One of the pioneers in Alabama’s hip-hop scene will be missed dearly in the South. The Last Mr. Bigg wasn’t at the top of food chain in the rap game. However, the underground scene and fans of southern hip-hop remember him well. On Wednesday morning (Apr. 28), a close friend of the Mobile rapper confirmed that he had passed away. He was only in his early 40s. Find out what happened to the emcee after the jump.
Last Mr. Bigg was a star in Alabama. Aspiring emcees in the South revered him for his work in the late ’90s and has been heralded as one of the most influential rappers to ever come out of his hometown of Mobile. In 2000, Bigg released his debut album Only If U Knew and followed up with The Mask Is Off in 2003. Both albums were released under his indie label Warlock Records.
Jeff Childress, longtime publisher of Southeastern rap magazine Real Talk Urban, told AL.com that Bigg’s legacy had an impact on the industry. “I knew he had made it big when I went to Cincinnati and they were playing his music on the radio and in the clubs,” he said, speaking of a trip in 2002 or 2003. “He was a big supporter of the local scene, he made it big, but he always gave back to the local community.”
In 2006, Last Mr. Bigg was featured on Three 6 Mafia’s “Poppin’ My Collar.” Even though he didn’t achieve any more commercial success afterwards, Bigg pushed forward and was eventually featured in the documentary Number One with a Bullet, which focuses on the relationship between rap and gun violence. Other members of the hip=hop community have expressed their condolences to the late rapper. Fellow Mobile native Rich Boy shouted out Bigg on Twitter soon after his death.
R.I.P to The Last Bigg …. The FIRST Artist I heard people bumping in the Streets where I'm from ….. ALABAMA… http://t.co/6Tp5hrDovl
— Rich BOY (@_Richboy) April 30, 2015
Listen to The Last Mr. Bigg’s single “Trial Time” below #RIP
