Christopher Rios passed away from a fatal heart attack in February of 2000. A couple of months later, his posthumous sophomore album Yeeeah Baby, which was completed before his death, was released, moving over half a million copies and cementing Big Punisher's legacy as one of the best (or possibly the best) Puerto Rican rappers of all time.
One year later, Big Pun's friend, frequent rhyme partner, and fellow Terror Squad member Fat Joe decided to capitalize on the man's passing by executive-producing an album entitled Endangered Species. Using the title Pun originally wanted to use for his second album, Large Joseph compiled some of Pun's greatest hits, along with unreleased tracks, high-profile guest appearances, and the occasional bit of randomness, to create a twenty-four track thesis proving the man's lyrical prowess, which, to be honest, was never really in question after his debut, Capital Punishment, hit store shelves.
The problem I have with this project is that Pun's wife wasn't the beneficiary of any of the profits from Endangered Species. Allegedly, Joey Crack ran off with the money, leaving Christopher's widow with only a small pittance, forcing her to sell her husband's Terror Squad medallion to the highest bidder in 2005 in order to make ends meet.
Fat Joe, on the other hand, has run his rap career into the ground, engaged in pointless public feuds with Curtis Jackson and Pun's close friend Cuban Link, embarked on an endless quest for his next club banger (which has resulted in numerous failed attempts and a lot of really shitty music), and has generally squandered any goodwill he may have garnered by being an original member of the Diggin' In The Crates crew, a fact which eludes most hip hop heads who now only know him for that song he did with Lil' Wayne that was about dropping money on women in a manner that made it appear as if it fell from the sky.
Yeah, karma's a motherfucking bitch.
1. INTRO
Depressing as hell.
2. YOU AIN'T A KILLER
Taken from Capital Punishment, but still works as an example of what Pun sounded like when his capacity to rip shit was paired up with a worthy instrumental. In fact, I like this song more so than when I bought Pun's debut CD.
3. TWINZ (DEEP COVER '98) (FEAT FAT JOE)
Also taken from Capital Punishment, this “Deep Cover” remake features Fat Joe and Big Punisher doing their best impersonations of Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dogg. This track was interesting within its original context, but when inserted randomly onto a combination greatest hits-slash-unreleased b-sides compilation such as Endangered Species, It simply sounds out of place, like a moderately decent mixtape freestyle. Sigh.
4. WHATCHA GON DO (TERROR SQUAD)
Juju's beat is really fucking good, but Pun sounds ill-suited for it. His singing on the hook is funny the first time around, but considering that it's the fucking hook, which means that it is repeated many times throughout the song, you'll get sick of it very quickly.
5. HOW WE ROLL (FEAT ASHANTI)
An Ashanti guest spot, recorded at the beginning of her career, that went unnoticed upon the release of Endangered Species. Why? Because this shit sucks. I seem to remember a video featuring a computer-generated Pun, though, so maybe that counts for absolutely nothing.
6. STILL NOT A PLAYER (FEAT JOE)
From Capital Punishment. I thought that I remembered reading somewhere that Endangered Species would (finally) feature the dirty version of this little ditty, but apparently it was misplaced by the label like a set of keys, as the radio version appears on my copy. (If you know where to look, you should come across the filthy version on the Interweb.) The song is still enjoyable, so you probably won't miss all of the curse words anyway.
7. OFF THE BOOKS (THE BEATNUTS FEAT BIG PUNISHER & CUBAN LINK)
Not an actual Big Pun song, but this Beatnuts track is possibly the first bit of mainstream exposure the man received. (At least, this was where I first heard of him: I didn't follow Fat Joe's career from the start, so I didn't get to Pun's debut appearances for quite a while.) I listened to this shit on repeat six times before I remembered that there's quite a bit more of Endangered Species to get through: this shit still sounds that good. I fucking love this song, you two, and if you've had the pleasure of ever hearing it yourself, you probably do, too.
8. WORDS FROM N.O.R.E. (FEAT NOREAGA)
Sounds exactly as it reads.
