Big Pun

A graceful and nimble rapper who delivered his often clever, tongue-twisting rhymes at a torrential pace, Big Pun was the first solo Latino rapper to go platinum. Born Christopher Rios on November 10, 1971, Big Pun grew up in the South Bronx's Puerto Rican community. He endured a rough childhood in an unstable home, and moved out when he was 15, by which point he had become interested in rapping and breakdancing. In 1989, under the name Big Moon Dog, he and several friends formed a street-corner rap group called the Full a Clips Crew. He later changed his name to Big Punisher,...