Harlem’s very own Big L released a classic today in 1995 portraying the Lifestyles Ov Da Poor & Dangerous.

Aside from, eloquently stated by The Source Magazine at the time, “[coming] with ill animated lyrics, combined with metaphors that stun; a combo sure to have suckas on the run,” Big L also ushered in two emcees that are very prominent in the culture today: a then-unknown Killa Cam and a semi-established Jay Z. The track was “8 iz Enuff.”

According to funky technician Lord Finesse — who had a hand in some of the album’s production — in an interview commemorating the album’s 15-year anniversary he said this about the track: “With that [song] L just thought he had to do a track with the rappers from his hood. And he definitely wanted to put on [those particular emcees]… We looking like, ‘How you gonna put eight niggas on one track?’ [And he was like], ‘Don’t worry, I got this.’”

He definitely had it too.

Unfortunately, it would be the only album released by L in his lifetime as he was fatally shot in Harlem in 1999.

-Jamaal Fisher (@jamaalfisher)