Joell Ortiz Talks Big Pun Drama, Blasts Cuban Link

Slaughterhouse rapper Joell Ortiz has finally addressed the recent ill will regarding his 'Big Pun's Back' freestyle, which received unexpected criticism from Big Pun's widow, Liza Rios, and several of the late rapper's associates.

While the Brooklyn rapper claims that he intended the song to be a tribute to Pun's memory, Rios and former Terror Squad members Cuban Link and Tony Sunshine took issue with Joell's failure to "check in" with the family before he announced himself the "new Christopher Rios of rap."

In an interview with Funkmaster Flex on Tuesday (June 14), Joell responded to the criticism he's received over the track, stating that, while he respects Pun's legacy, he doesn't need to ask permission to pay tribute to the fallen rapper.

"To be honest with you, I was really confused because I've been bigging up her late husband since the beginning of my career. This is not the first time I've ever done a tribute," an exasperated Joell told Flex of Liza Rios' vitriolic response to his song. "I thought everything was all smooth between us. I thought that was peoples, and I kinda feel like she still is peoples! I'm still confused. This is the same woman that asked me to perform for her husband on stage with his urn next to me.... Rest in peace, the dude's urn was on stage and she told me how honored she was that I'm keeping the Latin hip-hop thing moving and 'My husband would have been so proud of you' and then here we are a few years later and she says 'How dare me.' I don't get it."

Joell went on to address Tony Sunshine and Cuban Link's comments with signfigantly less apprehension, plainly stating, "If Cuban Link wants to talk to me, I'm pretty sure he can find a way to get to me. He didn't have to do that."