EWING CELEBRATES 20 YEARS OF BIG PUN’S PLATINUM ALBUM ‘YEEEAH BABY’
Honoring the Legendary Christopher Rios, Hip-Hop’s First Latin Artist to Go Platinum
On April 4, 2020, Big Pun’s posthumous rap album Yeeeah Baby celebrates its 20th anniversary and that calls for celebration. After two successful partnerships that honored his debut album and his Puerto Rican heritage, Ewing Athletics is back to celebrate another milestone in the legendary Christopher Rios’ life: the release of his second platinum album.
Released just months after Big Pun’s death in February 2000, Yeeeah Baby sold nearly 200,000 copies in its first week. The album features Terror Squad members Sunkiss, Tony Sunshine, Remy Ma, Fat Joe, and Cuban Link, as well as two of Pun’s biggest hits: “It’s So Hard” and “100%”.
The former, the album’s single, became a historic music video directed by Chris Robinson. It showcased over a dozen cameos from iconic artists who paid their respects including Busta Rhymes, Nas, LL Cool J, Xzibit, Diddy, DJ Clue, Wyclef Jean, Prodigy, Raekwon, Method Man, Funkmaster Flex, Lil Kim, Missy Elliot, Noreaga, Kayslay, Chino XL, Tony Touch, Jennifer Lopez, and even then-unknown DJ Khaled. Meanwhile, the track “100%” – a Puerto Rican anthem – showed that Pun had more to offer than just the hardcore lyricism canonized on his debut album Capital Punishment.
To celebrate this posthumous album properly, Ewing Athletics created a bold 33 Hi designed with the Rios family. Draped in a rich patent leather upper that flaunts a different red hue depending on the light, the shoe features an iridescent shine inspired by the sparkle of the baguette diamonds on the iconic album cover. That shine is echoed in the icy outsoles, which feature metallic flecking, while “Yeah Baby” hits the heels.
Pricing: The Ewing 33 Hi ‘Yeeeah Baby’ drops March 27 for $140 at EwingAthletics.com.
Photography by Noah Goldowitz