Personnel: Big Pun (spoken vocals); Raekwon (spoken vocals); Tony Sunshine (background vocals).
Liner Note Author: Vlad Yudin.
Director: Vlad Yudin.
Photographers: Ernie Paniccioli; Ernie Paniccioli.
A documentary soundtrack, The Legacy: The Best of Big Pun is also a suitable sampler of the rapper many considered would be the rightful heir to Biggie's throne if a heart attack hadn't ended his life in 2000 at the age of 28. Pun's attraction is akin to Biggie's -- a vicious mouth with economical rhymes and knockout punch lines -- but he adds Fat Joe's swift delivery to the mix. His signature inhale prepares the listener for the machine-gun fire to follow, and despite tipping the scales at over 600 pounds, he's more than willing to explain his prowess with the ladies, and in graphic detail. Singles like the thugging "I'm Not a Player" and the Latin-flavored "100%" display his fine taste in hooks, and late-night horror shows like "Leather Face" can make you shake in your boots. This soundtrack does a good job choosing from his discography and sorting it all out, and with bits of dialogue and praise from the likes of Raekwon and Snoop Dogg, it makes for a suitable souvenir of the film or a good imitation mixtape. The bad news is that the ugly, edited version of "Still Not a Player" that first appeared (accidentally?) on the explicit release of Capital Punishment rears its head once again, and if you want a better intro to the work of Pun, the 2001 set Endangered Species does a slightly better job with the track list. ~ David Jeffries

Recording Type: n/a