Christopher Lee Rios (November 9, 1971 - February 7, 2000), better known as Big Pun or Big Punisher, was a Puerto Rican American rapper who emerged from the underground rap scene in The Bronx in the late 1990s. He first appeared on albums from The Beatnuts on the track "Off the Books" and on Fat Joe's second album in 1995, Jealous One's Envy, on the track "Watch Out", prior to signing to Loud Records as a solo artist. Big Pun's career was cut short in 2000 at age 28 by a fatal heart attack due to his obesity. He is survived by a wife, Liza Rios, and three children. Big Pun was the first solo Latino rapper to sell over one million LPs. His first stage name was Big Moon Dawg. His name comes from the Marvel comic book anti-hero The Punisher.
Born in the Bronx during the early years of hip-hop, Christopher Rios grew up in an athletic tradition, enjoying basketball, boxing, and other sports. At the age of five, he broke his leg in a Manhattan municipal park, which would later (after several minimum wage jobs in New York and Miami, where he briefly relocated) net him a settlement from the city, to the tune of $500,000. At the age of 15, Pun dropped out of Stevenson High School. Sometime during the '80s, Rios began to write rap lyrics, forming the Full A Clips Crew with Triple Seis, Cuban Link, and Prospect. After meeting fellow Puerto Rican and Bronx rapper Fat Joe, in 1995, Pun became increasingly associated with him, making his commercial debut on Fat Joe's second album, Jealous Ones Envy (J.O.E.).
After an advertising blitz, "I'm Not a Player" (featuring an O'Jays sample) was an underground hit. The song's remix, "Still Not a Player" (featuring Joe), became Big Pun's first major mainstream hit. His full-length debut, Capital Punishment, followed in 1998, and was the first album by a Latino rapper (and a Latino solo artist) to go platinum. Around this time, Big Pun became a member of The Terror Squad, a New-York-based group of Latino rappers founded by Fat Joe, with most of the roster supplied by the now-defunct Full A Clips Crew.
Big Pun was also a member of the Digging in the Crates Crew, alongside Fat Joe and various New York hip-hop legends such as Diamond D, Lord Finesse, Big L, and O.C.
Due to issues with his broken leg and drug abuse, Pun's health declined during these years. The once-athletic man struggled with overeating problems and weight issues for several years, his weight bounding between 450 and 700 pounds (200 and 300 kg). Though he checked into a North Carolina weight loss clinic and lost 80 pounds (35 kg), the final effort was not enough to save Pun's health. At the age of 28, on February 7, 2000, Big Pun died of a heart attack at 700 lbs. (300 kg).
Big Pun's second album, Yeeeah Baby, was already scheduled to be released at the time of his death, and was issued in March 2000. A second posthumous album, Endangered Species, was released in 2001, a collection of "greatest hits," new material, guest appearances, and remixed "greatest verses."
Pun's supporters generally praise him for his complex rhyme schemes, intricate wordplay, ability to stay on-beat, and relentless flow and breath control (despite his immense size, which would generally render his complex phrasing too difficult).
Fast Money
Big Punisher Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who can I trust? Cuban'll bust plus ?good thief the night?
Here's the plan (plan), we nab the man, bring a camcorder
Grab his fam, and run the train on his granddaughter
Nah chill, that's too ill, for real I'd rather kill somethin'
Here's the deal, we shatter his grill, and drill fuck him
Oral torture, no doubt, the shit is holocaust
In two minutes tops he's guaranteed to cap and give up all the morsels
We got a half hour before the plan sours like Amaretto
Far from the ghetto, a rebel of chance, the devil in pants
Out for the fast cash, level advance
Takin' a chance, I've only got one my hundred shot
Tommy shotguns my judge jury and Johnny Cochran
[Chorus]
Movin' on the stash, first we get the cash
For the fast money, I smash a niggas shit like a crash dumy
Ask money where the safe, anybody move gettin' laced
Look at my face and I'ma shoot the place
Aye yo the plot thickens, I'm pickin' the locks in the back entrance
Payin' attention, not tryin' to get knocked and catch a fat sentence
Not to mention these kids is mafioso with lots of dough so
They got poco lock with the down to rock Morocco choke hold (oh oh)
Their security system's linear laser protection
No sweat, I brought the miniature mirrors for reflectin
Inspectin' the vault, for weapons assault, second of course
It's poisonous rays, boiled and baked in epsom salt
Rep in New York is the cat burglar, the fat murderer
Slippin' the clip in the Mac, inserterer
Hurtin' your pockets, droppin' your stock to zero profit
Holding heroes hostage and mansions for ransom like DeNiro mob flicks
Back to the top again, hand the grand prize
The safe flies open, the shining was blinding my eyes
I cracked the code, enough ice to make you laugh at gold
Passed the dough to Cuban started movin' for the back real slow
That's when I heard the sirens hopin' that my ears was lyin'
Knew we was dyin' when I saw the guard we tortured cryin'
Pointing at the building screamin', "I can see them, kill 'em!"
