Christopher Lee Rios, famously known as Big Pun (short for Big Punisher), was a highly influential American rapper who emerged in the late 1990s. Not everyone knows the cause of his death. Also, how did his sudden passway impact his family and close ones?
He gained widespread fame with his debut album, Capital Punishment (1998), which became the first solo hip-hop record by a Latino artist to go platinum.
Known for his complex lyrical style and breath control, Big Pun left a significant mark on the hip-hop scene.
What Happened To Big Pun?
Big Pun’s struggle with his weight was a significant part of his life story. By the time his debut album, Capital Punishment, was released in 1998, he weighed around 400 pounds. As his fame grew, so did his weight, which became a serious health concern.
Realizing the potential health risks, his friend and fellow rapper Fat Joe, who was also concerned for Pun’s well-being, encouraged him to lose weight.
In 1999, Big Pun took this advice to heart and enrolled in the Duke University diet program in North Carolina, known for its intensive residential weight loss program. During his time there, he reportedly lost around 80 pounds.
However, despite this progress, he struggled to maintain the weight loss after leaving the program.
Big Pun’s weight fluctuated dramatically, and he eventually gained back the weight he had lost and more.
His escalating weight problems put immense strain on his heart and respiratory system.
Tragically, this struggle with obesity ultimately led to his untimely death on February 7, 2000, due to heart failure and respiratory failure at the age of 28.
While his weight issues overshadowed his personal health, his legacy in hip-hop remains powerful.
Big Pun’s death on February 7, 2000, was a tragic event that sent shockwaves throughout the hip-hop community and among Puerto Ricans, who saw him as a source of pride.
On that day, Pun experienced difficulty breathing and collapsed in his hotel room in White Plains, New York.
Despite the paramedics’ efforts to revive him, they were unsuccessful. At just 28 years old, Big Pun passed away from heart failure, with his weight at the time reportedly around 700 pounds (317 kg).
The news of his passing deeply affected his fans, friends, and fellow artists. In the days following his death, thousands of fans attended his funeral in the Bronx, New York, to pay their respects and mourn the loss of one of hip-hop’s brightest stars.
Several notable figures in the music industry publicly expressed their grief. Jennifer Lopez, who is of Puerto Rican descent and was a friend of Big Pun, spoke to MTV about his passing, saying,
“He was a source of pride for the Latin community, a brilliant artist, and a terrific person.”
Big Pun’s death underscored the severe health risks associated with his weight and lifestyle.
