**1/2 Big Pun

YEEEAH BABY

(Loud)

Big Punisher had achieved rap-mogul status before his untimely death, mostly thanks to "I'm Not a Player," an irresistible hip-hop anthem that propelled his multi-textured Loud debut, Capital Punishment, to multi-platinum-sales status. His final body of work shares the same flavor. The gruff vocals of (the recently MIA) M.O.P on "New York Giants" offer a contrast to the usual dick-swinging diatribe between Pun and his cohort. Pun also stirs up some solid beats, and he adds clever loops from the Rocky soundtrack and Starsky and Hutch. "Leather Face" and "You Was Wrong" with Fat Joe and Ruff Ryder Drag-On hit hard; "Laughing at You" and "Nigga Shit" have a clever, straight-up style that helps mold Pun's persona. The skits on Yeeeah Baby are silly and might be a few tracks too long, but give this a listen or two and you'll realize why Christopher Rios, a/k/a Big Pun, was so well respected in the fickle hip-hop world.

-- Chris Conti