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His debut studio album, ''[[Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous]]'', was released in March 1995. The album debuted at number 149 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]]<ref>{{Cite journal | url=http://books.google.com/books?id=7wsEAAAAMBAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false | title=Billboard 200 | journal=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] | publisher=[[Nielsen Business Media]] | issn=0006-2510 | volume=107 | issue=15 | page=78 | date=April 15, 1995 }}</ref> and number 22 on [[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums]].<ref>{{Cite journal | url=http://books.google.com/books?id=7wsEAAAAMBAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false | title=Billboard Top R&B Albums | journal=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] | publisher=[[Nielsen Business Media]] | issn=0006-2510 | volume=107 | issue=15 | page=22 | date=April 15, 1995 }}</ref> ''Lifestylez'' would go on to sell over 200,000 copies as of 2000.<ref name="vh1-street buzz" /> Three singles were released from the album; the first two, "[[Put It On]]" and "[[M.V.P. (song)|M.V.P.]]", reached the top twenty-five of ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]''{{'}}s [[Hot Rap Tracks]] and the third "[[No Endz, No Skinz]]" did not chart.<ref>{{Cite web | last=Krishnamurthy | first=Sowmya | title=Hip-Hop Remembers Big L on the Anniversary of His Death | url=http://rapfix.mtv.com/2012/02/15/big-l-anniversary-hip-hop-remembers/ | work=''[[MTV.com]]'' | publisher=[[MTV Networks]] | date=February 15, 2012 | accessdate=February 19, 2012}}</ref><ref name="Allmusic singles">[http://www.allmusic.com/artist/big-l-p144340/charts-awards/billboard-singles Big L > Charts & Awards > ''Billboard'' Singles]. Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved September 10, 2011.</ref> Even though the album received a three-star rating from [[Allmusic]], it was an AMG Album Pick.<ref name="Lifestylez Review">{{cite web | url=http://allmusic.com/album/lifestylez-ov-da-poor-and-dangerous-r217577/review | title=''Lifestylez ov da Poor and Dangerous'' – Big L > Review | last=DiBella | first=M.F | work=[[Allmusic]] | publisher=[[Rovi Corporation]] | accessdate=October 31, 2011}}</ref>
Sometime in 1996, Coleman was dropped from Columbia mainly because of the dispute between Coleman's rapping style and the production from Columbia.<ref name="Picture Review">{{cite web | url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-big-picture-r489942/review | title=''The Big Picture'' – Big L > Review | last=DiBella | first=M.F | work=[[Allmusic]] | publisher=[[Rovi Corporation]] | accessdate=October 31, 2011}}</ref> He stated "I was there with a bunch of strangers that didn't really know my music."<ref name="crate">{{Cite journal | last=Lewis | first=Mike | year=1998 | title=The Crate & The Good | journal=[[Hip Hop Connection]] | issn=1465-4407}}</ref> In 1997, he started working on his second studio album, ''[[The Big Picture (Big L album)|The Big Picture]]''.<ref name="allhiphop10">{{Cite web | last=Salaam | first=Ismael | date=February 15, 2009 | url=http://allhiphop.com/2009/02/15/rapper-big-l-remembered-10-years-later/ | title=Rapper Big L Remembered 10 Years Later | work=''[[AllHipHop.com]]'' | accessdate=February 11, 2012}}</ref> COC folded when Bloodshed died in a car accident on March 2, 1997.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.hot97.com/Channels/newonhot/Story.aspx?id=1390667 | title=About Cam'ron: | publisher=Hot 97FM | accessdate=August 3, 2012}}</ref> DITC appeared in a July issue ''On The Go Magazine''.<ref name="timeline" /> Coleman appeared on [[O.C. (rapper)|O.C.]]'s single "Dangerous" for O.C.'s second album ''[[Jewelz]]''.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.allmusic.com/song/dangerous-t1633810 | title=Dangerous: O.C. | work=[[Allmusic]] | publisher=[[Rovi Corporation]] | accessdate=November 9, 2011}}</ref> In November, he was the opening act for O.C.'s European Jewlez Tour.<ref name="timeline" /> Sometime in 1998, Coleman formed his own [[independent label]], Flamboyant Entertainment.<ref name="riverfront">{{Cite news | last=Park | first=April | date=September 13, 2000 | url=http://www.riverfronttimes.com/2000-09-13/music/big-l/ | title=Big L: ''The Big Picture'' (Rawkus/Flamboyant) | newspaper=[[Riverfront Times]] | accessdate=February 5, 2012}}</ref> According to the ''[[The Village Voice]]'', it was "planned to distribute the kind of hip-hop that sold without top 40 samples or r&b hooks."<ref name="Jasper1999-2">[[#Jasper1999|Jasper]] (1999), p. 2</ref> He released the single "Ebonics" in 1998.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.vh1.com/news/articles/1122625/20000731/index.jhtml | last=Berry | first=Jahna | date=July 31, 2000 | archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/65GPAIxLd | archivedate=February 6, 2012 | title=Big L's Second Album Due, More Than A Year After His Death | work=[[Vh1]] | publisher=[[Viacom]]}}</ref> The song was based on "[[African American Vernacular English|Ebonics]]", and ''The Source'' called it one of the top five independent singles of the year.<ref name="Rawkus Bio" /> DITC released their first single, "Dignified Soldiers", that year.<ref name="allmusic" />
Coleman caught the eye of [[Damon Dash]], the CEO of [[Roc-A-Fella Records]], after the release of "Ebonics". Dash wanted to sign Lamont to Roc-A-Fella, but Coleman wanted his crew to sign<ref name="Don Tube Interview" /><ref name="Hess2010-41">[[#Hess2010|Hess]] (2010), p. 41</ref> On February 8, 1999, Coleman, [[McGruff (rapper)|Herb McGruff]], C-Town, and Jay-Z started the process to sign with [[Roc-A-Fella Records]] as a group called "The Wolfpack".<ref name="timeline" /><ref name="McGruff Video Interview">{{Cite interview | subject=Herb McGruff | subjectlink=McGruff (rapper) | interviewer=Mikey T | date=July 25, 2010 | title=Herb McGruff Jay Z & Big L Deal | url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6F0-i6sBAY&feature=fvwrel | work=''[[YouTube]]''}}</ref>
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