9. BANNED FROM TV (NOREAGA FEAT BIG PUNISHER, CAM'RON, JADAKISS, STYLES P., & NATURE)
Taken from Noreaga's debut solo album. This lineup was a big deal back in the late 1990s, as was the fact that Swizz Beats provided the lame-ass instrumental. Personally, I find the chemistry between most of these guys to be salvageable, as it comes off that they all at least knew of each other before recording this, but this song didn't work for me back then, and it damn sure doesn't now.
10. MAMMA (FEAT TONY SUNSHINE)
This isn't really an ode to Pun's mother or anything. It's not terrible, but it is very jarring within the context of this project.
11. THE BEAT BOX
Skit...
12. BRAVE IN THE HEART (FEAT TERROR SQUAD)
The beat isn't as hard-hitting as I remembered, but this song still works extremely well.
13. THE DREAM SHATTERER (ORIGINAL VERSION)
Uses a different beat than what ended up on Capital Punishment. I have to say, I prefer the album version a lot more. It just sounded much more polished, as if the newer beat enveloped the lyrics in a much more comforting way, not unlike wrapping yourself in a Snuggie.
14. WORDS FROM FAT JOE (FEAT FAT JOE)
Maybe if he spent more time honoring his fallen comrade and less time introducing his many aliases, I would give a lot more of a fuck about what Large Joseph has to say about his friend.
15. JOHN BLAZE (FAT JOE FEAT BIG PUNISHER, RAEKWON, NAS, & JADAKISS)
A Fat Joe song with an all-star cast. Upon its original release, I liked the lyricism exhibited (although, I have to admit, I mainly paid attention to this track back in the day because Raekwon appeared on here), but I was nonplussed by Ski's beat. So, nothing has really changed, except I now very strongly prefer every artist's verse over that of Joey Crack.
16. MY WORLD
There's something about Bill Conti's “Going The Distance” (from the score of Rocky) that lends itself well to a rap beat. (Puff Daddy and EPMD have both used it with excellent results.) Pun spits in a much slower fashion than you may expect, but he still sounds pretty fucking good. In fact, everything about this track works. Well, everything except for the clichéd title.
17. PIÑA COLADA (RUFF RYDERS FEAT BIG PUNISHER)
No thanks, I'll pass. This shit was pretty fucking awful.
18. TOP OF THE WORLD (BRANDY FEAT BIG PUNISHER & FAT JOE)
This wasn't that great of a Brandy song to begin with, so this remix is absolutely nothing special. The next track will really throw you for a loop, though, unless you already own this album and have been following along.
19. LIVIN' LA VIDA LOCA (REMIX) (RICKY MARTIN FEAT BIG PUNISHER, FAT JOE, & CUBAN LINK)
Yeah, you read the title and guest list correctly. From a Puerto Rican synergy aspect, this pairing makes sense, but my God, this collaboration sounds boring. I'd prefer to listen to Ricky's original song on repeat for a year, both in English and in Spanish, thanks. Groan.
20. FIREWATER (FAT JOE FEAT BIG PUNISHER, ARMAGEDDON, & RAEKWON)
An oldie but a goodie (featuring one of Pun's earliest guest appearances). This was recorded back when Fat Joe didn't give a fuck about radio airplay, and that lack of awareness makes him sound like a much more passionate artist. Raekwon also sounds alert. But Pun's verse is easily the most impressive.
21. CLASSIC VERSES
The first verse (from D.I.T.C.'s “Drop It Heavy”) is a really long take, but Pun sounds, admittedly, fucking hilarious and amazing. The second verse (from DJ Clue's “Fantastic 4”) sounds like an alternate version of what ended up on DJ Clue's first major label mixtape release. Either way, these were decent choices. Curious that they didn't just include the full songs, though, since they did so for Noreaga and The Beatnuts.
22. FREESTYLE WITH REMY MARTIN (FEAT REMY MARTIN)
Pun starts things off, but Remy Martin quickly takes over. She sounded alright, and her final threat is appropriately menacing, but that's all I have to say.
