Credit: Mikamote

Nas is one of the greatest MCs of all time and would likely destroy the majority of artists if they dared to rap battle with him. He’s responsible for classic albums like Illmatic and It Was Written, and has cemented himself as a hip-hop great. Despite all of his skills and accolades, there was one rapper he feared more than anyone else.

New York is a place where many of the genre’s biggest rappers come from. We’re talking Jay-Z, Biggie Smalls, DMX, LL Cool J, Rakim, Big Daddy Kane — the list goes on. However, it was a rapper from Harlem that impressed Nas the most.

Big L only lived until the age of 24, meaning the world potentially missed out on the most prominent years of his career. Still, in a short amount of time, he took hip-hop by storm. He released his debut album Lifestylez ov da Poor and Dangerous in March 1995, featuring classic songs like ‘Put It On’ and ‘MVP’. His venomous flow over a tight-knit crew of producers, Buckwild, Lord Finesse, Showbiz, and Craig Boogie, allowed him to shine.

During an interview with Funkmaster Flex on Hot 97, Nas once revealed that he doubted his position in the hip-hop industry with Big L around. “He scared me to death,” he said. “When I heard that on tape, I was scared to death. I said, ‘Yo, there’s no way I can compete, if this is what I gotta compete with.’ I said, ‘There’s no way.'”

Both Nas and Big L were signed to Columbia Records. The latter’s posthumous album, The Big Picture, was released on Rawkus Records in 2000 after previously being set to arrive in 1999. It was unfinished at the time of his death and completed by his manager, Rich King. It featured everyone from Fat Joe to Guru to Tupac Shakur.

Years after making his bold statement about Big L, Nas stood by his comments. “Big L was always ahead of his time,” he told Rolling Stone. “There’s some quotes out there from me about Big L, like how terrifyingly good that he was that made me have to step up my game. We were both signed to Columbia Records and I think the world never got a chance to get Big L the way they wanted him.”

As a result of his admiration, the Queensbridge native is releasing a Big L posthumous album on his own label, Mass Appeal Records. “It’s a blessing to have this celebration of him, and it’s a reminder that there’s different variants of hip hop and they’re all dope, but when it comes to lyricists, Big L’s the standard,” he said. “A lot of people are safe out there and rap because Big L’s not no longer around.

Harlem’s Finest: Rise of the Forgotten King, out on October 31st, 2025, will be his first posthumous album in 14 years — all because of Nas’ respect for the late rapper. “This album will remind you that it’s not about hype, it’s about art,” he declared. “And that’s what Big L’s doing with this album, reminding the world, reminding New York, that even though there’s different styles that you should do and play with, which are very dope, never forget what this shit comes from.”