Big Lurch: The Monster, The Music, The Mystery
When you mention Big Lurch in hip hop circles, the reaction is instant — shock, tragedy, and curiosity.
Big Lurch — born Antron Singleton — was a talented, towering rapper from Dallas, Texas. But in 2002, his life spiraled into one of the darkest and most disturbing stories in rap history. Under the influence of PCP, Lurch brutally murdered his roommate Tynisha Ysais in Los Angeles — an act so gruesome it sent shockwaves through hip hop, the media, and law enforcement.
The case made headlines because of reports that parts of the victim’s body were cannibalized — a result of Lurch being in a psychotic state, disconnected completely from reality.
“That wasn’t me. That was the devil in disguise… and the drugs opened the door.” — Big Lurch (from prison interview)
Before the tragedy, Big Lurch wasn’t known for horror — he was known for bars. As part of the group Cosmic Slop Shop alongside Doonie Baby and producer Rick Rock, Lurch was making serious noise in the late ’90s Bay Area scene.
Their 1999 album Da Family was raw, street, and experimental — with Lurch standing out for his menacing voice, rapid delivery, and unpredictable flows. Unknown Fact: Cosmic Slop Shop was on the verge of breaking nationally — with major labels circling — before internal issues and the streets pulled them apart.
Big Lurch eventually signed a solo deal with Blackmarket Records, a West Coast label known for gritty, hardcore rap. But while recording in LA, Lurch’s drug use escalated. Friends and collaborators later admitted he was using PCP regularly — a drug notorious for inducing paranoia, hallucinations, and violent behavior.
Producers said Lurch would rap for hours straight without stopping — eyes wide, voice monstrous, trapped in another zone. Unknown Detail: Some in the industry believed Lurch was being fed PCP to keep him aggressive in the studio — a chilling reflection of how artists can be exploited.
Raised in Dallas, Big Lurch was influenced by both Southern rap and hardcore West Coast lyricism.
He stood out early — not just because of his 6’6” frame — but for his vocabulary, dark creativity, and wild energy.
Unlike other Dallas rappers of the time, Lurch wasn’t focused on club music — he was a lyricist, a storyteller, a nightmare in audio form.
Big Lurch’s music posthumously gained cult status.
• It’s All Bad (2004) — his only solo album, released while he was already behind bars, showcased both his talent and his demons.
Rare tapes, freestyles, and early Cosmic Slop Shop tracks still float through the underground, with collectors and horrorcore fans treating them like lost artifacts.
Unknown Detail: Lurch wrote poetry and dark stories long before he rapped — his imagination was always twisted, even sober.
Producers said Lurch recorded like a man possessed.
• No pad. No pen.
• Pure energy.
• Sometimes growling between verses.
• Freestyling full songs in one
“Music was my therapy. But the drugs turned therapy into torture.” — Big Lurch
“Everybody wanna be hard… until they stuck in a cell with their own mind.”
→ Lesson: Protect your peace.
“Money, fame, none of that saves you from demons you feed.”
→ Lesson: Check your vices before they check you.
“You can’t outrun what you bring with you.”
→ Lesson: Inner battles travel wherever you go.
“Being different is powerful. But know what you’re tapping into.”
→ Lesson: Creativity without control is dangerous.
Big Lurch’s story is tragic — but layered.
He was a gifted Dallas-born lyricist.
A pioneer with Cosmic Slop Shop.
A lyrical monster ready to take over the game.
But drugs, mental health neglect, and street culture swallowed that promise whole.
Today, Big Lurch sits in prison — sentenced to life without parole — a chilling reminder of what happens when talent meets tragedy without guardrails.
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