by Jon Azpiri
At the age of 28, Big Pun joined a long list of deceased rappers who left fans too early. Endangered Species is a compilation of much of Pun's best work. All of Pun's hits are included here, including &It's So Hard& and the infectious dancefloor filler &Still Not a Player.& Also included are several of Pun's most memorable guest appearances, such as his cameo on the Beatnuts classic &Off the Books,& as well as some of his work with Terror Squad. Most of Big Pun's fans will buy the album for unreleased material such as &Mama& and &Wishful Thinking,& a collaboration with Kool G. Rap and Cypress Hill's B Real. While the unreleased material may not be Big Pun's best work, it will also not disappoint his fans. The album includes some of Pun's remixes of pop hits like Ricky Martin's &Livin' la Vida Loca& and Brandy's &Sittin' on Top of the World.& Taken as a whole, the album is an impressive of an artist that truly was a force to be reckoned with.