Fat Joe is paying homage to his late friend 22 years after his untimely death. On Monday (Feb. 7), the Plato O Plomo star shared a heartfelt post in which he remembered Big Pun and their inseparable bond.
“22 years later we still celebrate your greatness. My brother, we miss you not a day goes by when we don’t think about or tell stories about you,” Joe penned. “The world got robbed of an incredible beautiful person 22 years ago was the worst day of my life. We try to hold it down for you as best as we can, I know I’ll see you again.”
“No one will ever be the TWINZ,” he added of their friendship. “They can emulate, we’ll take it as flattery. We will always be the realest that cost no money just TRUST LOYALTY and RESPECT TS4LIFE.”
Fat Joe met Big Pun — then Big Moon Dog — in the 90s after he asked him to feature on his song “Watch Out.” He eventually welcomed the emcee to Terror Squad, where he debuted his new name, Big Punisher.
Together, the rappers formed a strong friendship and working relationship that resulted in multiple collaborations between the two. Joey Crack helped the Capital Punishment emcee secure a few hits, a Grammy nomination and a platinum album, which made him the first Latino artist to achieve that feat, all before the late emcee’s demise.
On Feb. 7, 2000, Pun passed away after suffering a massive heart attack and respiratory failure. “I lost a brother,” Fat Joe told The New York Times in the wake of Pun’s death. He has since been keeping Pun’s name alive with entertaining stories and commemorative posts on social media.
Look below to see Fat Joe’s tribute to Big Pun.