"I PAID BIG PUN $1,000 A POUND!" STEVE RIFKIND ON TRYING TO SAVE PUN’S LIFE & BUSINESS WITH FAT JOE

In this pastl clip from My Expert Opinion EP #287, legendary music executive Steve Rifkind sits with Math Hoffa to share deeply personal stories about Big Pun and Fat Joe. Rifkind confirms the famous rumor that he offered Pun $1,000 per pound to lose weight, sending him to Duke University's health program. He reveals that Pun lost 50 pounds but left early, saying, "I want the bet to be off," to take his daughter to school—a moment that highlights Pun's generous spirit. Rifkind details his deep loyalty with Fat Joe, recalling how he signed Pun without hearing a single ounce of music simply because of Joe's endorsement and Matty C's presence. Rifkind also shares the emotional story of the time Pun gifted him a beautiful Cuban link bracelet, a promise kept months after Pun's album, Capital Punishment, shipped triple platinum.