American rapper and convicted murderer.

Antron Singleton (born September 15, 1976), better known by his stage name Big Lurch, is an American former rapper and convicted murderer. He is serving a life sentence for murdering 21-year-old roommate Tynisha Ysais and eating parts of her body in April 2002.

During his music career, Singleton worked with such Bay Area rappers as Luni Coleone, Too Short, Mac Dre, RBL Posse, C-Bo, E-40, Keak Da Sneak, Yukmouth, E-A-Ski and New Orleans-based rapper Mystikal, TQ, DJ U-Neek, Texas' Lil Keke, and Big Bone. He was also a member of the group Cosmic Slop Shop along with fellow members Doonie Baby and Rick Rock.

Biography [ edit ]

Born in Dallas, Texas, Singleton grew up nearby in East Dallas, Texas.[citation needed]

Murder and lawsuit [ edit ]

On April 10, 2002, 26-year-old Singleton murdered Tynisha Ysais in her apartment in Los Angeles, California.[1][2]

The victim was found in her apartment by a friend. Her chest had been torn open and a three-inch blade was found broken off in her scapula. Teeth marks were found on her face and on her lungs, which had been torn from her chest. An eyewitness reported that, when Singleton was picked up by police, he was naked, covered in blood, standing in the middle of the street, and staring at the sky.[2] A medical examination performed shortly after his capture found human flesh in his stomach that was not his own. The victim's boyfriend said he and the aspiring rapper used PCP the day before the alleged murder took place.[2]

On November 7, 2003, Singleton was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.[1] He had been convicted of murder and aggravated mayhem the previous June after pleading not guilty by reason of insanity at the time of the murder. The defense argued that Singleton was in a psychotic state due to his use of PCP the night before the murder.[1] The court ruled that his intoxication and claimed insanity were not satisfactory reasons for committing the crime.[1] The district attorney argued that drug use can not be used as grounds for an insanity plea in California, and the judge agreed.[1]

Ysais' mother filed a wrongful death lawsuit in 2003 against Singleton, his bodyguard, Stress Free Records, Death Row Records, and Ysais' boyfriend.[3][4] The suit charged that the labels had provided Singleton with drugs "to encourage [him] to act out in an extreme violent manner so as to make him more marketable as a 'gangsta rap' artist."[5] "Part of what makes a Gangsta Rap artist marketable is the fact that the artist is a participant in violent activities," the lawsuit claimed.[5] Death Row claimed it had no connection to Singleton and was dropped from the lawsuit.[6][3]

Singleton was featured in the film Rhyme and Punishment, a 2011 documentary that chronicles hip-hop artists who have been incarcerated. In the film Lurch talks about his conviction and time in prison. In June 2013, Singleton was featured, alongside others who have used PCP, in a television show titled Drugs Made Me Do It.[citation needed]

Singleton is currently incarcerated at California State Prison, Sacramento, California.[7]

Discography [ edit ]

Studio album [ edit ]

It's All Bad [ edit ]

It's All Bad is the only studio album released by Big Lurch. It was released through Blackmarket Records & Stress Free Entertainment on June 8, 2004,[citation needed] just over four months after Big Lurch was sentenced to life in prison. The album was originally titled The Puppet Master but was changed to It's All Bad after Singleton was convicted. The somewhat controversial photo cover of the album was chosen by Cedric Singleton; Lurch had no control over the record after his incarceration. Features included Killa Tay, C-Bo, Lil Keke, Roger Troutman II, and Too $hort.

Track listing [ edit ]

Collaboration album [ edit ]

Da Family (with Cosmic Slop Shop) (1998)

Filmography [ edit ]