Big Punisher Biography

Big Punisher was the first solo Latino hip-hop act to go platinum, but the Puerto Rican rapper passed away in 2000 due to health problems and at just 28 was added to the already long list of deceased rappers who left the world of underground hip-hop way too early.Big Punisher (aka Big Pun), born Christopher Lee Rios in the Bronx neighborhood of New York, was raised by his mother and stepfather, breaking his leg at a municipal park as a child, an injury which resulted in an out of court settlement for roughly half a million dollars when Big Pun was 19. By this time Pun was married to wife Liza, whom he had met in eighth grade, he had just returned to the Bronx and was rapping under the alias Big Moon Dog with Triple Seis and Cuban Link (a.k.a. Lyrical Assassin). The trio formed the Full A Clips Crew with rapper Prospect and in 1995 a chance meeting with fellow Bronx native Fat Joe resulted in Pun laying down rhymes for "Watch Out," a track on Joe's Jealous One's Envy. Joe served as a catalyst for Pun to sign with Loud Records, the label that would allow the fledgling rapper to produce the hardcore hip-hop that he is known for today.Big Pun's debut, Capital Punishment, dropped in 1998 and the Puerto Rican MC became the first Latino solo rapper to have an album go platinum, thanks to the wildly successful single "Still Not a Player." Despite dropping out of high school at age 15, Pun became known for his complex wordplay and graceful delivery, which came as a surprise due to his size. Pun's weight would be his ultimate downfall; when tour promoters indulged the large rapper, who often turned to food to cope with his problems, Pun was eventually forced to check into a weight clinic in North Carolina. Although Pun lost over 80 pounds at the clinic, he quickly gained the weight back and passed away due to complications from a heart attack and respiratory failure in 2000. Big Pun is survived by his wife and children and his rapping remains his legacy.