In 2014, Liza Rios sued Fat Joe and Jellybean Benitez/Jelly's Jams in Federal Court in New York for non-payment of royalties due to the Big Pun Estate after many many years of non-payment of royalties. An expert report showed some $2.3 Million in royalties that were unpaid by the joint venture between Jelly's Jams and Fat Joe's music publishing company but the parties settled for an undisclosed amount. Fat Joe was never dismissed from the case! In 2016, as a result of the case there was a settlement that included the majority of Big Pun's music publishing rights being returned to Big Pun's family. In addition, the Estate obtained control over the Big Pun artist accounts with Loud/Sony and Atlantic that were unrecouped. Returning the music publishing rights and artist royalty was not a voluntary act on Fat Joe's part, it happened as a result of the lawsuit being filed against him.

Fat Joe stated for many years that he gave Liza Rios $1 Million Dollars when Big Pun died which was a complete falsity! He was unable to produce any documents in Federal Court that showed that he paid $1 Million Dollars to Liza Rios for Big Pun's family after Big Pun died.

N.O.R.E.'s recent comments are uninformed and simply wrong, Liza has never claimed that the recording contract that Pun signed with Terror Squad/Loud Records/Sony was unfair or that it was the basis for her claims against Fat Joe. Fat Joe has otherwise publicly defamed, harassed, maligned and taunted Liza Rios for years. Now, he is attempting to "extort" an undeserved apology from Liza Rios to stop blocking the Estate from many music and TV/film business opportunities! Fat Joe needs to apologize to Big Pun's family not the other way around.

Miss Jones' recent statement that she is receiving publishing income from Big Pun's music publishing catalog is untrue, and is an unsupported by any documentation that the Estate has or received in the law suit or that can be seen on any public music publishing websites. We request that Miss Jones provide the Estate with the documentation that supports her statement, as any such funds properly belong to the Estate of Big Pun.

Finally, to all of you online bloggers and would be reporters who want to report on the Big Pun/Fat Joe saga ask any members of Terror Squad if they are receiving their artist or publishing royalties?? We won't be surprised to hear if they are not!!!

Finally, Liza Rios has remained silent about issues related to Fat Joe since the lawsuit was settled in 2016 until last week when the N.O.R.E. made his uninformed and blatantly wrong comments about the reason for the rift between Fat Joe and Liza Rios. Fat Joe is due no apology !!!

Contact:

Lita Rosario-Richardson, Esq. of LITA ROSARIO, PLLC

Phone: 202-904-0227

Email: [email protected]

IG:OfficialBigPun http://instagram.com/OfficialBigPun

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