S. Samuel
Former Bad Boy Records artist Shyne breaks his silence on Diddy and how he viewed his ex-boss after taking a ten-year prison sentence in the September XXL Magazine.
In his cover story, Shyne talks about not understanding Diddy’s method for not standing up for him during their 2000 court battle over a New York City nightclub shooting.
“I don’t know whether he was nervous, afraid,” Shyne says of Puffy. “When you’re afraid and you’re emotional, that’s a different survival tactic. Those are the people that do anything, regardless of character and integrity, to preserve and protect themselves, regardless of who they hurt. I guess maybe that was the situation. Never been in a situation like that, where he facing years, and he got hundreds of millions and all that shit at stake. But where I’m from, doesn’t matter. You lose everything for your comrade. Again, if you’re in battle, I’ll catch a bullet, too. It ain’t like, Yo, he’s dead. Don’t make no sense for me to die, too. Nah, I’ma die, too! So you hope or you take for granted that all men are the same. But I know all men are not.” (XXL Mag)
He also speaks on what lessons he learned after serving nearly ten years behind bars.
“I looked at bein’ in the pen for 10 joints as my opportunity to concentrate, to get things in perspective. And I never let it devastate me, although it was devastating, because I never thought I was gonna be in jail for 10 years. I thought I was gon’ make a bail. I thought I was gon’ get my sh*t reversed. I’m terribly optimistic.” (XXL Mag)
Shyne’s time behind bars stemmed from a shoot-out at a New York City nightclub in 1999.
The fracas broke out on December 27, 1999, at a Manhattan nightclub where Shyne, Sean “Diddy” Combs with then-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez and their entourage had been partying. Around 3 a.m., Combs and Shyne allegedly began arguing with another group of patrons. Someone threw money at Combs, a gesture of disrespect, and guns started going off. Three bystanders were shot. Shyne, who police found with a pistol in his waistband, was arrested after bystanders identified him as one of the shooters. Shyne received a 10-year prison. Barrow has always claimed he acted in self-defense and only fired his gun after the other group, Matthew “Scar” Allen and his crew began shooting. (About)
Last February, Shyne inked a record deal to Def Jam Records.
“I have come here to stand by Shyne and to officially kick off our partnership with Island Def Jam Music Group and Gangland Records and so it is really an honor to be here, really very special place,” Island Def Jam CEO LA Reid said from Belize. “I am here because great people are worthy of traveling many many miles for it and I come here to say that your country is great and I hope you guys know that this is a great man from your country who deserves this kind of respect and who deserves this kind of support. So that is why we are here.” (7 News Belize)
The new XXL Magazine September issue drops August 10th.
Check out Master P speaking with SOHH about Shyne below:
