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Shyne

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Shyne

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

Early life

Barrow was born in Belize City to Dean Barrow, a Belizean Kriol politician (elected as Belizean Prime Minister on Feb. 8, 2008) 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. He began to sell drugs at a young age and became involved with a variety of dangerous people. He was shot by a Tec 9 submachine gun in the shoulder when he was 15 years old. [citation needed]

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, Wicho Flores from the New York bloods came over to Combs' entourage and threw cash at them, he then drew a gun and attempted to shoot Combs and his then girlfriend Jennifer Lopez. Shyne opened fire while Combs hid behind a table until a bodyguard came to his aid and escorted him away from the fracas. On the other hand, Shyne maintains it was self-defense and that a member of the other part shot first. A female bystander 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.

Shyne was freed on bail ("I gave him the money,a quarter mill, he's my man, I always supported him" Former R&B girlfriend, name withheld for publicity rights) in time for the release of his debut album (Shyne, released September 26, 2000). The album was anchored by his debut single, “Bad Boyz,” which featured vocal contributions from Jamaica's Barrington Levy. Shortly thereafter, on June 1, 2001, he was convicted in a New York court on charges of first-degree assault and reckless endangerment.[1] 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 ten years in prison, a sentence that Shyne is still serving at Woodbourne Correctional Facility as of 2008.

Meanwhile, Combs and his bodyguard, Anthony "Wolf" Jones, were acquitted of all charges. The seeming abandonment or betrayal of Shyne (some fans and journalists even 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 Ma$e track "From Scratch" stating "If I start from scratch I'd sign with Def Jam/ Nah, fuck am I saying? Puff [Combs]’s the best man."[1] Anthony "Wolf" Jones was later murdered in an unrelated incident.

Career since incarceration

Since his imprisonment, Shyne has gone on to release his second album, Godfather Buried Alive (released August 2004). The album has been criticized as being incomplete and underpromoted by his label. However, "For The Record", a diss track directed at 50 Cent as being an informer, 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.

The year 2005 continued Shyne's fall out of the limelight and into bad luck. In March, Justice Michael Garrison 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.[2] Also up for a possible review in 2005, Shyne's motion was rejected by a panel from a New York State Appeals Court.[citation needed] However, part of his assets were unfrozen as a result of a new trial.[citation needed]

On March 4 2006, Shyne changed his name to Moses Michael Leviy.[3] Shyne still records for Def Jam. Godfather Buried Alive failed to reached the heights of Shyne's debut album, selling 650,000 units and achieving gold status.[citation needed] 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.[citation needed]

On Funk Master Flex's Hot 97 show in 2004, 50 Cent and G-Unit were on air for a freestyle when 50 said "I heard Irv tried to sign Shyne so I ain't got no love for him, tell him 50 said he's soft and won't shoot up the club again".[citation needed] This being after G-unit President Sha Money XL and 50 cent tried to sign Shyne to the G-Unit imprint after he declined. The voicemail of Sha Money XL reaching out to Shyne to sign him can be heard on The DJ Rukiz & Shyne mixtape "If I Could Start From Scratch" and the diss track "For the Record".

Discography

Albums

Guest appearances

  • 1998: "Sittin' Home (Bad Boy Remix)" - Total (Featuring Shyne and Sean "P.Diddy" Combs)
  • 1998: "Anywhere (Bad Boy Remix)" - 112 (Featuring Shyne & Lil' Zane)
  • 1998: "Brooklyn Bitch" - Foxy Brown (Featuring Shyne)
  • 1999: "From Scratch" - Mase (Featuring Mysonne, Harlem World, Shyne)
  • 1999: "Gettin' It" - Mase (Featuring Funkmaster Flex) Co-Writer
  • 1999: "P.E. 2000" [Bad Boy Remix]" - Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs (featuring Shyne)
  • 1999: "Reverse" - Puff Daddy (featuring Shyne, G-Dep, Redman, Cee-Lo, Busta Rhymes & Sauce Money)
  • 2000: "I Wish (Remix)" - Carl Thomas (featuring LL Cool J, Prodigy from Mobb Deep, Shyne)
  • 2000: "Bad" - Funkmaster Flex (featuring Shyne) (appeared on Funkmaster Flex's The Mix Tape Volume 4: 60 Minutes of Funk)
  • 2001: "Behind The Walls (East Coast Gangsta Mix)" - Shyne (featuring Kurupt & Nate Dogg) (although it appears on his album Godfather Buried Alive it also appeared on OZ: The Soundtrack in 2001)
  • 2001: "It's Over Now (Bad Boy Remix)" - 112 (featuring G-Dep and Shyne)
  • 2001: "Can't Believe (Emotional) (Bad Boy Remix)" - Faith Evans (featuring Carl Thomas & Shyne)
  • 2001: "Keep It Gangsta" - G-Dep (featuring Shyne)
  • 2002: "Shyne" - Swizz Beatz (featuring Shyne & Mashonda) (he appeared on Swizz Beatz's 2002 album G.H.E.T.T.O. Stories)
  • 2003: "When I Die" - Shyne (appeared on Kanye West's "I'm Good" compilation mixtape)
  • 2004: "Confessions (Part II) (Remix)" - Usher (featuring Shyne, Kanye West and Twista)
  • 2005: "I've Changed My Mind (Remix)" - Keyshia Cole (featuring Kanye West and Shyne)
  • 2007: "Don't Matter" - Ya Boy (featuring Shyne)

real

Trivia

  • Rapper Canibus references Shyne in his song "U Don't Cee", saying "Don't forget that n**** Shyne coming home soon, and I know he hungry, I wonder what he gon' do, If you can hear me cousin..I got my money on you, what n****z sayin' on the streets is true, see you soon".
  • Was featured in the video game Def Jam: Icon under the name Jazzy B

References

  1. ^ "Rapper gets 10 years in jail". BBC News. 2001-06-01. Retrieved 2007-09-14. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ "Judge Freezes Shyne's Assets Until Civil Suits Are Settled". MTV.com. 2005-03-29. Retrieved 2007-09-15. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ "Shyne Becomes Moses, Challenges New York's 'Son Of Sam' Law". MTV.com. 2006-03-07. Retrieved 2007-09-15. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
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