Big Pun: The Legacy DVD Coming This Summer
After lots of anticipation, a polished documentary film production of Christopher Rios' life, better known as late Bronx emcee Big Pun, is finally about to be released. Director Vlad Yudin is unveiling Big Pun: The Legacy, this summer through his Vladar production company. Last week, HipHopDX spoke to Yudin about the film's making, its direction, and how the legacy of the superstar emcee can be properly evaluated, amidst several posthumous controversies.
Yudin explained his motives for telling the story, as the film began pre-production over two years ago. "Originally, we were all Big Pun fans; that’s what sparked the interest in us doing it. We were running a production company, and we all felt like Big Pun deserved more attention, in the media especially, because we all felt that he’s definitely getting a lot of respect from the Hip Hop community and people always remember him, but he never truly got a lot of attention from the media."
As many Hip Hop historians largely acknowledge Pun for his race and physical size, Yudin and crew acknowledged the man's unique microphone skills. "We talk about things that prior to that were not really talked about," began Yudin. "People always know him as the first Latino rapper to go platinum. People don’t really go into detail how he made his first album, how he got signed in the first place, who were the people closest to him that helped him to where he got, and really, what he was like after the success as well. It covers all of those aspects. People will definitely find all of those interesting details. What he was like in life with his family, an interesting approach as well, what kind of relationships he had with people. We really had a wide range of people that we interviewed, from executives that signed him to his record label, to his closest friends, to people basically from all over the US, various rappers that either worked with him or just recognize him." In regards to Pun's family, Vlad has worked closely with the rapper's widow, Liza Rios, making the work all the more authorized by the estate.
Because of this authorization and access, the documentary will prominently feature never-before-seen footage of Pun's life and music. "That was actually one of the hardest things to get because it was a lot of research done by us. There’s definitely a lot more material on various other rappers, but on Big Pun, it was definitely very difficult to come by," Vlad admitted. "There’s definitely going to be a lot of exclusive footage that people have never seen before. [There’s] some stuff never seen by anybody from the family archive, like you said, from Liza’s [role in the project], but also some stuff that we found [from] before the deal and after the deal, so definitely there’s going to be some things that people have never seen before - the majority of it, actually. Besides the music videos that people have seen, everything’s going to be exclusive."
With interview commentary from Snoop Dogg, Method Man as well as The Terror Squad, Big Pun: The Legacy also tries to acknowledge the rapper's acceptance in underground, street and mainstream levels. "He always got respect from the Hip Hop people. He’s always being remembered. We interviewed people from all over the place [and] people loved him. They loved his style. He was able to be commercial and at the same time, be loved by the community. So we did interview superstars in Hip Hop, we interviewed people from the underground, and everybody has pretty much the same response," said Vlad, who also spoke to Jim Jones, Xzibit, Rosie Perez and Loud Records CEO Steve Rifkind.
From these interviews, both Vlad and producer Edwin Mejia were surprised by some of what was revealed. One interesting tidbit tha Yudin found interesting was shared. "When he was already a platinum artist, when he was already very successful, he was always seen in his community. He never moved out of the Bronx. He pretty much lived in the same area as where he was from originally, he just moved into a bigger house. [He] never left. There’s a segment in the film where we talk about rappers going to Jersey or Connecticut or upstate New York, but he stayed in that same area."
Staying close to the hood, video footage and Terror Squad disputes have challenged Pun's actual legacy. The film realizes this, but lets the story tell itself. "There’s been different controversies, especially the things after his death. We tried to focus more on him when he was alive, about his career. So we didn’t go into the problems after the whole break-up of the crew and everything like that," said Yudin.
Mejia interjects, focusing on the positives, "What I’ve learned through all the interviews that we’ve done, whether it’s from Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, Jim Jones, whoever it may be, we learned that he was a comedian. He had a great sense of humor and he was able to carry that throughout his career, throughout his life, regardless of how successful and famous he was."
As far as the time-table to make the 90 minute film available to fans and students of Hip Hop, dates are materializing. "We’re planning to make an announcement in the next couple of weeks. The film should come out, we hope, this summer. I can’t tell you the date yet, we’ll make an announcement…We plan to have a few more screenings in theaters."
HipHopDX will keep you posted of information as it is made available.
Yudin explained his motives for telling the story, as the film began pre-production over two years ago. "Originally, we were all Big Pun fans; that’s what sparked the interest in us doing it. We were running a production company, and we all felt like Big Pun deserved more attention, in the media especially, because we all felt that he’s definitely getting a lot of respect from the Hip Hop community and people always remember him, but he never truly got a lot of attention from the media."
As many Hip Hop historians largely acknowledge Pun for his race and physical size, Yudin and crew acknowledged the man's unique microphone skills. "We talk about things that prior to that were not really talked about," began Yudin. "People always know him as the first Latino rapper to go platinum. People don’t really go into detail how he made his first album, how he got signed in the first place, who were the people closest to him that helped him to where he got, and really, what he was like after the success as well. It covers all of those aspects. People will definitely find all of those interesting details. What he was like in life with his family, an interesting approach as well, what kind of relationships he had with people. We really had a wide range of people that we interviewed, from executives that signed him to his record label, to his closest friends, to people basically from all over the US, various rappers that either worked with him or just recognize him." In regards to Pun's family, Vlad has worked closely with the rapper's widow, Liza Rios, making the work all the more authorized by the estate.
Because of this authorization and access, the documentary will prominently feature never-before-seen footage of Pun's life and music. "That was actually one of the hardest things to get because it was a lot of research done by us. There’s definitely a lot more material on various other rappers, but on Big Pun, it was definitely very difficult to come by," Vlad admitted. "There’s definitely going to be a lot of exclusive footage that people have never seen before. [There’s] some stuff never seen by anybody from the family archive, like you said, from Liza’s [role in the project], but also some stuff that we found [from] before the deal and after the deal, so definitely there’s going to be some things that people have never seen before - the majority of it, actually. Besides the music videos that people have seen, everything’s going to be exclusive."
With interview commentary from Snoop Dogg, Method Man as well as The Terror Squad, Big Pun: The Legacy also tries to acknowledge the rapper's acceptance in underground, street and mainstream levels. "He always got respect from the Hip Hop people. He’s always being remembered. We interviewed people from all over the place [and] people loved him. They loved his style. He was able to be commercial and at the same time, be loved by the community. So we did interview superstars in Hip Hop, we interviewed people from the underground, and everybody has pretty much the same response," said Vlad, who also spoke to Jim Jones, Xzibit, Rosie Perez and Loud Records CEO Steve Rifkind.
From these interviews, both Vlad and producer Edwin Mejia were surprised by some of what was revealed. One interesting tidbit tha Yudin found interesting was shared. "When he was already a platinum artist, when he was already very successful, he was always seen in his community. He never moved out of the Bronx. He pretty much lived in the same area as where he was from originally, he just moved into a bigger house. [He] never left. There’s a segment in the film where we talk about rappers going to Jersey or Connecticut or upstate New York, but he stayed in that same area."
Staying close to the hood, video footage and Terror Squad disputes have challenged Pun's actual legacy. The film realizes this, but lets the story tell itself. "There’s been different controversies, especially the things after his death. We tried to focus more on him when he was alive, about his career. So we didn’t go into the problems after the whole break-up of the crew and everything like that," said Yudin.
Mejia interjects, focusing on the positives, "What I’ve learned through all the interviews that we’ve done, whether it’s from Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, Jim Jones, whoever it may be, we learned that he was a comedian. He had a great sense of humor and he was able to carry that throughout his career, throughout his life, regardless of how successful and famous he was."
As far as the time-table to make the 90 minute film available to fans and students of Hip Hop, dates are materializing. "We’re planning to make an announcement in the next couple of weeks. The film should come out, we hope, this summer. I can’t tell you the date yet, we’ll make an announcement…We plan to have a few more screenings in theaters."
HipHopDX will keep you posted of information as it is made available.
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Comments 26 posts
Tayb2012:
BIG PUN THE LEGACY: THE BEST OF BIG PUN IN STORES AND ONLINE NOW! http://bit.ly/2p7rqY
pun4eva:
There is a mixtape called "pun legacy" which supposedly coming out by producer raul cruz. wonda if this coincides with the documentary???
logic174:
I am happy that they are making a film about Pun but this has already been done. Am I the only one that remembers the documentary made in 2002 called "Still Not a Player." It was the same exact concept.
Am I the only one that saw this? Again cool that they are coming out with another DVD but its not the first. Big Up to Tremont and St.Lawrence Ave (Pun's last block he lived on.)
http://www.amazon.com/Still-Not-Player-Big-Punisher/dp/B000065U2S/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1239908786&sr=8-2
bawss:
big punisher! the man, the legend. could very well be the best that ever did it. Pun needs to be up there with the best.
mewtwo:
do we get to see pistol whipping of his wife?
Da PuNiShA:
it's about dam time they do this. for years people have not even spoke much about him an he was better then most of the rappers out even better then all the rappers from now. r.i.p big homie your fans will always remember you
Big_Pun_4eva!!!!!!!:
I'm coppin' at least 2 copies. Can't wait !!!!!!!!!
When Pun died it broke my heart!
Big L's death upset me too,but Pun's death
was tough for me to except.
And JMJ too,that shit was senseless,no defensible
reason at all for that.
REALISTIC:
Pun had a better debut than Eminem, DMX, Game, 50, Cam, Pac and just about anyone else you can throw up....bodied Jada, Nas, Rae and Joe on Just Blaze, bodied Deck, Prodigy, Cam, Nore and everyone else he ever rapped with!!! Top 5 dead or alive and I got him in my personal top three. I didn't care when Big or Pac died or any other rapper...but Pun....that got me to shed tears.
AllEyezOnMe:
Bout time....one of the BEST lyricists ever....
kingdome:
a legend!!! we need more music from him.
spanishemcee:
awesome story hiphopdx!
QuBix:
Big Pun was and still is one of the best if not THE best rappers ever to grace the mic.
.....to quote Bronze Nazareth "I got classic material without mixtape "ohhs"/love Pac & Big but I miss Pun the most".
Latin King:
The GOAT!!!
R.I.P. Pun
Dre Guevara:
@ dleard39,
lyrically Pun was better than Pac & Big
Pac came with alotta emotion in his music tho.
NotoriousRambo:
WHAT STILL SUPRISES ME ABOUT PUN IS HIS SIZE AND THE WAY HE SPIT ITS LIKE HIS SIZE DIDNT EVEN HINDER HOW HE SPIT ON THE MIC STRAIGHT FIRE AND SUCH VERACIOUSNESS.
RIP CHRISTOPHER RIOS
AFTER THIS I HOPE PEOPLE START DOING A DOCUMENTARY ON BIG L ANOTHER ONE OF NEW YORKS FINEST THAT IS VERY UNDER-RATED!!!
dirtyjerzy:
Big Pun, we miss yah twin!!!
dleard39:
ALL I GOTTA SAY IZ FYA!!! 2ND BEZT RAPPR BHIND PACC THATZ RITE I SAID IT!!! BIGGIE DONT COMPARE N NE OF THEZE GUYZ
THE REAL GERMAN CHOCOLATE:
ONE THING IS TRUE: REAL HIP-HOP HEADZ ALWAYS WILL REMEMBER PUN FOR HIS INCREDIBLE TALENT!
THAT MAN WAS A LYRICAL BULLDOZER - NOBODY CAN TOUCH HIM AND HIS SKILL! HE WAS SPECIAL AND YES, THE "MEDIA" DID NOT REALLY REACT LIKE THE DID WITH PAC OR BIGGIE!
IT DONīT MATTER! SOME "FANS" MADE IT HAPPEN AND I LOOK FORWARD TO CHECKING OUT THE DVD-MATERIAL!
PLUS: I HOPE WE WILL SEE A GOOD DOCUMENTARY ON EAZY-E TOO...SOMEDAY...
GOD BLESS THE LEGENDS OF RAP...
ksjhflsfhlaskfdh:
I saw the screening of this DVD last summer, it's worth the purchase.
BigPun4ever:
OMG CANT WAIT!!! Ive been waiting so long for this and Pun is one of my fav if not my fav artist ever. I love him 2 death, and I cant fucking wait for this doc. About time they say when it'll come out and I hope a release date will be announced as soon as possible.
Anton Chigur:
The Legend. We're gonna cop mad copies! One of the illest to ever do it.
Big Pun Forever.
INOA:
I hope Cuban and Triple Seis provide lots of input for this anf the proceeds go to Pun's family
Keep It Funkee:
YES!
eric_connor:
I can't wait for this!
MusicFiend:
Nice...I'm gonna be copping that