Endangered Species

Unlike Biggie’s flimsy final opus, Big Pun’s meticulously produced posthumous album, Endangered Species, pays proper respect to the fallen hip hop heavyweight. Classics like ”Twinz (Deep Cover ’98)” and ”Still Not a Player,” and previously unreleased gems like ”Mama” (featuring Boriquan balladeer Tony Sunshine) and ”How We Roll” (with Pun’s three children singing hook), breathe new life into the legendary Latin lyricist’s repertoire. Collaborators such as Fat Joe, Nas, Noreaga, and Raekwon also drop rhymes, making ”Species” the year’s first hip hop essential.