Happy Birthday to Big Pun. The lyrical Bronx Bomber would have been 44 years old, yesterday (11/10). In the past year, Chris Rivers, Pun’s son, has broken out and established himself as one of Hip-Hop’s most promising MCs. While he has established his identity as his own man, shedding the derivative moniker “Baby Pun” and proving himself with the pen, he still deeply honors his father personally and for what he meant to the culture. Rivers expressed those sentiments, along with regrets that he was not able to get to know his father better, in a heartfelt open letter that he posted on Instagram.

Happy birthday poppa. It’s been almost 16 years and I still see people with tattoos of you immortalized on they flesh. The impact you left on the world will make you immortal as pun. And the impact you left on mommy ( @pun_is_her ) and your daughters ( @nessyrios @star_rios ) and I left you immortal in our hearts. I don’t care if it sounds corny. Love doesn’t judge. You’re this Titan in my eyes this insurmountable force as an rapper I hear stories about your legendary charisma and the way you inspired people like a king. I would have loved to get to know you more. You were the greatest rapper , you were a person who manifested and shaped his destiny from selling crack in sound view sleeping out of bags to going double platinum whippin nighas with iced out chains lmao in all the things you were whether it be the #GOAT , hope , a legend, a man, a human , above all you were a husband and a father. And we love and miss you . I don’t usually like saying much so I keep it at I love you and we gonna make you proud. You’ll never really die. #RIP #DRAGONSUP #bigPun

A photo posted by Chris Rivers (@dragonsandrivers) on Nov 10, 2015 at 5:28am PST

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