The rapper named Christopher Rios came out of the Bronx in the late 1990s with a wave of anticipation, a bevy of major league co-signs, and a reputation for super lyricism. Big Punisher's ability was evident from the very beginning, and Pun set a new standard for rhyming when he broke onto the scene alongside Fat Joe and the soon-to-be-famous Terror Squad.

The few who were fortunate enough to hear Shaquille O'Neal's 1995 single "Shaq, Crack and Pun" aka "The Bigger They Are" caught Pun's multisyllabic rapid fire flow early as he spit:

1997's "Twinz" (Deep Cover '98) was Fat Joe and Big Punisher's homage to Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg's 1992 classic and The Beatnuts "Off The Books" featuring Pun and Cuban Link all drove the anticipation for a solo Pun album. In April 1998, Pun dropped Capital Punishment to the satisfaction of legions of fans of his flow which he describes as a mixture of Kool G. Rap, Rakim, Big Daddy Kane and Eddie Murphy. The album starts with a skit (from the motion picture Fresh) where kids are arguing which superheroes are the best, and who can beat who. "Punisher be takin' out y'all stupid heroes", a kid says before the dark "Beware" with its Prodigy sampled hook starts. Juju of The Beatnuts blesses Pun with a string heavy mid tempo banger to set off he highly anticipated album.

Over a bouncy Rockwilder track, Thought rhymes:

Advance promo copies of the original version of "Not A Player" went out before Capital Punishment with the "Darlin' Darlin' Baby" sample by the Ojay's that served as the songs musical backbone. The remix which added Joe and a Salsa inspired track did for Pun and this album what Biggie's remix of "One More Chance" did for Ready To Die. "Still Not A Player" put Pun on prime time radio and boosted the sales of Capital Punishment considerably. It also debuted at #24 on the Billboard Hot 100 and # 6 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop singles chart. With its chanted "boriqua/morena" refrain it was a club hit and overall success.

The Domingo produced "The Dream Shatterer" is one of the more uptempo tracks on the album showcasing the intricate rhyme patterns and clever wordplay that are synonymous with Pun. The horn heavy Rockwilder produced "You Came Up" featuring N.O.R.E. is a declaration that he made it "from rappin' on the corner to possibly going platinum." Capital Punishment marks the first time that a solo Latino MC went Platinum making "We Came Up" prophetic. "Tres Leches" featuring Inspecktah Deck,and Prodigy is one of the albums better songs and the features fit the Rza produced track perfectly. "Caribbean Connection" featuring Wyclef finds Clef hardening his style to style in an effort to keep up with Pun, and he does. The two both ride the track perfectly and the combination feels organic.

"Glamour Life" featuring Fat Joe, Triple Seis, Cuban Link and Armageddon is mellow cool out track that espouses the spoils of street life while "Parental Discretion" featuring Busta Rhymes sees Bus on the animated hook while Pun rhymes about the under belly of New York and the crime ridden streets.

Capital Punishment has aged well and stood the test of time. Rolling Stone included it in their list of the 200 Greatest Hip Hop Albums of All Time at 128. The album peaked on the Billboard 200 at #5 and #1 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums.