Shyne

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Shyne
Background information
Birth name Jamal Barrow
Also known as Moses Michael Leviy, Shyne Po, Jamal "Shyne" Barrows
Born November 8, 1978
Origin Belize
Genre(s) Hip hop
Occupation(s) Rapper, record producer, actor, CEO, record executive, fashion designer
Years active 1991–present
Label(s) The Black Wall Street / The Inc. Records
Associated
acts		 The Black Wall Street, The Game, Ja Rule, Irv Gotti , The Inc.

Moses Michael Leviy (born Jamal Barrow on November 8, 1978), best known as Shyne, is a Belizean-American rapper.

Contents

[edit] Early Life

Born in Belize City, Belize to a Belizean Creole politician and a Garifuna mother. As a child, he was spurned by his father due to his illegitimacy and mixed ethnicity. Barrow relocated with his mother to Flatbush, in Brooklyn, New York City at about age 13. Despite some time on the streets in his early teens, Shyne subsequently held down a steady job while continuing his education and pursuing his interest in music.

[edit] Music Career

Barrow was fortuitously overheard rhyming in a barbershop by producer DJ Clark Kent, who, noting the young MC's vocal similarity to Notorious B.I.G., steered him towards Combs and Bad Boy. In 1998, Shyne signed a lucrative deal with the company, making low-key appearances on various Bad Boy compilations and solo albums while working on his own debut album. His debut single, “Bad Boyz,” which featured vocal contributions from Barrington Levy

[edit] Role In 1999 Shooting

A protégé of Sean Combs who had been touted as the new star of Bad Boy Entertainment following the Notorious B.I.G's death, Shyne's career was left in the balance by his indictment on an attempted murder charge in January 2000. His involvement in the notorious nightclub incident at Club New York on December 27, 1999, in which his mentor was also embroiled, hampered the promotion of his debut album. During the incident, someone came over to Diddy's entourage and threw cash at them, he then drew a gun and attempted to shoot Diddy and his then girlfriend Jennifer Lopez. Shyne opened fire while Diddy hid behind a table until a body guard came to his aid and escorted him out. On the other hand, Shyne maintains it was self-defense and that a member of the other party shot first. An innocent girl was hit in the face and the man who threw the money was shot in the leg during the altercation.

Immediately following the nightclub fracas, Shyne was brought center stage in the ensuing media circus. He was freed on bail in time for the release of his debut album (Shyne, released September 26, 2000). Shortly thereafter, on June 1, 2001, he was charged in a New York court with first-degree assault, gun possession, and reckless endangerment. The trial was presided over by New York State Supreme Court Justice Charles Solomon, who commented that Shyne was intelligent and talented, but nevertheless guilty. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison, a sentence that Shyne is still serving at Woodbourne Correctional Facility as of 2007.

Meanwhile, Combs and his bodyguard, Anthony "Wolf" Jones, were acquitted of all charges. The seeming abandonment or betrayal of Shyne (some fans and journalists have labelled him as Combs' "fall guy") has driven a wedge between them, with Shyne leaving Bad Boy Records for Def Jam. Ironically before the event occurred, Shyne rapped on the 1998 Mase track "From Scratch" stating "If I could start from scratch I’d sign with Def Jam, Nah, f**k am I saying? Puff’s the best man."

Album cover for "Godfather Buried Alive"
Album cover for "Godfather Buried Alive"

[edit] Career Since Incarceration

Since his imprisonment, Shyne has gone on to release his sophomore album, Godfather Buried Alive (released August 2004). The album has been criticized as being incomplete and underpromoted by his label. However, "For The Record" was the only track recorded over the phone for the release. He did enjoy one modest hit from the album: “Jimmy Choo,” a song that featured the vocal stylings of R&B singer Ashanti. He is now signed to his own Gangland imprint through Def Jam Recordings.

2005 continued Shyne's fall out of the limelight and into bad luck. In March, Justice Michael Garson ordered that any revenue generated under Shyne's contract with Def Jam parent IDJMG would be held in a bond until verdicts have been reached in the civil suits filed against him by the shooting victims. Garson cited the state's revised Son of Sam Law, barring inmates from profiting from their crimes. Also up for a possible review in 2005, Shyne's motion was rejected by a panel from a New York State Appeals Court. In addition, in April, Shyne's remaining assets were frozen by the Brooklyn Supreme Court However, part of his assets were unfrozen as a result of a new trial.

Shyne still records for Def Jam. Godfather Buried Alive had little success, selling only 650,000 units. Shyne is now searching for another record label to release his music, and rumors say that he will be signed to The Game's The Black Wall Street Records label or Irv Gotti's The Inc. Records.

Because of his business affiliation with The Inc., Shyne was involved in a beef with 50 Cent when 50 also wanted to sign Shyne.

[edit] Albums

[edit] Guest Appearances

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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