Today Boom Salutes Christopher Rios — aka “Big Punisher” born on November 10, 1971, in Bronx, New York..He Would’ve been 44yrs old today. Gone but not forgotten
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Raised in a tough upbringing Christopher left home at an early age and eventually dropped out of high school at the age of 15. During this time he became interested in break dancing and began Rapping. Later, he married and had children but with finical pressures he began eating to deal with stress becoming overweight.
He formed the rap group Full a Clips Crew and began Performing as Big Moon Dog, Rios stood out from the rest of the group with his complex rhymes and the ability to rap for a long time without taking a breath.
He caught his first big break when he met successful rapper-producer Fat Joe in 1995. Recognizing Big Pun’s talent, Fat Joe asked him to appear on his song “Watch Out.” Inspired by a comic book character, he took the new name, Big Punisher, and joined the Terror Squad. Fat Joe even helped negotiate Big Pun’s contract with Loud Records.
His first album Capital Punishment hit No. 1 on the hip-hop/R&B charts and he became the first Latino rapper to go platinum.
Weighing around 400 pounds at the time of the album’s release, Big Pun grew heavier as he became more successful. At the urging of friend Fat Joe, he tried to lose weight, even attending the Duke University diet program in North Carolina in 1999. Big Pun did lose weight, but not for long. He regained the 80 pounds he lost and little by little added more.
On February 7, he experienced difficulty breathing and collapsed in his hotel room. His wife called 911, but emergency medical workers were not able to revive him. Only 28 years old at the time, Big Pun died of heart failure, weighing nearly 700 pounds.
Big Pun was proud of his Latino Heritage and became a hero to many of his fans who were also proud.
He is one of the most inspirational rappers ever lived. His ridiculous rhyme schemes and unforgettable flow were the reason why he earned himself such a good long lasting reputation and a mention in the “greatest of all time” discussion.
Today we Remember and Salute Christopher “Big Punisher” Rios – Gone Too Soon.
Today We Remember Big Pun: Christopher Rios Would’ve Been 44 Yrs Old Today was originally published on boom92houston.com