23. WISHFUL THINKING (FEAT FAT JOE, B-REAL, & KOOL G RAP)
The B-side to the “I'm Not A Player” single. I always wondered why this song failed to make the final cut of Capital Punishment based on the star power involved alone. And now I know: it's awfully dull for what it is. It's not the worst song Big Pun ever recorded, but this should have been left in the vault.
24. HOW WE ROLL '98
A remix for a piss-poor song that appeared earlier in the tracklisting? The hell? Every time I hear that tumbling dice sound effect, I expect Billy Lawrence to start singing the hook to that old Rampage song “Take It To The Streets”. This remix is fucking terrible. You couldn't end Endangered Species with “Tres Leches (Triboro Trilogy)” (although I just realized that title may lead non-Spanish speakers to believe that 'tres leches' is Spanish for 'triboro trilogy': trust me, it's not) or something, Joey?
FINAL THOUGHTS: Endangered Species succeeds where both Biggie Smalls posthumous discs failed: it celebrates Big Punisher's legacy, with exemplary solo tracks and guest spots serving as examples, without turning the man into something he wasn't. A lot of these tracks showcase a lyricist that will truly be missed in the game, and even though some of the selections were very questionable (Ricky Martin? Really?), that's what the 'skip' button was invented for. All in all, a pretty good compendium of the work of the late Christopher Rios.
BUY OR BURN? If you come across this in a used CD store, you may as well pick it up. A lot of this is pretty good, especially some of his guest appearances, and you'll probably never see Max recommend the purchase of an album that features Ricky Martin ever again, so you two should jump at the chance.
BEST TRACKS: “Off The Books”; “My World”; “Firewater”; “You Ain't A Killer”; “Still Not A Player”
-Max
RELATED POSTS:
Other Big Pun albums can be discussed by clicking here.
One year later, Big Pun's friend, frequent rhyme partner, and fellow Terror Squad member Fat Joe decided to capitalize on the man's passing by executive-producing an album entitled Endangered Species. Using the title Pun originally wanted to use for his second album, Large Joseph compiled some of Pun's greatest hits, along with unreleased tracks, high-profile guest appearances, and the occasional bit of randomness, to create a twenty-four track thesis proving the man's lyrical prowess, which, to be honest, was never really in question after his debut, Capital Punishment, hit store shelves.
The problem I have with this project is that Pun's wife wasn't the beneficiary of any of the profits from Endangered Species. Allegedly, Joey Crack ran off with the money, leaving Christopher's widow with only a small pittance, forcing her to sell her husband's Terror Squad medallion to the highest bidder in 2005 in order to make ends meet.
Fat Joe, on the other hand, has run his rap career into the ground, engaged in pointless public feuds with Curtis Jackson and Pun's close friend Cuban Link, embarked on an endless quest for his next club banger (which has resulted in numerous failed attempts and a lot of really shitty music), and has generally squandered any goodwill he may have garnered by being an original member of the Diggin' In The Crates crew, a fact which eludes most hip hop heads who now only know him for that song he did with Lil' Wayne that was about dropping money on women in a manner that made it appear as if it fell from the sky.
Yeah, karma's a motherfucking bitch.
1. INTRO
Depressing as hell.
2. YOU AIN'T A KILLER
Taken from Capital Punishment, but still works as an example of what Pun sounded like when his capacity to rip shit was paired up with a worthy instrumental. In fact, I like this song more so than when I bought Pun's debut CD.
3. TWINZ (DEEP COVER '98) (FEAT FAT JOE)
Also taken from Capital Punishment, this “Deep Cover” remake features Fat Joe and Big Punisher doing their best impersonations of Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dogg. This track was interesting within its original context, but when inserted randomly onto a combination greatest hits-slash-unreleased b-sides compilation such as Endangered Species, It simply sounds out of place, like a moderately decent mixtape freestyle. Sigh.
4. WHATCHA GON DO (TERROR SQUAD)
Juju's beat is really fucking good, but Pun sounds ill-suited for it. His singing on the hook is funny the first time around, but considering that it's the fucking hook, which means that it is repeated many times throughout the song, you'll get sick of it very quickly.
