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Immortalized by his memorable “Dead in the middle of Little Italy. Little did we know that we riddled to middlemen who didn’t do diddly” rhyme on the 1998 track Twinz with mentor Fat Joe. Big Punisher meant so much more to so many.
Christopher Lee Rios was a son, a brother, husband, and father, and among many other accomplishments during his short-lived career, the first solo hip hop artist of Latin origin to go Platinum.
Gaining well-deserved praise and renown for his technically sound and multi-syllable rhyming style, one listens to any of Pun’s records and you can’t help but come away impressed by the raw skill on display. Breath control, mind-blowing tongue twisters, punctuated delivery, it was all within his larger-than-life repertoire.
This is a glimpse into the life and career of one of the most universally respected and revered MCs of all time.
Big Pun Quick Facts
- Full Name: Christopher Lee Rios
- Birth Date: November 10, 1971
- Birth Place: Bronx, NY
- Nationality: American
- Zodiac Sign: Scorpio
- Siblings: Nicole Rodriguez (Sister), Christine Rios (Sister), Nyree Rios (Sister), Piña Rios (Sister), Vincent (Half Brother)
- Partner / Spouse: Liza Rios
- Children: Christopher Rios Jr., Nicole Rios, Vanessa Rios
- Awards: 1999 Grammy Award Nomination for Best Rap Album
- Last Updated: 5/16/2022
The Early Years
Similar to other youth that came of age in the South Bronx during the late 1970s, Chris Rios’ childhood was less than ideal. Surrounded by thugs, drugs, drug paraphernalia, and debilitating poverty.
The Longwood neighborhood where he grew up and which was later named a street in his honor, was once part of New York’s 16th congressional district, the poorest district in the entire country.
With few role models after the untimely death of his father and even fewer opportunities to better his situation abounding, Rios turned to the streets to earn some coin and make a way out for himself. His unstable home life and mother’s drug abuse led to the gifted but troubled youngster dropping out of high school and leaving home altogether at the tender age of 15.
The South Bronx Births One of The Nicest
It was in the same streets where the hip-hop culture that would go on to leave an indelible mark on the world was created, that a young man would also begin to make his.
According to family members, Chris was an avid reader and was “always a fan of R&B” before hip hop caught his ear. Once it did, there was simply no turning back and he began to experiment with penning his lyrics, even going so far as to study encyclopedias and newspapers to expand his vocabulary.
But just as an adolescent Chris Rios dreamed about becoming one of the nicest rappers to ever bless a mic, he would also go through the most difficult and trying time of his life. Becoming homeless on and off as hustling wasn’t exactly making ends meet, the stress of which directly led to his early weight gain. An issue he would struggle with for the remainder of his life.
Love & Hip Hop
Amidst all the pain and struggle, there was also young love. As Chris married his high school sweetheart Liza and the couple had their first of three children in February of 1990. Now a father as well as a husband, Chris needed an outlet and fast.
For this, he turned to his new love – hip hop. Chris dedicated himself to honing his craft and started entering local freestyle competitions in and around the Bronx to test his new-fangled skills, which we’re quickly leaving an impression on anyone who heard him rap.
Big Moon Dawg
It was around this time in the early 90s that Rios adopted the stage name Big Moon Dawg and proceeded to form the independent rap group Full-A-Clips with friends from his South Bronx neighborhood. One of these friends going by the stage name Lyrical Assassin at the time will be better known to some as Cuban Link. The artist of Cuban descent would be associated with Rios for the rest of his career.
Word on the street is that Big Moon recorded more than a few tracks with his upstart group, the contents of which have never been released to date. What we do know is that Rios’ burgeoning lyrical prowess and exemplary breath control made him instantly stand out from his crewmates.
This gave Chris confidence and planted the seed that perhaps he could make rapping his full-time career after all.
Professional Career
The onset of Pun’s rise to superstardom can be directly traced back to the fateful day Terror Squad Productions founder Fat Joe met Chris Rios outside a bodega in 1995. As recanted to XXL Magazine:
“I’m looking at him like what is this fat Puerto Rican cat gonna rap about? It wasn’t the Pun you all know now, it was the Pun with a pack of cigarettes rolled up in a muscle shirt or something, there was some string tied on his head or some shit, but then he starts rapping.
