You can always find great rappers. It’s just that usually the most talented are incognito or dead. At least there’s still Nas and Kanye West. Kind of makes me think sometimes of how truly blessed we were last decade with what the rap game was like.

RIP 2Pac. RIP Biggie. RIP Big Pun AKA Big Punisher. Ah. Another great local product from the NYC representing the Boogey Down. With swicked lyrics, Pun’s 1998 Capital Punishment album went triple platinum. I still got that album on old cassette back in the dinosaur days. Me and the crew used to blast it all the time.

Truth be told, there’s not a bad song on it even though “Still Not A Player” got all the press. Pun and Fat Joe teamed up with cameos from Funkmaster Flex, Busta Rhymes, Prodigy, Miss Jones and Wyclef Jean. 

For Pun, he died young much like Pac and Biggie. However, it wasn’t from a stray bullet but rather from obesity passing away at 28 from a heart attack on February 7, 2000. In some aspect, that’s kind of sadder because if he’d taken better care of himself and stayed on a diet that had him drop 100 pounds, there’s a good chance Pun would still be around doing his thang.

Nobody ever said it was fair but hey. He became a huge star and lived the life many of us could only dream of leaving a legacy. Or like the latest Air Jordan commercial with the message, “Become Legendary,” Pun did. Maybe not to the extent of predecessors Pac and Biggie but certainly was on that path.

His former partner Joe’s still around putting out the occasional big hit. He’s good but doesn’t come close to Pun’s mic skillz. Few were better.

Let’s look at some other big hits from the one and only Pun:

Big Pun: “Beware”

first song on the 1998 album coming strong.

Big Pun: “Twinz (Deep Cover)”

a classic sound with an awesome scene and the words to go with it.

Big Pun: “Twinz (Deep Cover remix)”

another pretty strong remix from gifted youtuber Darkshadez.

Big Pun: “Punish Me”

i still think this track is off da hook. Definitely one of the best songs ever by Pun! With great chorus stuff from Miss Jones. :D

Big Pun: “How We Roll”

You know I’m well known like Al Capone, fully blown like Ton’ Montana
In a zone, sittin on chrome, stoned sippin on cham-pagna

Big Pun: “How We Roll“-Original fea. Ashanti

both are really good but the original is a little livelier and more kids in it. Very cool.

Big Pun: “25 to Life”

pretty deep stuff.

Big Pun: “Whatcha Gon Do”

pretty cool footage and shots. Greatness.

Big Pun: “Capital Punishment”

this is a dope track worth its album title. You can’t always say that for album covers. But hey. It was triple platinum!

I pretty much came to the conclusion that I could listen to all of Pun’s stuff and link it up. That’s how great a rapper he was. Gone but never forgotten. Just like the others.