1998 studio album by Big Pun
Capital Punishment is the debut studio album by American rapper Big Pun , released by Loud Records and Fat Joe 's Terror Squad Productions . Released on April 28, 1998, it is the only album released during his lifetime and is regarded as a hip-hop classic, described by Black Thought of the Roots as "super groundbreaking" upon release.[ 1] The album peaked at number five on the Billboard 200 charts and number one on the Top R&B Albums chart for two weeks. It was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 1999 Grammy Awards , but lost to Jay-Z 's Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life . It was also the first solo Latin hip hop record to go Platinum .[ 2]
The Indianapolis Star said that "as a character, Punisher often falls into routine street posturing but the personality is as solid as big body that accompanies it."[ 6] Entertainment Weekly stated: "Everything about this Bronx-bred Puerto Rican rapper is generous, his 400-pound girth, his multiple rhyming within each line, and his talent for spewing out verses without stopping for breath."[ 5] Q wrote: "Displaying huge lyrical prowess and the requisite 'sensitive' side...[the album] established Pun as a serious rival to Biggie Smalls and something of a ladykiller to boot... Outrageously good."[ 8] The Source determined that "he'll rhyme every possible word in a line because he wants to be twice as nice... Capital Punishment' s all about execution."[ 12] Rap Pages concluded that "Big Pun is at his best with all barrels firing bullets lacing the air like embroidery on grandmama's quilt."[ 13]
Rolling Stone included Capital Punishment on its list of "The 200 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums of All Time", at 128.[ 14]
Title Writer(s) Producer(s) 1. "Intro" 0:33 2. "Beware" 3:15 3. "Super Lyrical" (featuring Black Thought ) 3:28 4. "Taster's Choice" (skit) 1:20 5. "Still Not a Player " (featuring Joe ) 3:56 6. "Intermission" 0:21 7. "The Dream Shatterer" 3:33 8. "Punish Me" (featuring Miss Jones ) 4:15 9. "Pakinamac Pt. I" (skit) 1:35 10. "You Ain't a Killer" 4:14 11. "Pakinamac Pt. II" (skit) 0:57 12. "Caribbean Connection" (featuring Wyclef Jean ) 3:24 13. "Glamour Life" (featuring Cuban Link , Triple Seis, Fat Joe and Armageddon) 4:43 14. "Capital Punishment" (featuring Prospect) 4:20 15. "Uncensored" (skit) (featuring DJ Funkmaster Flex ) 2:12 16. "I'm Not a Player " 3:41 17. "Twinz (Deep Cover '98) " (featuring Fat Joe) 3:49 18. "The Rain & the Sun" (Interlude) (featuring dead prez ) 1:49 19. "Boomerang" 3:35 20. "You Came Up " (featuring Noreaga ) 3:54 21. "Tres Leches (Triboro Trilogy)" (featuring Prodigy and Inspectah Deck ) 4:19 22. "Charlie Rock Shout" (skit) 0:26 23. "Fast Money" 3:48 24. "Parental Discretion" (featuring Busta Rhymes ) 4:33 Total length: 1:11:53
"Still Not A Player" is edited on all pressings. The original uncensored version can be found on the promo single.
Sample credits
"Intro" samples an dialogue clip from the 1994 film Fresh .
"Beware" samples "Theme for the Losers" by Henry Mancini , "Shook Ones Part I" by Mobb Deep , and interpolates "Hot Potato" by Naughty by Nature .
"Super Lyrical" contains vocal samples from "One More Chance / Stay with Me (Remix)" by The Notorious B.I.G. , "It's Logic" by Canibus , and dialogue clips from the 1985 film Rocky IV .
"Still Not a Player" samples "A Little Bit of Love" by Brenda Russell and interpolates "Brazilian Rhyme (Bejio Interlude)" by Earth, Wind & Fire .
"The Dream Shatterer" samples "Funk & Wagner" by Don "Sugarcane" Harris.
"Punish Me" contains a vocal sample from "Not Gonna Be Able to Do It" by Double XX Posse .
"You Ain't a Killer" samples "With a Child's Heart" by Michael Jackson .
"Caribbean Connection" samples "Ready or Not " by Johnny Osbourne , "Moshitup" by Just-Ice , and "It's All About the Benjamins " by Puff Daddy.
"Glamour Life" samples "The World Is a Ghetto" by George Benson .
"I'm Not a Player" samples "Darlin' Darlin' Baby" by The O'Jays , "Singers" by Eddie Murphy , "Darlin', Darlin', Baby (Sweet, Tender, Love)" by Steve Khan.
"Boomerang" samples "Le Bracelet" by Alain Goraguer .
"You Came Up" samples "Don't Ask Me" by Ramon Morris and interpolates "Hail Mary" by 2Pac .
