Big Punisher News

Patti LaBelle Added To Tribute For Mothers Of Aaliyah, Shakur, Big Pun, Lopes & Others

Mar 10, 2003 2:00 pm PST

(3/10/03, 5 p.m. ET) -- Patti LaBelle has been added to the lineup of performers at a tribute to the mothers of Jam Master Jay, Tupac Shakur, Aaliyah, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, and other artists who met with untimely deaths. The special women will honored at the third annual B.I.G. Night Out, a gala that will mark the sixth anniversary of the death of rapper Notorious B.I.G. (Christopher Wallace), on Tuesday (March 11).

The mothers of the late Big Pun, Freaky Tah, and Big L will also be saluted, with all the honorees receiving the B.I.G. Heart Award. Wallace's former wife, singer Faith Evans, will also provide entertainment, and radio personalities Ed Lover and Dr. Dre will serve as the evening's hosts.

In addition to the B.I.G. Heart Award, New York City Council member Yvette D. Clarke will honor the mothers with official proclamations as part of her Women's History Month initiative.

The event is sponsored by the Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation, an organization established in the name and memory of the Notorious B.I.G, whose March 9, 1997 murder remains unsolved. The nonprofit group was formed by his mom, Voletta Wallace, and it provides books and technology resources for youth.

Mrs. Wallace has said Afeni Shakur, Tupac's mother, will not be able to attend due to a scheduling conflict, but that she would send a someone to accept the award in her honor. In addition, Big Pun's mother, Gail Tirado, is reportedly too sick to make it to the gala but all other honorees are expected to attend.

Hip-hop's Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, Run-D.M.C., Damon Dash, and Jay-Z, as well as WBLS-FM on air personality Wendy Williams and BET's Free, are also scheduled to attend the event at Manhattan's Metropolitan Pavilion.

-- Anna Maria Gibson, New York

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Big Pun Is First Rapper Honored By New York State Assembly

Feb 14, 2003 9:00 am PST

(2/14/04, 12 p.m. ET) -- Big Pun has become the first rapper honored by the New York State (NYS) Assembly as the third anniversary of his death is marked. Lawmakers have passed a legislative resolution commemorating the life of the Latino artist, whose given name was Christopher Rios. Regarding the honor, NYS Assemblyman Ruben Diaz, a Democrat who represents the Bronx, said that the rapper "was a pioneer in music and our community." Diaz also promised to continue supporting "initiatives that will preserve his legacy."

Big Pun, who passed on February 7, 2001, was remembered by the Big Pun Foundation, a nonprofit group named in his honor, at New York City's NYLA restaurant on Thursday (February 13).

The success of Big Pun's 1998 debut album, Capital Punishment, made him the first solo Latino hip-hop artist to achieve platinum status. He has also released two posthumous albums, 2000's Yeeeah Baby and 2001's Endangered Species.

-- Anna Maria Gibson, New York

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Mothers Of Aaliyah, Shakur, Lopes, Big Pun & Others To Be Honored

Jan 17, 2003 10:00 am PST

(1/17/03, 1 p.m. ET) -- The mothers of Tupac Shakur, Aaliyah, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, and other artists who met with untimely deaths are being honored. A tribute to the special women will happen at the third annual B.I.G. Night Out, a gala in March that will mark the sixth anniversary of the death of rapper Notorious B.I.G. (Christopher Wallace).

The mothers of the late Big Pun, Freaky Tah, and Big L will also be saluted, with all the honorees receiving the B.I.G. Heart Award. Wallace's former wife, singer Faith Evans, will provide entertainment, and radio personalities Ed Lover and Dr. Dre will serve as the evening's hosts.

The event is sponsored by the Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation, an organization established in the name and memory of the Notorious B.I.G. The nonprofit group was formed by his mom, Voletta Wallace , and provides books and technology resources for youth.

B.I.G. Night Out happens on March 11 at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City. Tickets are $1,000 for the event, which features cocktails, dinner, and more. Organizers stated that Notorious B.I.G would have preferred family, friends, and fans celebrate his death anniversary at a gala event rather than in "sad remembrance."

-- Anna Maria Gibson, New York

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Nelly, Nas, N.O.R.E., & Others To Kick Off Big Pun Tribute Tour

Jan 6, 2003 7:00 am PST

(1/6/03, 7 a.m. ET) -- Several heavyweights have signed on to participate in the kick-off of the 2003 Big Pun Tribute tour, including Nas, N.O.R.E., Nelly, Missy Elliott, Cuban Link, and Fabolous. The 15-city tour will open in New York on February 6 at the Manhattan Center, to commemorate the two years since Big Pun (Christopher Rios) passed away on February 7, 2001.

The Big Pun Tribute tour will feature different artists in each city that it visits, and the proceeds will go to the Christopher Rios Foundation, a organization that focuses on helping underprivileged children and battered women. The chairperson of the foundation is Pun's widow Liza Rios.

Big Pun's mentor Fat Joe hasn't been confirmed as a performer yet for the tribute tour but the rapper shared with LAUNCH that he wasn't pleased with the documentary Still Not A Player that Pun's widow released in 2002.

"When Pun was here I would never disrespect his wife and being that he is gone I would never disrespect his wife," Fat Joe said, "but you know they put together a documentary about my man that his fans were gonna go and look at it to see something new about him and celebrate his career. I just felt they used that as an opportunity to sh-t on him man. And he's not here to talk about it. He's not here to say he bought you know all these people houses."

For more info about the 2003 Big Pun Tribute Tour, fans can call 570-421-3374.

-- Yves Erwin Salomon, New York

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Baby Pun Salutes His Deceased Dad At Tribute

Nov 28, 2001 2:00 pm PST

(11/28/01, 5 p.m. ET) -- The Beatnuts, Triple Seis (formerly of the Terror Squad), and Musaliny of the rap outfit Musaliny-N-M.A.Z.E. were among the many guests turning out to honor the late Big Pun in a tribute to the rapper at Club Casino in Queens, New York, on Tuesday night (November 27).

The tribute was hosted by CMC Foundation, the independent label founded by Big Pun and his wife Bilz in 1999. The label's current roster includes R&B duo Complexion, Al Ferguson, Riot, and Baby Pun, Big Pun's 8-year-old son, who opened the evening's performances with a song from his forthcoming debut album. Baby Pun previously appeared on his father's second posthumous release, Endangered Species.

Big Pun was the first Latino rapper to score a platinum album when his 1998 debut set, Capital Punishment, was certified platinum for sales of a million copies. The rapper's sophomore set, Yeeeah Baby, was released just months after his February 2000 death and was certified gold for sales of 500,000 copies.

-- Yves Erwin Salomon, New York

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