Big Pun

Christopher Rios, who performed as Big Pun, came out of the Bronx in the 1990s. He was part of the underground hip-hop scene when East Coast and West Coast tensions were high, but his style didn't fit neatly into that divide. In 1997, his debut album 'Capital Punishment' went to number one on the Billboard 200 and eventually went platinum. The single 'Still Not a Player' from that album became a hit.

Big Pun's lyrics were dense and technically impressive, full of internal rhymes and complex patterns. Songs like 'Super Lyrical' and 'Tres Leches (Triboro Trilogy)' showed off that skill. He worked with a core group that included Joe Fatal on backing vocals and production.

He released a second album, 'Yeeeah Baby,' in 2000. Throughout his career, he dealt with serious health problems related to his weight, including diabetes and asthma. He died in 2000, not long after that second album came out.