South Bronx rapper Big Punisher was one of hip-hop’s biggest stars during his heyday in the mid-’90s. Now, on the tenth anniversary of his death, he’s getting the reissue treatment as Sony Legacy is putting out a 21-song compilation that coincides with tomorrow’s release of the Big Pun: The Legacy DVD, a documentary about the Puerto Rican icon by first-time director Vlad Yudin. Phoning in from his production offices in New York, Yudin recently spoke about his film.
How’d you wind up doing a documentary about Big Punisher?
About four years ago, I met Liza Rios, who’s his widow, and a few other people affiliated with Big Pun, and had an idea to create something that would took about his achievements and create something special for the fans. From there, it was hard work. A lot of interviews and research and footage that needed to be collected. It took a couple of years and we’re now finally here. Myself and my partner and other producers were basically fans of Big Pun. That gave us more motivation to work even harder and make sure it serves him justice and highlights all his accomplishments.
Many of the people you interview — guys like Snoop Dogg, B. Real and Chuck D. — talk about his distinctive flow. Do you think that’s what distinguished him?
I think it’s that plus the punch lines he had and the humor he added to the lyrics. That’s what I noticed right away when I first heard him. He wasn’t just one way. If you hear someone with good punch lines, you remember that. All his songs have something in them that make you want to run them back again.
This article appears in Sep 16-22, 2009.
