In Memory of a Bronx Legend: BIG PUN

In Memory of a Bronx Legend: BIG PUN Location: Bronx, New York City by Sal Rojas Photography

Birth name: Christopher Lee Rios
Origin: Bronx, New York City
Born: November 9, 1971
Died: February 7, 2000 (aged 28)


Through out the history of Latinos in recorded Hip-Hop, not many have been able to have a coast to coast or even an international impact on the culture. After the huge success of South Gate's Cypress Hill it seemed like Latinos in America had been permanently excluded from the rap mainstream world. Christopher "Big Punisher" Rios aka Big Pun arrived to change the face of the rap game. A Puerto Rican emcee from the boogie down Bronx in New York City. With simply amazing technique, lyricism, and versatility with a so called liquid fast flow. His full length debut "Capital Punishment" in 1998 was the first album by a solo Latino Rapper to go platinum and peak at #5 on the Billboard 200 charts and has gone on to sell over 5 million copies to date. The album was also nominated for a Grammy.

By 1998 Pun had made a formal partnership with Fat Joe, the two sizable Latino Rappers from the Bronx were already superstars when they came together as Terror Squad which also included fellow Bronx Rappers Cuban Link, Armageddon, Prospect, and Triple Seis, along with singer Tony Sunshine.

On February 7, of the year 2000, Big Pun suffered a fatal heart attack and respiratory failure at a hotel in White Plains, New York. Pun struggled with his weight for most of his life, but In the last years of his life he fluctuated between 450 and 698 pounds leading to his death at the age of 28.


DJ Johnny Juice on the Legacy of Big Pun

We recently had the chance to catch up with legendary Public Enemy DJ and Producer Johnny "Juice" Rosado, who had worked in the studio first hand with Big Pun and asked him to tell us a little bit about who and what Pun accomplishments mean to us as a community.

Written by Daniel for BrownPride.com

Big Pun's Solo albums

• 1998: Capital Punishment (5x Platinum)
• 2000: Yeeeah Baby (1x Platinum)
• 2001: Endangered Species