N.O.R.E Tears Up While Remembering Big Pun

BYLavender AlexandriaPublished on June 15, 2023995 Views

Fotografiska & Mass Appeal Celebrate Opening Of 'Hip Hop: Conscious, Unconscious' In Collaboration With Chase Marriott Bonvoy Credit Cards And Sony Music Entertainment's Certified

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 25: N.O.R.E. attends Fotografiska & Mass Appeal Celebrate Opening Of 'Hip Hop: Conscious, Unconscious' In Collaboration with Chase Marriott Bonvoy Credit Cards and Sony Music Entertainment's Certified at Fotografiska New York on January 25, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for Fotografiska New York)

N.O.R.E. made a tearful appearance in a new documentary remembering Big Pun.

N.O.R.E is a rap legend in every way someone can be. His time as part of Capone-N-Noreaga and his work since is still massively influential to the genre. Despite his status, N.O.R.E never hesitates to give credit to other artists when they deserve it. A new Amazon mini-doc called Hip-Hop X Siempre seeks to explore the crossover between hip-hop and Latin culture. To tell the story they recruited influential figures from both worlds to discuss essential experiences they've had between the genres.

One of those figures involved is N.O.R.E himself. During one of the most memorable moments in the documentary he remembers his friend and frequent collaborator Big Pun. “Pun was probably the greatest person I ever met in life,” N.O.R.E begins. "Not greatest Puerto Rican the greatest person I ever met in life.” N.O.R.E also told stories of Pun's generosity. “I remember me and Pun both being platinum, and if he found out I was in the Bronx, he would buy me an Avirex and a PlayStation." He noted that Pun was still so giving despite their similar levels of success. "I was like, ‘Yo bro, I’m getting’ the same amount of money as you,’ but he always wanted to give.”

N.O.R.E's Emotional Recollection

Big Pun is a big focal point of the documentary. They also got collaborator Fat Joe to come on and discuss more of the musical elements of his impact. Meanwhile, Pun is far from the only rapper N.O.R.E has a lot of love for. Just last week a clip made the rounds of him meeting up with Nas backstage after a show in Paris. The two are clearly fond of each other and exchange a hug and a nice moment in the video.

After a recent performance at the Lovers & Friends Festival N.O.R.E hinted that he could be close to retiring from live performances altogether. At the end of his rare performance, he left fans wondering if they would ever get another shot to see him. What do you think of N.O.R.E's emotional memories of Big Pun? Let us know in the comment section below.

About The Author

Lavender Alexandria

Lavender Alexandria is a music and culture journalist based in Los Angeles, California. She’s covered dozens of musical genres and styles from the most mainstream to the most experimental and underground on her blog and accompanying YouTube channel that looks at music, pop culture, and Billboard charts since 2017: Lav’s Music Corner. Lavender has produced editorial and listicle content both in written and video form over the past far years and has also interviewed up-and-coming artists like Censored Dialogue. Her experiences covering culture have taken her from Hyperpop parties in LA to underground rap shows in Atlanta, to DIY punk shows in Charlotte. Lavender has also written for iHeartRadio, covering some of the biggest artists in Hip Hop such as Ice Spice, Drake, Doja Cat and Cardi B. She also has bylines with ScreenRant and continues to write for Ringtone magazine. Lavender is a lifelong Charlotte Hornets fan and her favorite rap artists include Clipping, Little Simz, Earl Sweatshirt, and Kendrick Lamar.