as rare & never before seen photos of the late, great Big L. “Big L rest in peace!”

Here’s a recently unearthed Big L interview from around the time Lifestyles and The Poor and Dangerous was released, while touring with Biggie, Craig Mack, and Puff.

We gave your the Top DJ Mag report & interview with Big L & O.C. a couple of weeks ago, now here’s a 3 part rough unedited recording of their Zagreb show back in 1998.Bonus: Das EFX live in club Aquarius, Zagreb, back in 1998 & their interview with Phat Phillie.

Gunfire cut the lives of too many talented emcees short. 2Pac, Notorious BIG and Scott LaRock instantly come to mind. Typically lost in the shuffle of the deceased is Big L. At 24, Lamont Coleman’s life was stopped in a barrage of gun fire. Many believe he was on the verge of greatness. With just two solo releases (1995’s Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous and 2000’s The Big Picture) fans are left with a lot of “what ifs?” and outtakes of unreleased songs to keep the legacy alive.

Enter the late 2010 posthumous release Return of the Devil’s Son. Though the bulk of the material are freestyles and verses previously heard, there’s something for everyone, from the biggest Big L fan to those hearing the New York spitter for the first time. The album’s intro, “Return of the Devil’s Son” finds L going hard in a live performance. It serves as a fitting introduction and shows off the genius that was Big L: witty and gritty punch lines delivered in a way that won’t frighten the masses (and spitting a rhyme about dropping a hair dryer in the bathtub and offing your mom will certainly raise an eye brow).

At a robust 21 tracks, “Return” shines in two key areas: the outtakes and the actual songs. Some of the shorter, one verse tracks like “Slaying the Mic” and “Tony’s Touch” standout. The tracks that sound like actual songs give the best glimpse of what L might have become had his life not been cut short. “Power Moves” and the Royal Flush and Kool G Rap assisted “Right to the Top” could occupy a slot on any 2010 or 2011 mix tape or album and hold their own.

It’s hard to get excited about rehashed vocals and tracks we’ve heard before. Return of the Devil’s Son ultimately succeeds due to nostalgia purposes and—after all these years—the rhymes are still damn good. Still, many of the freestyles just whet our appetites for a Big L album we’ll never get to hear.

Big L’s second posthumous LP “Return Of The Devils Son” is now available in all stores and digital retailers.

Also, check out Village Voice’s (big shout out to Phil Mlynar) recent feature on Big L: http://www.villagevoice.com/2010-11-17/music/big-l-s-unfinished-business/

Big L – “Unexpected Flava” (produced by Large Professor) (MP3)

Here we have the first cut from Big L’s second forthcoming posthumous LP “Return Of The Devils Son” which will be released on 11-23-2010. Check out the press release followed by the download link below.

This Tuesday, ten years after his sophomore album, The Big Picture, went gold, and twelve years since his unsolved murder in a Harlem studio, the family of one of hip-hop’s all-time greatest lyricists, Big L, will release Return of the Devil’s Son. The album includes 21 so-far unreleased songs from “that nigga you’d expect to catch wreck on any cassette deck, I’m so ahead of my time my parents haven’t met yet.” L never had a hit, or the kind of lasting legacy that comes from rap martyrdom. What he had was skills: battle proven punchlines your opponent doesn’t come up from, seen-it-all swagger and the kind of comic relief reserved for good slasher flicks—you only laugh to keep from shitting yourself. Check out this re-up of “Danger Zone” from L’s classic, Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous.

Big L- “Zone Of Danger” (produced by J-Love)(MP3)

SMC Recordings, along with Distrolord Inc, is set for a huge release from New York rapper Big L, close to 12 years after his death. Since his passing, albums have been released under the guise of the Big L imprint, but none except his sophomore release was official. Ten years later, Big L fans will be able to enjoy all unreleased material with his newest album Return of the Devil’s Son and know that this is an official project backed by his family.

“This album is supported 100% by the Big L family.” Said Big L’s older brother Donald Phinazee “I’ve been talking about this album for the last six years and it means everything to me. This is an original Big L album and I’m excited to put my brother out.”

Lamont Coleman aka Big L, a witty and lyrical Harlem rapper, was buzzing in the underground hip-hop scene in the early 90’s; running with the likes of Cam’Ron and Mase, who shot to stardom during this time. His Columbia Records debut in 1995 was mildly successful commercially but vastly influential artistically. Then in 1999 when he was just 24, Big L was tragically killed and the case still remains unsolved. Around this time, an independently released single was getting spins on local radio and in 2000 his posthumous second album (“The Big Picture”) was received by acclaim and phenomenal sales.

Return of the Devil’s Son has 21 unreleased songs, including “Right To The Top” featuring Royal Flush and Kool G Rap.

“This album will show where he should have been and where he was about to go. It’s going on 12-years since he’s been gone. He would have been that one; this project will show where he should have been at,” said Donald Phinazee.

Return of the Devil’s Son on Distrolord/SMC Recordings will be available online and in stores November 23, 2010.

Tracklist:
1.) “Return Of The Devils Son” (produced by Showbiz)
2.) “Devil’s Son (produced by Showbiz)
3.) “Zone Of Danger” (produced by J-Love)
4.) “Sandman 118”
5.) “School Days”
6.) “Principle Of The New School” (produced by Showbiz)
7.) “Unexpected Flava” (produced by Lord Finesse)
8.) “Tony’s Touch”
9.) “Right To The Top” f/Royal Flush & Kool G Rap (produced by Domingo)
10.) “Once Again” (produced by J-Love)
11.) “Harlem World Universal”
12.) “I Won’t”
13.) “Hard To Kill”
14.) “Power Moves”
15.) “If You Not Aware”
16.) “I Should Have Used A Rubber”
17.) “Doo Wop #5”
18.) “Yes You Can”
19.) “Audition”
20.) “MC’s What’s Going On” (produced by Showbiz)
21.) “Slaying The Mic”

Preem did a two-hour Big L tribute set on Toca Tuesdays this week, in honor of the 10th anniversary of the rapper’s death. Big up to the unofficial DJ Premier blog for spotting this.

DJ Premier “Big L Tribute Mix” (MP3)

A year and a half has passed since his death, and Rawkus has taken up the task of sewing together what unreleased and obscure material that L had, and turning it into a full-length project. Naturally, his recent singles appear, such as the dictionary of slang, “Ebonics”, plus its follow-up “Size Em Up”, both of which display L’s cleverness and gangsta wit. The previously released “The Heist”, along with new selections like “Casualties Of A Dice Game”, displays his other talent - vivid, picture-painting narratives.

But showcasing Big L’s life after death isn’t an easy task. Obviously, the project coordinators did not have a lot to work with here and at times, it shows. “The Heist” actually makes two appearances on the album, once in original form, and once again as “The Heist Revisited”, with simply a different beat behind it. D.I.T.C.’s “The Enemy” is also included, marking its fourth time being released, and as blazing as it was, it’s been heard too many times before. Another problem that hurts this album is the long list of guest appearances. It’s obvious why they were needed, but when people like 2Pac, Miss Jones, and Stan Spit (?) start showing up on the album, the question arises - would they have been on the album if L was still with us? Granted, collaborations with Sadat X and Guru  (“Games”), and Big Daddy Kane “Platinum Plus” seem pretty natural, but after a while you forget that you are listening to a Big L album.

Like recent releases from Biggie and ‘Pac, L’s legacy is represented here, but only to a certain extent - because we all know that only Big L held the true vision what his album should have sounded like. We can’t be mad at anyone for putting in the time to make this project a reality. It’s appreciated, and it’s good that we have it ? but it’s sad that we have to have it under these circumstances.