The Big Picture is the second studio album by American rapper Big L. The album was slated for a 1999 release, but due to Big L's murder, it was posthumously released on August 1, 2000, on Rawkus Records. It was incomplete at the time of Big L's death, and was posthumously completed by his manager and partner in Flamboyant Entertainment, Rich King. Recording sessions for the album took place primarily at D&D Studios in New York City, New York throughout 1998 and early 1999. It was produced by DJ Premier (who also executive produced the album), Ron Browz, Ron G, Lord Finesse, Pete Rock, Shomari, Mike Heron, Ysae, and Showbiz. The Big Picture features appearances from Fat Joe, Remy Ma, Guru, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane, 2Pac, Sadat X, and more. It was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in October 2000.[1]
| The Big Picture | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 1, 2000 | |||
| Recorded | 1996–1999 | |||
| Studio | D&D Studios (New York City, New York) | |||
| Genre | Hardcore hip hop | |||
| Length | 55:36 | |||
| Label |
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| Producer |
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| Big L chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The Big Picture | ||||
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It sold 72,549 copies in the first week.[2]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [3] |
| RapReviews | 8/10[4] |
| Rolling Stone |  [5] |
| The Source | [6] |
| Vibe | [7] |
The Big Picture has received critical acclaim. M.F. DiBella of Allmusic gave the album three out of five stars.[3] RapReviews' Steve Juon gave it eight out of ten stars.[4] Rolling Stone gave it three and a half stars out of five. Many[who?] say that it is one of the most underrated hip hop albums of all time.[5]
Content
editThe track "The Enemy", featuring fellow New York rapper Fat Joe, talks about the NYPD in a negative way, "criticizing its provoking and shady ways", according to April Park of the Riverfront Times.[8]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Big Picture" (Intro) | DJ Premier | 2:59 | |
| 2. | "Ebonics (Criminal Slang)" |
| Ron Browz | 3:21 |
| 3. | "Size ’Em Up" |
| Ron Browz | 3:55 |
| 4. | "Deadly Combination" (featuring 2Pac) |
| Ron G | 2:32 |
| 5. | "'98 Freestyle" | Coleman | Lord Finesse | 2:09 |
| 6. | "Holdin' It Down" (featuring A.G., Miss Jones & Stan Spit) |
| Pete Rock | 4:39 |
| 7. | "The Heist" |
| Ron Browz | 3:02 |
| 8. | "The Enemy" (featuring Fat Joe) |
| DJ Premier | 2:48 |
| 9. | "Fall Back" (featuring Kool G Rap) |
| Shomari | 2:49 |
| 10. | "Flamboyant" |
| Mike Heron | 3:07 |
| 11. | "Casualties of a Dice Game" |
| Ron Browz | 3:18 |
| 12. | "Platinum Plus" (featuring Big Daddy Kane) |
| DJ Premier | 3:37 |
| 13. | "Who You Slidin' Wit" (featuring Stan Spit) |
| Pete Rock | 4:13 |
| 14. | "Games" (featuring Guru & Sadat X) |
| Ysae | 4:32 |
| 15. | "The Heist Revisited" |
| Lord Finesse | 3:01 |
| 16. | "The Triboro" (featuring Fat Joe, O.C. & Remy Ma) |
| Showbiz | 5:29 |
Personnel
editCredits for The Big Picture adapted from Allmusic.[10]
- Louis Alfred III — mixing
- Big Daddy Kane — performer
- Big L — executive producer, performer
- Bob Brown — engineer
- Ron Browz — producer
- Rob Dinero — composer, engineer
- DJ Premier — executive producer, producer
- Fat Joe — performer
- 2Pac - performer, writer
- Mike Heron — executive producer, producer
- Kool G Rap — performer
- Lord Finesse — executive producer, mixing, producer
- Eric Lynch — engineer
- Miss Jones — performer
- Pete Rock — producer
- Sadat X — performer
- Shomari — producer
- Duncan Stanbury — mastering
- Max Vargas — engineer
- Carlisle Young — mixing
- YSAE — producer
Charts
editWeekly charts
edit| Chart (2000) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums (The Official Charts Company)[11] | 122 |
| US Billboard 200[12] | 13 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[13] | 2 |
Year-end chart
edit| Chart (2000) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[14] | 89 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[15] | Gold | 500,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Release history
edit| Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | August 1, 2000 | Rawkus | CD | 26136 |
| Cassette tape | ||||
| LP |
References
edit- ^ "American album certifications – Big L – The Big Picture". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved April 25, 2011.
- ^ Berry, Jahna (August 11, 2000). "Street Buzz, Duets Fuel Sales of Big L's The Big Picture". Vh1. MTV Networks. Archived from the original on October 12, 2011. Retrieved October 30, 2011.
- ^ a b DiBella, M.F. "Review: The Big Picture - Big L". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved April 28, 2011.
- ^ a b Juon, Steve (August 7, 2000). "Feature for August 6th, 2000 - Big L's "The Big Picture"". RapReviews. Retrieved April 28, 2011.
- ^ a b "Big L: The Big Picture: Music Reviews". Rolling Stone. RealNetworks. August 22, 2000. Archived from the original on May 14, 2008. Retrieved August 27, 2011.
- ^ Bonanno, Jonathan "Gotti" (October 2000). "Record Report: Big L – The Big Picture". The Source. No. 133. New York. p. 241.
- ^ Callahan-Bever, Noah (October 2000). "Revolutions: Big L – The Big Picture". Vibe. p. 175. Archived from the original on January 3, 2014.
- ^ Park, April (September 13, 2000). "Big L: The Big Picture (Rawkus/Flamboyant)". Riverfront Times. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
- ^ "The Big Picture - Big L". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved April 25, 2011.
- ^ Credits: The Big Picture at AllMusic. Retrieved April 25, 2011.
- ^ "Chart Log UK: Darren B – David Byrne". MusicWeek & UKChartPlus. Zobbel.de. Retrieved December 4, 2011.
- ^ "Big L Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
- ^ "Big L Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
- ^ "2000 Year-End Charts – Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
- ^ "American album certifications – Big L – The Big Picture". Recording Industry Association of America.