Growing up in a violent area of Harlem, BIG L was surrounded by guns, gangs and violence. A lot of young men in his neighbourhood used the street corners to sell drugs, he used them to sharpen his freestyle skills by challenging others to rap battles. His talent and boldness would lead to him to be taken in by some of the most exciting underground rap artists in New York and eventually he would sign with Columbia Records, only to drop them after his first album release.