TheHipHopSyko

Originally released in 1997 as the B-side to D.I.T.C’s “Internationally Known” single, “The Enemy” was later released on the group’s self-titled debut album and again on Big L’s posthumous album The Big Picture, both released in 2000. Big L and Fat Joe talk about racial profiling, specifically police misconduct toward minorities.

Big L said of this song:

We was in the studio one day, you know? Recording a album, and Premier, you know what I’m sayin'. Just walked in and he had a track, you know? It was coincidental, you know? And he played it and we just laid it down right there, you know? We just laid it down. You know? I had a rhyme, Joe had a rhyme, we thought of a chorus, Premier had the beat. Right on time, you know. It was right on time.

Fat Joe talked about the track during an interview with Complex:

That’s one of my proudest songs ever. Big L was like my little brother. He was a member of the Diggin’ In The Crates crew. He was our baby brother. Finesse brought him in. Me and Big L spent a lot of time together, telling jokes, a lot of chilling. I used to mentor him.

Every time you’re rapping with somebody, it’s like a competition, but it goes without being said. No one ever really [makes it known]. But Big L was the first rapper [to challenge me on a song].

I had just went Gold on Don Cartagena, and he was like, ‘I need you on my record, and I want you to know, I’m gonna rip you down, and take all your fans.’ No one ever put pressure on me like that on a song! I’m like, ‘What, L?’ He said, ‘I’m gonna take all your fuckin’ fans. You went Gold. I need them niggas.’ I put my heart and my best effort into that song. I tried my hardest, because Big L was basically like, ‘I’m gonna destroy you on this record.’