"Tres Leches (Triboro Trilogy)" samples "Las Vegas Tango" by Gary Burton , "The Start of Your Ending (41st Side)" by Mobb Deep , "Method Man " by Wu-Tang Clan , "I Ain't No Joke " by Eric B. & Rakim , and "Guillotine (Swordz)" by Raekwon .
"Parental Discretion" samples "Hydra" by Grover Washington, Jr.
Credits for Capital Punishment adapted from the album liner notes.
Armageddon – featured artist
Denise Barbarita – assistant engineer
Carlos Bess – mixing
Big Pun – executive producer, primary artist
Black Thought – featured artist
Busta Rhymes – featured artist
Sean Cane – A&R
Chris Conway – mixing
Cuban Link – featured artist
Dr. Dre – producer
Dahoud – producer
Danny O – producer
dead prez – producer, featured artist
Domingo – producer
"E" – mixing
EQ – producer
Fat Joe – executive producer, featured artist
Funkmaster Flex – featured artist
Paul Gregory – assistant engineer
Che Harris – A&R coordination
Daniel "PhotoChop" Hastings
Troy Hightower – mixing
Tom Hughes – assistant engineer
Ken "Duro" Ifil – engineer
Wyclef Jean – featured artist
Inspectah Deck – featured artist
Joe – featured artist
Ju-Ju – producer
Jugrnaut – producer
Knobody – producer
Ola Kudu – creative direction
Adam Kudzin – engineer
L.E.S. – producer
Matt Life – executive producer
Laurie Marks – A&R coordination
Mike D. – A&R
Minnesota – producer
Miss Jones – featured artist
Nastee – engineer
Frank Nitty – producer
Nomad – producer
Prodigy – featured artist
Prospect – featured artist
Roc Raida – scratches
Rockwilder – producer
RZA – producer
Schott Free – A&R
Tony Smalios – engineer, mixing
Triple Seis – featured artist
Showbiz – producer
Soundboy – engineer, mixing
Kevin Stone – assistant engineer
Nikos Teneketzis – mixing assistant
Kieran Walsh – engineer
Gregory "Gold" Wilson – assistant engineer
Ted Wohlsen – mixing
Trauma – producer
Young Lord – producer
Leon Zervos – mastering
Mike Zulu – producer
Album chart positions [ edit ]
Year
Album
Chart positions
Billboard 200
Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums
Top Canadian Albums
1998
Capital Punishment
5
1
11
^ Espinoza, Joshua (April 27, 2018). "Black Thought Reflects on the 20th Anniversary of Big Pun's 'Capital Punishment' " . Complex . Retrieved June 26, 2022 .
^ "Gold & Platinum - Big Pun" . RIAA. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2010-08-15 .
^ Huey, Steve. "Capital Punishment – Big Pun" . AllMusic . Archived from the original on June 28, 2018. Retrieved January 10, 2019 .
^ Christgau, Robert (2000). "Big Punisher: Capital Punishment" . Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s . Macmillan Publishers . ISBN 0-312-24560-2 . Archived from the original on January 10, 2019. Retrieved January 10, 2019 .
^ a b Mukherjee, Tiarra (July 17, 1998). "Capital Punishment" . Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on February 2, 2009. Retrieved January 10, 2019 .
^ a b Miley, Scott L. (17 May 1998). "Big Punisher". The Indianapolis Star . p. I8.
^ Baker, Soren (June 7, 1998). "Big Punisher, 'Capital Punishment,' Loud/RCA" . Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on March 18, 2020. Retrieved March 18, 2020 .
^ a b "Big Pun: Capital Punishment". Q . No. 165. June 2000. p. 123.
^ Juon, Steve "Flash" (February 20, 2001). "Big Punisher :: Capital Punishment :: Loud Records" . RapReviews . Archived from the original on January 10, 2019. Retrieved January 10, 2019 .
^ Mao, Chairman (May 6, 1998). "Big Punisher: Capital Punishment" . Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on October 1, 2007. Retrieved January 10, 2019 .
^ Ex, Kris (2004). "Big Pun". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster . p. 71 . ISBN 0-7432-0169-8 .
^ a b Alvarez, Gabriel (June 1998). "Big Pun: Capital Punishment". The Source . No. 105. pp. 159–160.
^ "Big Punisher – Capital Punishment" . Rap Pages . September 1998. p. 120. Archived from the original on 2012-01-22. Retrieved 2012-02-09 .
^ "The 200 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums of All Time" . Rolling Stone . June 7, 2022. Retrieved June 26, 2022 .
^ "Canadian album certifications – Big Punisher – Capital Punisher" . Music Canada .
^ "American album certifications – Big Punisher – Capital Punishment" . Recording Industry Association of America .
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