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I was taking the uptown 5 train to the South Bronx, the Boogie Down, the birthplace of Hip Hop, the borough that pioneers of Hip Hop like Kool Herc called home. It was my home once, and here I was returning to commemorate one of our time`s most prolific lyricists, Big Pun. Pun who tragically died one year ago today on February 7, 2000 of a heart attack, was being immortalized by his peers in a mural here in his home neighborhood.

"We`re just doing this to let everyone know that we miss him, " says Fat Joe. "You know Pun was cremated, so we don`t have a tombstone to go to, so this is the meeting ground [for us] to celebrate Pun`s life." Many artists were present today, among those present were Ja Rule, Vita and Remy Martin who felt that "even though he`s gone, his spirit is still here."

Being in the presence of so many commercially successful rappers could have made it easy to overshadow the other elements of Hip Hop culture: b-boying, deejaying and graffiti. And, it`s important to note that graffiti has become the medium for grassroots immortalization in urban communities. This isn`t any different when it comes to this mural. As compared to other "rest in peace" murals, this one according to Bio of Tats Cru, "is a festive mural as opposed to something morbid... a celebration of his life." Fat Joe adds "Tats Cru is a division of Terror Squad... part of the family. It couldn`t be nobody else doing this wall here."

Also present at the mural painting were Cuban Link, Tony Sunshine and Triple Seis, members of Terror Squad. "Pun was truly for his people" remarks Tony Sunshine, "he truly represents for Boricuas 100 percent."

In regards to the actual mural, Triple Seis notes that "Cuban [Link] had come up with the idea of changing the picture in the mural every year [to keep] drawing attention back to Pun. The only way you forget is when you don`t pay something no mind. He left a mark on us." Cuban Link adds "we`re just reminding ourselves of what Pun meant to us."

As I walked away toward the train station, I reflected on how far hip hop has come today. Hip Hop was born--and almost twenty years passed--before there would be a Latino hip hop artist who would go platinum, and that groundbreaker would be Big Pun. I looked to my side as I began my way home and saw Kool Herc, one of the godfathers of hip hop culture. He smiled warmly as if to say "Welcome home, brother."

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