5. HOW WE ROLL (FEAT ASHANTI)
An Ashanti guest spot, recorded at the beginning of her career, that went unnoticed upon the release of Endangered Species. Why? Because this shit sucks. I seem to remember a video featuring a computer-generated Pun, though, so maybe that counts for absolutely nothing.
6. STILL NOT A PLAYER (FEAT JOE)
From Capital Punishment. I thought that I remembered reading somewhere that Endangered Species would (finally) feature the dirty version of this little ditty, but apparently it was misplaced by the label like a set of keys, as the radio version appears on my copy. (If you know where to look, you should come across the filthy version on the Interweb.) The song is still enjoyable, so you probably won't miss all of the curse words anyway.
7. OFF THE BOOKS (THE BEATNUTS FEAT BIG PUNISHER & CUBAN LINK)
Not an actual Big Pun song, but this Beatnuts track is possibly the first bit of mainstream exposure the man received. (At least, this was where I first heard of him: I didn't follow Fat Joe's career from the start, so I didn't get to Pun's debut appearances for quite a while.) I listened to this shit on repeat six times before I remembered that there's quite a bit more of Endangered Species to get through: this shit still sounds that good. I fucking love this song, you two, and if you've had the pleasure of ever hearing it yourself, you probably do, too.
8. WORDS FROM N.O.R.E. (FEAT NOREAGA)
Sounds exactly as it reads.
9. BANNED FROM TV (NOREAGA FEAT BIG PUNISHER, CAM'RON, JADAKISS, STYLES P., & NATURE)
Taken from Noreaga's debut solo album. This lineup was a big deal back in the late 1990s, as was the fact that Swizz Beats provided the lame-ass instrumental. Personally, I find the chemistry between most of these guys to be salvageable, as it comes off that they all at least knew of each other before recording this, but this song didn't work for me back then, and it damn sure doesn't now.
10. MAMMA (FEAT TONY SUNSHINE)
This isn't really an ode to Pun's mother or anything. It's not terrible, but it is very jarring within the context of this project.
11. THE BEAT BOX
Skit...
12. BRAVE IN THE HEART (FEAT TERROR SQUAD)
The beat isn't as hard-hitting as I remembered, but this song still works extremely well.
13. THE DREAM SHATTERER (ORIGINAL VERSION)
Uses a different beat than what ended up on Capital Punishment. I have to say, I prefer the album version a lot more. It just sounded much more polished, as if the newer beat enveloped the lyrics in a much more comforting way, not unlike wrapping yourself in a Snuggie.
14. WORDS FROM FAT JOE (FEAT FAT JOE)
Maybe if he spent more time honoring his fallen comrade and less time introducing his many aliases, I would give a lot more of a fuck about what Large Joseph has to say about his friend.
15. JOHN BLAZE (FAT JOE FEAT BIG PUNISHER, RAEKWON, NAS, & JADAKISS)
A Fat Joe song with an all-star cast. Upon its original release, I liked the lyricism exhibited (although, I have to admit, I mainly paid attention to this track back in the day because Raekwon appeared on here), but I was nonplussed by Ski's beat. So, nothing has really changed, except I now very strongly prefer every artist's verse over that of Joey Crack.
16. MY WORLD
There's something about Bill Conti's “Going The Distance” (from the score of Rocky) that lends itself well to a rap beat. (Puff Daddy and EPMD have both used it with excellent results.) Pun spits in a much slower fashion than you may expect, but he still sounds pretty fucking good. In fact, everything about this track works. Well, everything except for the clichéd title.
17. PIÑA COLADA (RUFF RYDERS FEAT BIG PUNISHER)
No thanks, I'll pass. This shit was pretty fucking awful.
18. TOP OF THE WORLD (BRANDY FEAT BIG PUNISHER & FAT JOE)
This wasn't that great of a Brandy song to begin with, so this remix is absolutely nothing special. The next track will really throw you for a loop, though, unless you already own this album and have been following along.
