Endangered Species (Big Pun album)

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}

{{Infobox album

| name = Endangered Species

| type = compilation

| artist = Big Pun

| cover = Big Pun-Endangered Species.jpg

| alt =

| released = April 3, 2001 (USA)

| recorded = 1997–2000

| venue =

| studio =

| genre = Hip hop

| length = 73:23

| label = Loud Records

| producer = Fat Joe (Executive)
Sean Cane (Co-executive)

| prev_title = Yeeeah Baby

| prev_year = 2000

| next_title =

| next_year =

| misc = {{Singles

| name =

| type = Compilation

| single1 = How We Roll

| single1date = February 7, 2001

}}

}}

{{Album ratings

|rev1 = AllMusic

|rev1score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}{{Cite web|last=Azpiri|first=Jon|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/endangered-species-mw0000001863|title=Endangered Species - Big Pun | Songs, Reviews, Credits |website=AllMusic|access-date=April 1, 2022}}

|rev2 = Entertainment Weekly

|rev2Score = A−{{cite magazine|last=Anderson|first=Tomika|url=https://ew.com/article/2001/04/09/endangered-species/l|title=Endangered Species Review|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=April 13, 2001|issue=591|page=76|access-date=October 12, 2012|archive-date=April 21, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090421131915/https://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,280768,00.html|url-status=live}}

|rev3 = NME

|rev3score = 9/10{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews-nme-4477-338977|title=Big Punisher : Endangered Species|magazine=NME|access-date=April 1, 2022}}

|rev4 = RapReviews

|rev4score = 7/10{{cite web|last1=Juon|first1=Steve 'Flash'|title=Big Pun :: Endangered Species :: Loud Records|url=http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/2001_04_species.html|website=RapReviews|date=April 7, 2001|access-date=June 3, 2024}}

|rev5 = Rolling Stone

|rev5score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{Cite magazine|last=Caramanica|first=Jon|author-link=Jon Caramanica|url=http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/bigpunisher/albums/album/254566/review/6209975/endangered_species|title=Life After Death, Pt. VII|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=May 10, 2001|issue=868|page=84|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071002120755/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/bigpunisher/albums/album/254566/review/6209975/endangered_species|access-date=April 1, 2022|archive-date=October 2, 2007}}

|rev6 = Vibe

|rev6score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{Cite magazine|last=Morales|first=Riggs|author-link=Riggs Morales|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gCYEAAAAMBAJ&dq=endangered+species+big+pun+vibe&pg=PA162|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160923093303/https://books.google.com/books?id=gCYEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA162&dq=endangered+species+big+pun+vibe&cd=1&hl=en|archive-date=September 23, 2016|title=Revolutions: Big Pun – Endangered Species|date=May 2001|page=162|magazine=Vibe|publisher=Vibe Media Group|access-date=April 1, 2022|via=Google Books|url-status=live}}

}}

Endangered Species is a posthumous compilation of unreleased tracks, guest appearances, and greatest hits by the late rapper Big Pun, released on April 3, 2001, by Loud Records, following his death in February 2000.{{Cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1439116/20010206/story.jhtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010313074642/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1439116/20010206/story.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 13, 2001|title = Big Pun Reminds People 'How We Roll' on Posthumous LP|website = MTV}} The album reached a peak chart position of #7.{{cite web|title=Billboard 200 – Week of April 21, 2001|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-200/2001-04-21/|website=Billboard|access-date=June 4, 2024}} The proceeds from the album were to be given to Pun's widow, Liza Rios, and their three children. Liza Rios claims to have only received a small royalty check from the sales of Endangered Species, and in response, auctioned off her husband's Terror Squad medallion in July 2005.{{cite web|last1=Chery|first1=Carl|title=Big Pun's Terror Squad Medallion On Sale At eBay For Diddlely|url=http://www.sohh.com/articles/article.php/7265|website=SOHH|date=June 29, 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060909193413/http://www.sohh.com/articles/article.php/7265|archive-date=September 9, 2006|access-date=June 4, 2024}}

The album's single, "How We Roll", featured then R&B-newcomer Ashanti singing the chorus. The music video for the song features both artists animated using cartoon-styled 3D computer graphics.{{cite web|last1=Markman|first1=Rob|title=Eazy-E And ODB At Rock The Bells: The Secrets Behind Their Holograms|url=https://www.mtv.com/news/3vd205/eazy-e-ol-dirty-bastard-rock-the-bells-hologram|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220928224533/https://www.mtv.com/news/3vd205/eazy-e-ol-dirty-bastard-rock-the-bells-hologram|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 28, 2022|publisher=MTV|date=September 6, 2013|access-date=June 4, 2024}} Fellow rapper and close friend Fat Joe, who was also the compilation's executive producer, revealed in the liner notes of the album that the title chosen for the compilation was in fact the original title for 2000's Yeeeah Baby.{{Citation needed|date=October 2020}} All of Pun's lyrics were included in the booklet of the disc, partly due to the limited amount of promotional tools available to the label, and partly because of a desire to emphasize Pun's technique as a lyricist.{{cite magazine|last=Baker|first=Soren|author-link=Soren Baker|date=April 8, 2001|title=Hip Hop Report: Big Pun's Gone but His Career Is Going Strong|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-apr-08-ca-48273-story.html|magazine=Los Angeles Times|pages=64, 66|access-date=June 4, 2024}}