Flash back to 1995. Hip hop has become a coast dominated music where the "beef" between mainstream stars of New York and Los Angeles have dominated the casual hip hop fan's attention. But somewhere deeper, beyond the headlines, the underground scene is as vibrant as ever, and the genre is being powered by underground crews who don't have huge sales figures but have respect beyond any chart-topper's wildest dreams. Diggin' in the Crates, a New York collective, was just one crew that helped make this era the finest of hip hop history. Beginning with classic releases from Showbiz & AG, Diamond D, Lord Finesse, and OC, the group established themselves as creators of pure, musical, and lyrical hip hop that was too deep for the mainstream to appreciate.

In early 1995, a guy by the name of Lamont Coleman, who had already turned heads with some D.I.T.C. guest appearances, dropped his debut as Big L, "Lifestylez ov da Poor and Dangerous." Backed by some classic D.I.T.C. beats, Big L created one of the best battle-rap masterpieces in history, and sadly, it would not be fully appreciated until his murder in 1999. His name is often just thrown around in the group of "legendary dead rappers" like Pun, Pac, and Biggie, but it shouldn't be. His music isn't their brand of epic, dramatic hip hop, it's gritty battle rap. Big L is a lyrical wizard. His freestyle-brand raps utilize his peppy, staccato flow to philosophize on his hometown Harlem's street life, and everything he's witnessed firsthand. But he's not really a gangsta rapper; he spends most of his time bashing sucker MCs and using hilarious references to describe himself. He is a punchline master, and he quite honestly has about five lines on any given song that would be better than the best most rappers could muster in a career. The songs here are so good; he has a few posse cuts thrown in with emerging stars (see a young Jay-Z and Cam'Ron go at it on "Da Graveyard"), but mostly you get to see the clever genius of Big L. L is raw and realistic, and he always demands your full attention. The listener can always understand where he's coming from, and that among other factors is part of his charm. Production is outstanding and part of what comprises this album's greatness, courtesy of Buckwild, Showbiz, and Lord Finesse. The beats are bass-heavy and raw, but the subtle jazz samples give them a classy tastefulness that is D.I.T.C.'s trademark. If you've avoided "Lifestylez" to this point, do yourself a favor and pick it up, because you'll find it well worth the purchase.

The album opens with "Put It On," a Kid Capri-aided opener where the fellow legend acts as both DJ and hypeman. L's rhymes are goodnatured here, and he uses a lightning-quick delivery to make his performance memorable. The beat is totally on-point and it's a great piece of mid-90s classic hip hop. Then, over Lord Finesse's nice beat, which uses a sample that would soon be immortalized on Notorious B.I.G.'s "One More Chance (Remix)," Big L asserts that "If rap were a game, I'd be MVP, the most valuable poet on the M-I-C" with a wonderful performance. Other one-line gems here include "Brothas be mad, cause I hit more chicks than they spoke to" and "Every time I'm jammed, I always find a loophole / I've got a crime record longer than Manute Bol." He combats a trend of gold-digging females on his too-true "No Endz, No Skinz," which features more great production, and the posse cut "8 Iz Enuff" features verses from L and seven guests, a crew of then-unknown New York underground MCs. "All Black" is another head-nodder, featuring a particularly vicious L with some of his hardest threats ("I'll kill your mama with a shovel just like Norman Bates did"). This continues on "Danger Zone" ("There ain't no food in my fridge, just body parts"). "Street Struck" has a gorgeous beat, and L's rhymes have a great message. He talks about the dangers of urban temptations and how he's witnessed their negative effects. Then comes an awesome posse cut, "Da Graveyard," which has young Jay-Z and Cam'Ron, then undiscovered, trading verses. Who would have thought that 13 years later the two would be embattled in a vicious feud for king of New York? In any event, this song's awesome, and each verse is sick. He chronicles the rough-and-tumble Harlem lifestyle on the title track, and on "I Don't Understand It" he accurately reviews the shady ways of hip hop. He vents some more frustration on "Fed Up Wit da Bulls...," and the album closes with the energetic "Let 'Em Have It 'L'" ("I knocked out so many teeth, the tooth fairy went bankrupt").

"Lifestylez ov da Poor and Dangerous" is an East Coast classic that reigns among D.I.T.C.'s finest. If you think it's only so well-regarded because he died, well, it's not, it's really that good. I'm always a little saddened that this one is so much more recognized than D.I.T.C.'s other classics, and I know that had Big L not so tragically died at a young age that it would probably still be only revered in the underground. If you like this, consider Showbiz & AG's Runaway Slave, OC's Word...Life, Lord Finesse's The Awakening, Diamond D's Stunts, Blunts & Hip-Hop, and any of the other D.I.T.C. classics from this era. Although "Lifestylez..." is certainly among the best of the best, it is by no means their only piece of greatness. In any event, this album is a lyrical masterpiece with great production that showcases an MC who, sadly, only had the chance to show a glimpse of his genius. This is that one-of-a-kind LP. Get "Lifestylez..." and see some of New York hip hop at its best.