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).
Punish Me
Big Punisher Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Any purse but had a curse that hurt worse than givin' birth
My first verse explains some of the game she was playin'
I'm blamin' myself cause in my wealth was where her pain would haven
Behavin' like a money hungry hooker, funny how the money took her
From a average honey to a stunning looker
I look back and reminisce how we used to kiss
And smash hips in the GS I bought her last Christ'
Not the one in Queens I mean the one she dreamin' wasn't sober
Told her how I felt, gassed me when she cried for help
Supplied the guilt trip and I was whipped without a fuckin' belt
I felt stupid Cupid struck me with a poison arrow
Shoulda drowned ya when I found ya crushin' in my boy's Camaro
I didn't bother but you probably find your lover dead
You robbed me of my honor, you ain't shit like my mother said
[Chorus]
Come back come back come back come back to me, Punisher
Punish me, ah I've been so bad, so bad
Won't you come back?
Nah baby, I'm not gon' be able to do it, you blew it
Threw it all the way cause you was stupid, girl why'd you do it?
I mighta knew it by the way you gave me your baby
Then left a day before I ever saw the son that God made me
It's hard maybe we can make amends, be friends
But we're only hurtin all of us for certain by forsakin' him
Just take it in, don't even say a word, observe
The way you were, preserve, these words so you won't play the herb
Ever again, never pretend that he doesn't have a father
I'm always there and you don't wanna bother
I honor my word on my father's grave, guide him through his hardest age
So he can thrive and survive in these modern days
I wanna raise my little man but you keep resistin'
I'm insistin' you chill for real before you come up missin'
Listen, I don't wanna fight I'd rather do what's right
A boy needs a father that's the most important part of his life
[Chorus: x2]
I gave you everything, love letters and sweaters with leather seams
Feathered wings, and rings with emeralds right out of Geraldine's
Simple dreams a dream fulfilled, the green DeVille Cadillac
To mack, matter 'face redeem the bill
I mean for real I can play it mami how you wanna stay
At Monty Frask, givin' the next nigga my punani
You want me back cause he hit it wrong, now you wanna get it on
With the Long Don, word bond my shit is strong (come back)
Girl don't even start again, I beg your pardon
And get your hands off my six button Cardigan
This ain't no love lost between us far as I'm concerned
Please leave, cut that busted weave I've been dyin' to burn
Go buy a perm, try and earn some respect
It's better to have loved and lost than live with regret
Come back, to, me
I want you to
[Chorus: x2]
To me, yeah yeah
Alright, don't go, no
Oh ah oh ah oh, hm oh hm hm
Yeah, take my hand, and punish me
Hm, been so bad, come punish me, yeah
Take my hand, and punish me, oh
Been so bad, come punish me
In the song, "Punish Me", Big Punisher reflects on a past relationship that he has lost due to his partner's greed and infidelity. He expresses how he used to be the happiest man on earth, but later experienced a lot of pain and betrayal. Despite his ex-partner's plea to come back to her, Big Punisher acknowledges his feelings are still hurt and cannot return to the relationship. He also recognizes the importance of fatherhood and his role in his son's life. Through the lyrics, the artist emphasizes the significance of self-respect and making the right decisions to avoid regrets.
Line by Line Meaning
I was the luckiest man on Earth, my wisdom was worth Any purse but had a curse that hurt worse than givin' birth
Despite being fortunate and wise, I had a curse that caused me greater pain than childbirth.
My first verse explains some of the game she was playin', I'm blamin' myself cause in my wealth was where her pain would haven
My first verse reveals some of the deception she was engaging in. I take responsibility for putting her in a position where she felt pain.
Behavin' like a money hungry hooker, funny how the money took her, From a average honey to a stunning looker
She acted like a prostitute who only cared about money. It's interesting how the money transformed her from average-looking to attractive.
I look back and reminisce how we used to kiss, And smash hips in the GS I bought her last Christ'
I remember the good times we had, like kissing and having sex in the car I bought her on Christmas.
She got too big for her britches but The Britch is Over, Not the one in Queens I mean the one she dreamin' wasn't sober
She became too arrogant and it's over between us. I'm not referring to the one in Queens, but rather the one she imagined when she was intoxicated.
Told her how I felt, gassed me when she cried for help, Supplied the guilt trip and I was whipped without a fuckin' belt
I expressed my feelings to her, but she tricked me with tears and made me feel guilty. I was powerless and didn't need a belt to be whipped.
I felt stupid Cupid struck me with a poison arrow, Shoulda drowned ya when I found ya crushin' in my boy's Camaro
I felt foolish for falling in love with her. I should have killed her when I caught her cheating in my friend's car.
Nah baby, I'm not gon' be able to do it, you blew it, Threw it all the way cause you was stupid, girl why'd you do it?
No, I can't take you back. You messed up big time, because you were foolish. Why did you do what you did?
I mighta knew it by the way you gave me your baby, Then left a day before I ever saw the son that God made me
I should have realized something was wrong when you gave me a baby, then left me the next day without me ever seeing my child that God sent to me.
It's hard maybe we can make amends, be friends, But we're only hurtin all of us for certain by forsakin' him
It's difficult, but maybe we can reconcile and be friends. However, we're only hurting ourselves and our child by abandoning him.
Just take it in, don't even say a word, observe, The way you were, preserve, these words so you won't play the herb
Listen and don't respond. Think about how you behaved and remember my words so you won't make the same mistake again.
I gave you everything, love letters and sweaters with leather seams, Feathered wings, and rings with emeralds right out of Geraldine's
I gave you everything, including love letters, sweaters with leather detailing, wings with feathers, and emerald rings from Geraldine's.
Simple dreams a dream fulfilled, the green DeVille Cadillac, To mack, matter 'face redeem the bill
I fulfilled your simple dreams by buying you a green Cadillac DeVille. Now it's time for you to pay for everything you owe me.
I mean for real I can play it mami how you wanna stay, At Monty Frask, givin' the next nigga my punani
I can act like a smooth talker and make you feel any way you like. At Monty Frask, I can give another man my penis.
You want me back cause he hit it wrong, now you wanna get it on, With the Long Don, word bond my shit is strong (come back)
You want me back because he didn't satisfy you, and now you want to have sex with me. My penis is powerful, and you know it (but I won't come back).
Girl don't even start again, I beg your pardon, And get your hands off my six button Cardigan
Don't even try to start with me again. Excuse me, and take your hands off my six-button cardigan.
This ain't no love lost between us far as I'm concerned, Please leave, cut that busted weave I've been dyin' to burn
There is no love lost between us as far as I am concerned. Please go away, cut that weave you wear, that makes me want to set it on fire.
Listen, I don't wanna fight I'd rather do what's right, A boy needs a father that's the most important part of his life
Listen, I don't want to fight. The right thing to do is to be a father to our son. That's the most important role in his life.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: CHRISTOPHER RIOS, FRANK NITTY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind