This beautiful mural is located by Rogers place and East 163rd street in the Bronx.
Christopher Rios better known as “Big Pun” is a Bronx native rapper. His success came arise in the 90’s when his first hit album went platinum. This led him to become the first Latino rapper to do so. Although he dropped out of school early, he still managed to be passionate about reading. It was even stated that he did well before having to stop school. Due to issues at home and not having a great family life, he had to leave there as well. His lyrics tell his story. Unlike most rappers today, his words and how he composed them to rhyme were amazing. Even if you aren’t a fan of hip hop music, reading a song as if it were a poem would leave you surprised. His play on words and vocabulary weren’t as basic as most.
It is no surprise an art piece like this would be in the Bronx. Rios was of Puerto Rican decent. Many related to his music as he spoke our lives in his rhymes. A song can sing your life, or help you escape it. His did both for most. His unfortunate death due to a heart attack on February 7, 2000, left his fans saddened. Looking at this mural took me back to when I was younger and saw him at the Puerto Rican Day Parade. The painting sort of makes him out to be a “Boss”. Maybe he would’ve been, we’ll never know.
