Big Pun (November 9, 1971 – February 7, 2000)

Today, the greatest Latin rapper of all-time AKA Big Pun would've turned 38. Tragically, 9 years ago Christopher Rios died at the tender young age of 28 in White Plains, NY at a Crowne Plaza Hotel due to a heart attack.

Pun, who rose above a childhood and background filled with pain and extreme poverty in the Bronx would go on to join another Latino force within Hip-Hop, Fat Joe, to pursue a career in Rap. The fellow Bronx bred Puerto Rican signed Pun and allowed him to appear on his sophomore album "Jealous Ones Envy", literally only a few days after meeting him. Pun's unmistakable flow that was heavily influenced by the likes of Kool G Rap, garnered him praise from every Hip-Hop publication known and was his primary tool in mesmerizing his audience. Equipped with razor sharp lines and a highly intelligent vocabulary, he stood alone as thee bar for Latino MC's to meet.

Before signing with Fat Joe, Pun went by the name Big Moon Dawg and was apart of the Full-A-Klips Crew that included a friend that he met on the basketball courts (a frequent hangout of the young Pun) Triple Seis as well as Cuban Link. Pun and Joe would eventually merge their respective crews to form the Terror Squad.

All together the Punisher would release two studio albums, one group album and a compilation LP, which today have combined to go well over 10 X's Platinum all together.

In death Pun left behind a wife and three children...

-BIG D O