Big Pun's street dedication was a major moment for the legacy of the late rap legend who died in 2000. In March, the corner of East Fordham Road and the Grand Concourse in the Bronx, NY was rechristened "Big Pun Plaza." But one notable absence at the dedication was Pun's longtime friend Fat Joe.
Joe addressed the situation via Instagram Live.
“If you don’t have good things to say about somebody, I prefer to not say it. So me, I could not go over there, because there were people over there I just ain’t feeling," Joe stated. "And I ain’t never going to feel. So when everybody DMs me, or says little things, yo bro — I will never stand beside these people ever in life. In my life, all I have is my word. My word is my bond. I never broke my word for nobody. If I shook your hand and told you it’s peace, then it’s peace. If I have a problem with you, I let you know.
“I’m not standing beside nobody. Talking about ‘let’s do it for Pun.’ No I’m not. When you slander me and my word and make me look crazy for two decades in the hood. I can not stand next to you. My kids ain’t standing next to you. We just ain’t doing that. We’re talking about the legacy of Big Pun, we’re talking about uplifting him for 20 years … all we do is uplift Pun.”
Former Terror Squad member Cuban Link took exception to Joe's words. Link and Joe haven't been on good terms in years and Link responded in his own video.
"You don't have to be worrying about standing next to us or to me if you don't want to, I wouldn't want that, either," Cuban Link explained. "I wouldn't want that either right now, I understand. When you stand next to the truth, it's difficult. It's difficult to face the truth and I understand that's why you don't wanna do it. You teach your peoples and your family not to stand next to us because it's gonna feel different because when the truth is the truth, lies can't stand next to them."