Terror Squad

b. Christopher Rios, 9 November 1971, Bronx, New York City, USA, d. 7 February 2000, White Plains, New York City, USA. This rapper of Puerto Rican descent, who looked set to take over the mantle of the Notorious B.I.G. before his untimely death, grew up in the Bronx. After leaving school at the age of 15, Rios balanced raising a young family with his nascent rapping career. He was originally known as Big Moon Dog before adopting the stage name Big Pun, an abbreviated version of Big Punisher. His astonishing breath control and rhyming ability started to attract attention following features on albums by Raekwon, the Beatnuts, Funkmaster Flex, and his mentor, Fat Joe. Buoyed by the underground success of his single "I'm Not A Player", a deal with Loud Records was not long in following. The acclaimed Capital Punishment was recorded with several leading producers, including Trackmasterz, RZA and the Beatnuts, and released in spring 1998. The album climbed into the US Top 5 while the single "Still Not A Player" reached the US Top 30. It was less commercial material, such as the verbal joust with Black Thought of Roots on "Super Lyrical", that raised many jaded critics expectations. The following year Big Pun teamed up with Fat Joe and the young rappers Cuban Link, Armageddon, Triple Seis and Prospect to form the Latino rap "supergroup", the Terror Squad. The crew's self-titled album for Atlantic Records enjoyed strong sales and polite reviews. Big Punisher continued his seemingly inexorable rise with strong contributions to singles by Fat Joe, Noreaga, and Jennifer Lopez, while continuing to work on his eagerly awaited sophomore album. Beset by chronic weight problems, however, he succumbed to a heart attack in February 2000. The quality of the material on the posthumous Yeeeah Baby, which appeared barely two months later, made the loss seem even more tragic.

b. Joseph Cartagena, Bronx, New York, USA. As a youth coming of age in the harsh atmosphere of the South Bronx, Joey Cartagena was profoundly affected by the tapes of Zulu Nation hip-hop parties brought home by his older brother Angel. Shortly thereafter he was making his own local reputation as a graffiti artist (he still maintains strong ties with Bronx-based TATS crew) under the nom de guerre of Joey Crack, and as the nickname implies, he also made a reputation in the narcotics trade. He eventually parlayed these multiple sources of street credibility into a record deal with Relativity Records, releasing his debut Represent under the new-found persona of Fat Joe Da Gangsta, and promptly scored a Billboard number 1 rap single in "Flow Joe". The debut's combination of ruthless realism and sterling production, furnished mostly by fellow Bronx residents DITC crew, garnered considerable attention and numerous fans, although a certain inconsistency of lyrical content engendered rumours that Joe was not always writing his own rhymes. The 1995 follow-up Jealous One's Envy addressed these criticisms in no uncertain terms while largely maintaining the winning formula; a hustler's-eye view of reality backed by unassailable hardcore production (provided by DJ Premier among others). This period found Joe building alliances and broadening his appeal somewhat, appearing with LL Cool J on "I Shot Ya" and with Raekwon on "Firewater". Similar power-moves resulted in the formation of his own Mystic imprint and a distribution-deal with Big Beat/ Atlantic Records for the 1998 release of Don Cartagena. Although this latest incarnation of Fat Joe hardly abandoned the gangsta image, it did mark an increase in social consciousness purportedly inspired by a meeting with Nation Of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, whose influence can be heard in the twin strains of cultural nationalism and conspiracy theory running through "The Hidden Hand". Living up to the mantle of "don" assumed with that record, Joe began grooming a right hand man of comparable stature ( Big Punisher ), and placed himself at the helm of a group of younger artists (the Terror Squad). Like their mentor, both acts reached the upper tiers of the US charts with their respective debuts.

In the spring of 1980, the Port of Maril Harbor was opened and thousands set sail for the United States. They came in search of the American dream. One of them found it on the ruthless streets of New York-wealth, power, and passion beyond his wildest dreams. He is the Lyrical Assassin. The world will always know him by another name.... Cuban Link.

For all you "thirsty heads and you Latin papi loving chic's," we got what hip-hop been missing. The long awaited highly anticipated Cuban Link Solo Album "24K" is set to bum rush the music industry September 12th 2000. Get it through your think heads.

This fast-rising musical kingpin from the south Bronx first blessed the rap game with his fire spitting verse on the Beatnuts' classic single "Off the books" in '97. This native born Cuban brought the ruckus when he appeared on "Glamour Life," off the late Punisher's first Platinum Album, "Capital Punishment," in '98.

The ambitious Felix Delgado, aka "Cuban Link" came to the US from Havana, Cuba. The non-English speaking five year-old and his family first lived in Miami; their next move was to Puerto Rico where Cuban lived for five years. Still at a young age he and his family moved to the South Bronx. As a teenager on the streets of the South Bronx, Felix Delgado not only learned our native tongue but he strengthened his lyrical savvy and earned the name "Cuban Link." The name not only signifies his strong Cuban Heritage but also his heat-seeking street edge lyrics.

This baby-faced cutie has so far shown finesse, sexappeal, versatility, and lyrical depths, which are all obvious ingredients for the making of a rap superstar. Cuban Link quickly caught the eyes of "honeys" and the ears of hip-hop heads everywhere. Now without a doubt the fans anxiously awaits the artist that will prove to be one of hip-hop's finest.

Cuban Link's "24K" promises to be one of the must own hip-hop albums this year. The first single off the album, "Flowers For The Dead," (With additional vocals from Domingo) was released on June 6th, 2000. This single is a tribute that speaks from the heart, to Cubans brother from another mother, Big Pun. With this single, Cuban expresses his feelings of losing a brother, on behalf of the entire Terror Squad Family. Cuba and Pun were best friends, so it was only natural that when Pun died Cuban unleashed his pain on the mic, letting the world know just how much his brother will be missed.

"24K" has something for everyone, with productions from the studio geniuses such as Buckwild, newcomers, Jao and Noodles (The Compadres), also platinum producers Young Lord and Neptune. The album spews a mixture of colorful bold sounds with the lyrical heart and soul of Cuban Link. Some of the sure hits on the album are; the emotional "Hey mama," a thug's apology to his mom, it speaks to the hardest of heart. Cuban expresses his struggle through "90 Miles And Swimming," which as he explain, "When the going gets tough you gotta get tougher. It's the hunger pain for success that keeps me climbing."