Big Pun’s widow, Liza Rios, was recently interviewed on the Uppercut podcast, but the interview didn’t quite go as planned. During the conversation, she was asked why she didn’t apologize to Fat Joe to resolve their differences. It was all downhill from there.
Things start innocently enough, with Rios suggesting that Fat Joe is nothing without a big pun.
“Joe might fade away because if another label signed Big Pun, Joe might fade to the back,” she said. “[…] Joe is a smart businessman. He has remained relevant over the years.
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But then the interviewer said, “All he wants is an apology, can’t you do that?” She said, “Are you serious? Why should I apologize to him after what he put my family through?” Everything he did was legal.
They started talking to each other until Rios became visibly upset. Then she said, “Can we take a break? I’m leaving this interview. That’s all Fat Joe right now. Yeah, I’m fine. I’m good at this. I’m not okay and I’m going to get this over with.” interview.
Rios accused the interviewer of acting like he was on Fat Joe’s “side,” and she slammed his “attitude.” As she stood up to leave, she added: “I’m not going to sit here and explain to you what he did to my family. […] You’re almost up.
Big Pun (real name Christopher Rios) was discovered by Fat Joe, who signed him to his Terror Squad label in the mid-1990s. Fat Joe played a crucial role in launching Big Pun to the world, and Pun later became the first Latino rapper to go platinum with his 1998 album Capital Punishment.
In 2000, tragedy occurred and Mr. Pan passed away at the age of 28. His death left a void in the hip-hop community, especially for Fat Joe, who publicly mourned the death of his friend.
In the years following Big Pun’s death, controversy arose between Fat Joe and Pun’s family, especially Lisa Rios.
Rios accused Fat Joe of failing to properly compensate Pan’s family for music royalties. She claimed that the family was in financial difficulty and that Fat Joe was profiting from Big Pun’s legacy. In 2014, she filed a lawsuit against Fat Joe, alleging that Terror Squad owed Penn’s estate more than $1 million in royalties.
Fat Joe denies the accusations and insists he fulfilled his contractual obligations. In the years since, Fat Joe has continued to express his love and respect for Pan, emphasizing that he will do his best to support Pan’s family after his death. However, legal and public controversy have cast a pall over their once-strong partnership.