Snipers was willing but couldn't, there's too many civilians
Still inside nowhere to hide nowhere to run
Cuban said, "Fuck it, we die, we die busting our guns"
[Chorus: x2]
Aye yo it's time to pay, and I ain't trying to give my shine away
Let's show these pigs how much we give a fuck about a brighter day
I cocked the Eagle, Cuban drew the Glock it was diesel
Said, "See you in Hell coppers" and started poppin' like it was legal
We need a plan, if we can make it to the van
Missile launchers there with the grenade pistol I bought from Uncle Dan
Me and my man are runnin' out of ammo, I got about a handful
Of Black Rhino's and two Rambles strapped to my ankles
I trampled over one of the bodies, I grabbed the steel
Threw the bitch over my shoulder and used her butt as a shield
I filled the clip with the little bit of bullets remaining
Cuban said, "Move your fat ass faster motherfucker they gaining"
I gave him the case, told him, "Go ahead save yourself
Blaze a L in my memory, tell the family I gave 'em Hell"
For real, that's when I heard the tires screechin'
Peeped and it was Joe the God with twenty Terror Squad niggas reachin'
The lyrics to "Fast Money" by Big Punisher tell the story of a mastermind heist. The singer boasts of a successful million-dollar robbery involving cash and ice, but now faces the challenge of whom to trust before enacting another plan. He outlines a devious scheme, including taking the man's family hostage and using his granddaughter for sexual purposes. However, the team opts to physically harm him until he reveals the safe combination, and they gain access to the fortune. The singer and his team escape with the loot, but the plan goes awry as they are met with law enforcement and other obstacles. In the end, they fight for their lives, eventually meeting their demise.
The song's lyrics paint a vivid picture of the violent and criminal underworld, detailing the robbery's extent and planning, including the use of a camcorder to record the crime. However, it also shows the consequences of living a life of crime, with the singer meeting his demise due to his lawless activities. In many ways, the lyrics provide a critical commentary on the glorification of crime and violence in popular culture.
Line by Line Meaning
I got the sweetest heist, million in cash, another 3 in ice
I have committed the perfect robbery and have acquired a million dollars in cash and an additional $3 million worth of jewelry.
Who can I trust? Cuban'll bust plus ?good thief the night?
I am unsure of who to trust, but I know that Cuban is a reliable accomplice and we need a skilled thief for this mission.
Here's the plan (plan), we nab the man, bring a camcorder
Our plan is to capture the target, record the events, and take his family as leverage.
Grab his fam, and run the train on his granddaughter
We would never actually do something like that, it was just a thought in the moment.
Nah chill, that's too ill, for real I'd rather kill somethin'
Upon further reflection, killing the target is a better option than harming his family.
Here's the deal, we shatter his grill, and drill fuck him
Our plan is to torture the target by severely damaging his teeth and assaulting him.
Oral torture, no doubt, the shit is holocaust
The pain and suffering we will inflict on the target is similar to the atrocities committed during the Holocaust.
It's settled, blitt up, put on your metal, foot on the pedal
We are ready to execute the plan, armed and ready to flee the scene quickly.
We got a half hour before the plan sours like Amaretto
We need to complete the mission within the next thirty minutes before the situation deteriorates.
Far from the ghetto, a rebel of chance, the devil in pants
Despite being far from the urban ghetto, I am willing to take risks and engage in criminal behavior to obtain fast money.
Out for the fast cash, level advance, Takin' a chance, I've only got one my hundred shot, Tommy shotguns my judge jury and Johnny Cochran
I am trying to quickly make as much money as possible, but I am taking a huge risk. In case of danger, I have a hundred bullets and a powerful Tommy shotgun to protect myself.
[Chorus] Movin' on the stash, first we get the cash, For the fast money, I smash a niggas shit like a crash dumy, Ask money where the safe, anybody move gettin' laced, Look at my face and I'ma shoot the place
We are on our way to steal the stash, and I am not afraid to use violence against anyone who gets in our way.
Aye yo the plot thickens, I'm pickin' the locks in the back entrance
As we progress with the plan, it becomes more complicated. I am trying to break in through the back entrance.
Payin' attention, not tryin' to get knocked and catch a fat sentence
I am being cautious and avoiding any mistakes that may result in getting caught and serving a long prison sentence.
