Fat Joe has just blessed the family of his top lieutenant, Big Pun, with the music rights to his catalog.
One of the greatest rappers to ever come out of the Bronx was the Terror Squad’s Punisher. His untimely death, over 21 years ago on February 7th, 2000, caused a rift in the Hip-Hop world that has been unmatched.
It also caused a rift between Joe and the “Still Not A Player” artist’s family, most notably Big Pun’s wife Liza Rios, blamed him when her family had to move into a homeless shelter.
In September of 2014, Rios sued Fat Joe for over $1 million, Joe breached an agreement to split revenue from Pun’s catalog, but she had not received any money since 2005.
“For him to give so much to Terror Squad and….at his demise at his passing for them to turn their backs on his family, his kids… for me that was upsetting,” Liza Rios told AllHipHop.com.
In 2016, Fat Joe and Rios reached a confidential settlement in the legal war.
On episode 261 of the Drink Champs podcast, Joey Crack declared that he doesn’t have control over anything related to Big Pun and that he makes no money off the deceased rapper, including a documentary on his contribution to the culture.
The founder of the Terror Squad said: “He passed away, I did something nobody ever did and I’m not trying to be disrespectful, but I don’t think Puff Daddy gave the rights to Biggie back, I don’t think they gave the rights to Tupac back.”
He continued, “So I said, ‘OK, you saying Fat Joe’s jerking you…[he’s] taken everything. Take everything, it’s not a problem, everybody got whatever they want, get everything. Fat Joe doesn’t own a dollar, no attach[ment]. I don’t have nothing to do with Big Pun. That’s what y’all wanted.”
Fat Joe discovered Big Pun in the early 90s, placing him on his 1995 album Jealous One’s Envy.
He also facilitated his career, signing him to Loud Records, working with him to produce major hits that ultimately led to a GRAMMY nomination, and helping him have the first solo Hip-Hop record by a Latino artist to go platinum.
Fat Joe constantly talks about Pun’s impact on his life and how much he misses him.