19. LIVIN' LA VIDA LOCA (REMIX) (RICKY MARTIN FEAT BIG PUNISHER, FAT JOE, & CUBAN LINK)
Yeah, you read the title and guest list correctly. From a Puerto Rican synergy aspect, this pairing makes sense, but my God, this collaboration sounds boring. I'd prefer to listen to Ricky's original song on repeat for a year, both in English and in Spanish, thanks. Groan.
20. FIREWATER (FAT JOE FEAT BIG PUNISHER, ARMAGEDDON, & RAEKWON)
An oldie but a goodie (featuring one of Pun's earliest guest appearances). This was recorded back when Fat Joe didn't give a fuck about radio airplay, and that lack of awareness makes him sound like a much more passionate artist. Raekwon also sounds alert. But Pun's verse is easily the most impressive.
21. CLASSIC VERSES
The first verse (from D.I.T.C.'s “Drop It Heavy”) is a really long take, but Pun sounds, admittedly, fucking hilarious and amazing. The second verse (from DJ Clue's “Fantastic 4”) sounds like an alternate version of what ended up on DJ Clue's first major label mixtape release. Either way, these were decent choices. Curious that they didn't just include the full songs, though, since they did so for Noreaga and The Beatnuts.
22. FREESTYLE WITH REMY MARTIN (FEAT REMY MARTIN)
Pun starts things off, but Remy Martin quickly takes over. She sounded alright, and her final threat is appropriately menacing, but that's all I have to say.
23. WISHFUL THINKING (FEAT FAT JOE, B-REAL, & KOOL G RAP)
The B-side to the “I'm Not A Player” single. I always wondered why this song failed to make the final cut of Capital Punishment based on the star power involved alone. And now I know: it's awfully dull for what it is. It's not the worst song Big Pun ever recorded, but this should have been left in the vault.
24. HOW WE ROLL '98
A remix for a piss-poor song that appeared earlier in the tracklisting? The hell? Every time I hear that tumbling dice sound effect, I expect Billy Lawrence to start singing the hook to that old Rampage song “Take It To The Streets”. This remix is fucking terrible. You couldn't end Endangered Species with “Tres Leches (Triboro Trilogy)” (although I just realized that title may lead non-Spanish speakers to believe that 'tres leches' is Spanish for 'triboro trilogy': trust me, it's not) or something, Joey?
FINAL THOUGHTS: Endangered Species succeeds where both Biggie Smalls posthumous discs failed: it celebrates Big Punisher's legacy, with exemplary solo tracks and guest spots serving as examples, without turning the man into something he wasn't. A lot of these tracks showcase a lyricist that will truly be missed in the game, and even though some of the selections were very questionable (Ricky Martin? Really?), that's what the 'skip' button was invented for. All in all, a pretty good compendium of the work of the late Christopher Rios.
BUY OR BURN? If you come across this in a used CD store, you may as well pick it up. A lot of this is pretty good, especially some of his guest appearances, and you'll probably never see Max recommend the purchase of an album that features Ricky Martin ever again, so you two should jump at the chance.
BEST TRACKS: “Off The Books”; “My World”; “Firewater”; “You Ain't A Killer”; “Still Not A Player”
-Max
RELATED POSTS:
Other Big Pun albums can be discussed by clicking here.
I smell a in-the-closet Ricky Martin fan here(and I'm not talking about myself)...you can't fool us two, Max...
ReplyDeleteoff the books is such a monster, I remember listening to it as a totally random song I found and aboslutely fucking loved every second of it...I should go listen to some more Pun right fucking now
never thought this album was that good, but good review.
ReplyDeleteYou should review some Sean Price, especially Jesus Price Supastar.
f**k large joseph.
ReplyDeleteRIP Pun, you was dope as hayl
FUCK MAX, YOU ARE READING MY FUCKING MIND. When I listened to Method Man's 'All I Need (Razor Sharp remix), you reviewed this Alter Ego album, and when I was digging songs such as 'Semi-Automatic Full Rap Metal Jacket' and, yeah, 'Firewater', I see this.
ReplyDeleteWhatever kind of dark magic you are practicing now on me, I like these reviews.