Not to mention these kids is mafioso with lots of dough so, They got poco lock with the down to rock Morocco choke hold (oh oh)
The targets we are dealing with are part of the Italian Mafia and have a lot of money. They have excellent security measures, making it difficult for us to access their assets.
Their security system's linear laser protection, No sweat, I brought the miniature mirrors for reflectin
The security system is challenging, but I have come prepared with miniature mirrors to help us get past the laser protection.
Inspectin' the vault, for weapons assault, second of course, It's poisonous rays, boiled and baked in epsom salt
As we inspect the vault, I am also on guard for any potential weapon attack. Additionally, the vault is protected by poisonous rays made with epsom salt.
Rep in New York is the cat burglar, the fat murderer, Slippin' the clip in the Mac, inserterer
There is a notorious cat burglar in New York who is also a skilled killer. We have his weapon of choice, a Mac-10 machine pistol.
Hurtin' your pockets, droppin' your stock to zero profit, Holding heroes hostage and mansions for ransom like DeNiro mob flicks
Our criminal behavior is causing financial harm to our targets and reducing their profits. We are capable of kidnapping wealthy individuals and holding them for ransom, similar to movie plots involving Robert DeNiro's characters and the mafia.
Back to the top again, hand the grand prize, The safe flies open, the shining was blinding my eyes
After overcoming all the obstacles, we have reached the ultimate goal. I am momentarily blinded by the glare of the contents inside the safe.
I cracked the code, enough ice to make you laugh at gold, Passed the dough to Cuban started movin' for the back real slow
I have successfully cracked the safe code and found a valuable collection of jewelry. I pass the loot to Cuban and we start to make our way out of the building.
That's when I heard the sirens hopin' that my ears was lyin', Knew we was dyin' when I saw the guard we tortured cryin'
As soon as we hear the sound of sirens, we know that our luck has run out. The guard we had previously tortured is now crying and has identified us as the criminals.
Pointing at the building screamin', "I can see them, kill 'em!", Snipers was willing but couldn't, there's too many civilians
The guard is now pointing at the building and yelling for the authorities to kill us. Snipers were willing to shoot us down, but they could not risk harming the many civilians in the area.
Still inside nowhere to hide nowhere to run, Cuban said, "Fuck it, we die, we die busting our guns"
We are trapped and have nowhere to hide or escape. Cuban decides that we must fight until the end and die while trying to defend ourselves.
[Chorus: x2]
We repeat the chorus to signify the intensity and urgency of the situation.
Aye yo it's time to pay, and I ain't trying to give my shine away, Let's show these pigs how much we give a fuck about a brighter day
I am ready to pay the price for my actions but I am not going to surrender the wealth I obtained. I am determined to fight the authorities and show them that we do not care about a better future.
I cocked the Eagle, Cuban drew the Glock it was diesel, Said, "See you in Hell coppers" and started poppin' like it was legal
We arm ourselves with powerful guns and do not hesitate to fire at the police. We are ready to go down fighting.
We need a plan, if we can make it to the van, Missile launchers there with the grenade pistol I bought from Uncle Dan
We realize that our current strategy will not work, and we need a new plan to escape. We have a van waiting for us outside, and I have obtained a grenade pistol to help us defend ourselves.
Me and my man are runnin' out of ammo, I got about a handful, Of Black Rhino's and two Rambles strapped to my ankles
We are running low on ammunition, and I only have a few bullets left. I have additional firearms hidden on my person, including Black Rhino handguns and Rambles.
I trampled over one of the bodies, I grabbed the steel, Threw the bitch over my shoulder and used her butt as a shield
In the chaos of the situation, I step over a dead body and take their firearm. I use the body as a shield to protect myself from incoming fire.
I filled the clip with the little bit of bullets remaining, Cuban said, "Move your fat ass faster motherfucker they gaining"
With the limited ammunition I have left, I reload my gun quickly. Cuban urges me to move faster as the police are closing in.
I gave him the case, told him, "Go ahead save yourself, Blaze a L in my memory, tell the family I gave 'em Hell"
I give Cuban the stolen valuables and encourage him to save himself. I am ready to sacrifice myself for the greater goal and want my family to know that I fought fiercely until the end.
For real, that's when I heard the tires screechin', Peeped and it was Joe the God with twenty Terror Squad niggas reachin'
As I prepare to face my demise, I hear a different sound. It is Joe the God and his crew of 20 Terror Squad members coming to rescue us.
Lyrics © JELLYBEAN MUSIC GROUP, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CHRISTOPHER RIOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind