# Capital Punishment (Big Pun album)

Capital Punishment is the debut studio album by American rapper Big Pun, released by RED, 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. 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.

## Reception

Professional ratings :
| Review scores ||
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| Christgau's Consumer Guide | |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+ |
| The Indianapolis Star | |
| Los Angeles Times | |
| Q | |
| RapReviews | 9.5/10 |
| Rolling Stone | |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | |
| The Source | |
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." 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." 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." 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." Rap Pages concluded that "Big Pun is at his best with all barrels firing bullets lacing the air like embroidery on grandmama's quilt."

## Legacy

Rolling Stone included Capital Punishment on its list of "The 200 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums of All Time", at 128.

## Track listing

"Still Not A Player" is edited on all pressings. The original uncensored version can be found on the promo single.
Sample credits
* "Intro" samples a 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.

## Personnel

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

| Year | Album | Chart positions | Chart positions | Chart positions |
| Year | Album | Billboard 200 | Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums | Top Canadian Albums |
| 1998 | Capital Punishment | 5 | 1 | 11 |

### Singles

| Year | Song | Hot 100 | Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | Hot Rap Singles | Rhythmic Top 40 | Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales |
| 1997 | "I'm Not a Player" | 57 | 19 | 3 | - | 7 |
| 1998 | "Still Not a Player" | 24 | 6 | 13 | 5 | 1 |
| 1998 | "You Came Up" | - | 49 | 43 | - | - |

## Certifications

| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
| Canada (Music Canada) | Gold | 50,000$^^$ |
| United States (RIAA) | Platinum | 1,000,000$^^$ |
| $^^$ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |||