Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous

Harlem rapper Big L might not be as widely known as contemporaries like Nas or Biggie, but those who do know him revere him on the same level. And the comparisons fit; his hardcore bonafides and bleak lyrical tendencies were complemented by a supernaturally limber flow and a knack for sounding at least marginally commercially friendly without compromising his essential style. The rapper’s 1999 murder left this solo debut album as the only definitive full-length released in his lifetime, but it’s more than enough to speak for his legacy beyond just mere what-if speculation. L’s presence on Lifestylez is a powerful triangulation of borderline-horrorcore rawness (“All Black”; “Danger Zone”), gripping street-rap narrative (tough and defiant on the title cut, sympathetic to the toll of it all on “Street Struck”), and punchlines that leave welts (opener “Put It On” being the showcase for an irreverent-humor streak that sticks with you through the whole LP). At the album’s best moments, he either leans directly into one of those modes and dares his peers and competitors to keep up — impressive enough on posse cuts that feature cusp-of-renown Jay-Z (“Da Graveyard”) and a young-and-hungry Cam’ron (“8 Iz Enuff”), and devastating when it’s just him barraging you with preposterous boasts and insult-comedy invective for three verses. The blistering horns and liquid-concrete basslines are courtesy of the DITC crew production braintrust— mostly provided by Buckwild, Lord Finesse, and Showbiz — and complement L’s vividly lurid and observant rhymes with cinema-soul beats that split the vibe between block party and morgue visit.