Big Pun

Album: The Legacy: The Best of Big Pun (Music from the Film)

Label: Loud Records

Raps… Big Pun

Album: The Legacy: The Best of Big Pun (Music from the Film)

Label: Loud Records

Raps like: Fat Joe, Terror Squad

Grade: A-

Many recall Big Pun as a lyrical giant who passed away in his prime. For those who don’t, The Legacy: The Best of Big Pun, the soundtrack to the documentary “Big Pun: The Legacy,” is here as a reminder.

The strongest tracks from Big Pun’s two main releases, “Capital Punishment” and the posthumous “Yeeeah Baby,” are interwoven with underground tracks from his early days and later studio freestyles.

The mixture of songs from radically different time periods of his life makes for an explosive experience of true lyricism.

“Intro,” “You Ain’t a Killer” and “Off Wit His Head” prove Big Pun was a wordsmith — he sped through syllabic complexities reminiscent of Eminem and T.I. As the album goes on, however, it makes sense that the talented Bronx native was on the music scene prior to those renowned emcees.

“Still Not a Player,” Big Pun’s biggest and only mainstream hit, still holds the melodic value and cleverness that it did more than 10 years ago when it was released in 1998 on his debut album.

This compilation manages to conclusively show why Big Pun’s greatest hits album deserves the word “legacy” in the title, despite the brevity of his career.