Big Pun, a.k.a. Christopher Lee Rios, passed away of a heart attack at age 28, leaving behind three children and a legacy as a prolific MC and a torch-bearer for Latinos in the rap community.
The Bronx rapper got his start in 1989, but didn't appear on many records until Fat Joe's Jealous One's Envy in 1995. His flow was top-tier in a time when hip hop was lyrically genius, and Pun held his own alongside Big L, Notorious B.I.G., Tupac, and the other greats from the era.
During his career, Big Pun released two albums: 1998's Capital Punishment and 2000's Yeeeah Baby, which came out just a couple months after his death. With a variety of features on other records, there are a solid amount of verses from Pun, but ultimately his time was cut short. Today we throw it back to some of Big Pun's gems.
Big Pun - I'm Not A Player
Pun's first single birthed a classic line, "I ain't a player, I just fuck a lot." It's something that's been repeated time and time again, which is somewhat of a testament to Pun's influence.
Big Pun ft N.O.R.E. - You Came Up
Capital Punishment featured an insane 24 tracks, and one of the stand-outs was the N.O.R.E.-assisted "You Came Up." Over a raunchy Rockwilder beat, Pun absolutely bodies his verses.
"Tres Leches" is an underground classic. While the track never got mainstream notoriety, it was definitely one of the hardest cuts off the debut record. With Inspectah Deck, Prodigy, and RZA all contributing to the song, it's also a track that spans across multiple NYC boroughs.
Big Pun ft Donell Jones - It's So Hard
The video for "It's So Hard" was made in New York City with cameos from the likes of Fat Joe, J. Lo, his wife and three children.
The Beatnuts ft Big Pun and Cuban Link - Off The Books
One of Puns first big tracks was on The Beatnuts 1997 single "Off The Books."
Big Pun ft Tony Sunshine - 100%
With a worldly sound, this one will fit in on a tropical playlist if positioned properly.
Big Pun ft Ashanti - How We Roll
Off the posthumous Endangered Species, "How We Roll" features hit-maker Ashanti alongside our subject. The virtual reality video helped to commemorate the fallen MC.
Big Pun - You Ain't A Killer
If you've ever seen Pun classified as "horrorcore," it's for tracks like this one:
"I'll take you straight to hell and fill your heart with hate
Incarcerate your fate in Satan's fiery lake then I lock the gate
Make no mistake this shit as real as Joe, we follow the killer's code
When we come for you tell me, where will you go
Nowhere to run, hide, I'll find you and and silence your screams
And even if you kill me I'll still be in your fucking dreams"
Big Pun ft Fat Joe - Twinz (Deep Cover '98)
Big Pun and Fat Joe connected over a Dr. Dre beat for Pun's debut Capital Punishment. The result is nothing less than what you'd want from the three parties.
Truck ft Big Pun, Kool G Rap and KRS-One - Symphony 2000
You can't leave a posse cut like this one off the list. Pun, Kool G Rap, KRS-One, and Truck Turner absolutely annihilate this track.