Rhyming like the Pun we know and at one point he says at a slowed down pace: Snatch the moon out of the sky (grasping the air with his left hand) and blow the sun away (blowing motion with his mouth up to his right hand), before launching into a barrage of entendres and double and triple rhyme schemes”.
Fat Joe knew he had struck gold and immediately put him in his car and drove him to the studio, where he began writing guest verses that would go on to appear on Joseph Cartagena’s second album, Jealous One’s Envy.
Beware of Big Punisher
Fast forward nearly two years to 1997 and Rios is now recording tracks for his debut studio album on Loud Records, conspicuously titled Capital Punishment.
The record deal, which Fat Joe helped broker and negotiate through his established music industry connections. Was a multi-album deal and afforded Rios, now going by the moniker Big Punisher, an opportunity to dedicate himself fully to making music and put his street life behind him.
One of The 100 Greatest Hip Hop Songs
Big Pun’s impact was immediate, with his debut single “I’m Not a Player”, reaching number 57 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart. Its commercial success spawned a remix “Still Not a Player”, which samples Brenda Russell’s “A Little Bit of Love” and interpolates several songs, including R&B crooner Joe’s “Don’t Wanna Be a Player”, which it also features on the hook.
This second edition fared even better, peaking at number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 6 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop songs chart. It has gone on to receive numerous accolades, including being named among VH1’s 100 Greatest Hip Hop Songs.
Pun Goes Platinum!
Big Pun’s full-length debut album Capital Punishment finally dropped in 1998, with production from heavyweights like RZA, Dr. Dre, The Beatnuts, and others, as well as stand-out tracks like Super Lyrical ft. Black Thought, Punish Me, and unforgettable skits such as Taster’s Choice and Pakinamac Pt. I & II, the release was well received both commercially and by critics alike.
The record would go on to be certified platinum by The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and would also be nominated for Best Rap Album at the 1999 Grammy Awards.
As those around him were basking in the newfound fame and fortune Big Pun brought, Chris Rios the man was still struggling with lingering issues related to his weight, which would go on to derail his career.
Gone Too Soon
By the time he was 28 years old, Big Pun weighed a staggering 698 pounds. Being this heavy took its toll on his daily life, as even getting around to the studio to record and for public appearances now proved an arduous task.
This caused the rap star to enroll in a weight-loss program at Duke University in 1999. Things started out ok, with Rios shedding some 80 pounds until he abruptly quit the program and proceeded to add back the weight he had just lost.
On February 7, 2000, just two days after being scheduled to perform on Saturday Night Live alongside his Terror Squad fam Fat Joe and pop superstar Jennifer Lopez. Pun’s body broke down on him and he suffered a heart attack and respiratory failure at the age of only 28. He passed away in the hospital after he was unable to be revived, ending a promising career far too soon and leaving behind a wife and three young children.
An Endangered Species – Big Pun’s Legacy
Big Punisher will always be remembered as a supremely talented MC and one of the best lyricists to ever pick up a mic, achieving a lifelong goal he had set for himself when he first started making music, a mark he reached despite only releasing one album while on this earthly plain.
Like others that suffered a similar fate – Notorious B.I.G., Big L, and The D.O.C. all come to mind. Pun’s prowess was right up there with them, as his raw skill, fervent fan base – till this day, and multiple murals around the country memorializing the fallen artist affirm.
Despite never getting a chance to hear the penultimate MC that Pun could have become. We still have his timeless classic debut album as well as his second studio album, Yeeeah Baby released as originally scheduled just two months after his death in April of 2000, and a posthumous compilation album made up of previously unreleased material, greatest hits, and remixes of classic tracks appropriately titled Endangered Species to cherish and appreciate.
As any knowledgeable and dedicated hip-hop head will attest, the landscape would look and sound a whole lot different today if the larger-than-life rhyme slayer were still around today.
FAQs
Answer: Chris Rios got his rap name from the comic book character The Punisher, which he was a fan of and consumed during his teen years.
Answer: During his short-lived career, Pun worked alongside the likes of Busta Rhymes, M.O.P., Wyclef Jean, Prodigy of Mobb Deep, dead prez, and Inspectah Deck of the Wu-Tang Clan, besides frequent collaborators and Terror Squad label mates Fat Joe, Remy Ma, and Cuban Link.
Answer: During his late teen years, Pun actually trained to be a boxer and he also played on his high school’s basketball team.