Big L

Big L – Casualties of a Dice Game

In the last post, I introduced what a multi is. Senim Silla of Binary Star is not even in the same dimension as Big L when it comes to multis. This man is one of the original and best multi users yet. Big L, one of hip-hops best rappers, had his life cut short at age 27 in 1999 when he left his apartment and was mistaken for his older and money-owing brother by two gang members. This was right around the time Nas and Jay-Z were coming up, and had he not been shot down I'm positive he'd have a place today among those names, maybe even better. He has the ability to use punchlines to perfection in rap, eliciting a grin from even the most tight-lipped hip hop head. His storytelling is amazing, with songs like "The Heist" and, today's song, "Casualties of a Dice Game".

The beat begins with an ominous tone from a sharp note, which continues throughout most of the song, keeping the listener on edge which perfectly sets the mood of this song. Big L spins a mind-blowing tale about a day in Harlem, where he sees a dice game and chooses to play because he has nothing better to do. "The game was mad packed, mad cats pockets was fat/ they playin cee-loo, my dick gets hard when I see dough/ I bets nothin less than a G, yo, you know my sty-lo", raps Big L over the beat. He then goes on to explain in detail the crazy events that transpired after he won big in the dice game. From suspicious people from the game following him, to his boy letting him down for a girl, to a car chase, and a shootout, he keeps the listener entertained the entire time while still managing to spit ridiculous lyrics and multis. "I started blowin, they started blowin back, I'm goin all out/ I ain't holdin back, I been to jail once and I ain't goin back". No chorus, no break, Big L just sits you down and tells a story.

-JR

Big L – Casualties of a Dice Game (sharebee)