Shyne

All Music Guide:

Immortalized by a much-publicized legal skirmish that resulted in a stiff ten-year prison sentence (and an acquittal for co-defendant Puff Daddy), Shyne was well-known among the public before Bad Boy Records even released his debut -- which was, for many years, his only -- album. That album charted well, thanks in part to all the media attention he'd garnered over the years, and he showcased a remarkable talent for rapping despite his young-twentysomething age. The album wasn't an especially memorable work, however, and Shyne remained far better-known for his story than for his music.

Born Jamal Barrow, the young, gifted, and black New York rapper joined Puffy's Bad Boy camp in 1999, shortly before the episode that would define his life, which occurred on December 27th of that year. That night, a shooting incident occurred at Club New York in Manhattan. The details were initially foggy. A shootout at the club led Shyne, Puff Daddy, and Puffy's then-girlfriend, Jennifer Lopez, to flee. Three people were wounded in the shooting. Police then caught up with the fleeing Bad Boys and ultimately charged Shyne and Puffy with numerous crimes: Shyne for attempted murder in the second degree, assault in the first and second degrees, one count of reckless endangerment, criminal use of a firearm, and criminal possession of a weapon in the first and second degrees; Puffy for felony gun possession, as well as one count of bribing a witness (with a diamond ring he'd been given by J-Lo).

The court hearings in June 2000 were a media circus -- at the time, Puffy and Lopez were celebrity icons, and Shyne had become notorious overnight despite his lack of recording output. When it was all over and done with a year later, Puffy was acquitted of all charges while Shyne was convicted on two counts of assault (including a first-degree count, for shooting Natania Reuben in the face), reckless endangerment, and gun possession. In the course of the court proceedings, he admitted firing a gun at the club, though he argued that he did so in self-defense. Regardless, he packed his bags and embarked on a ten-year prison sentence (he'd faced up to 25 years in the pen, so it could have been much worse) and looked forward to his parole eligibility in, at the earliest, 2009.

Then there's Shyne's music. Just two weeks after the shooting incident, the Los Angeles Times reported that BMG, the company that owned Bad Boy at the time, was considering shelving Shyne's forthcoming debut album -- and perhaps even severing ties with Bad Boy altogether. Well, that didn't happen as commercial interests trumped ethical considerations. BMG indeed retained its very lucrative ties to Bad Boy, and Shyne's debut album did finally surface on September 26, 2000. The shooting scandal certainly helped garner interest in the release, and the self-titled album peaked at number five on Billboard's album chart. It wasn't a bona fide success, however. Neither of its singles -- "Bad Boyz" and "That's Gangsta" -- was an especially big hit despite the media-circus publicity and a strong marketing push on behalf of BMG, and the album died a quick, quiet commercial death. And that was pretty much the end of Shyne as far as most were concerned -- he was locked away in Clinton Correctional Facility, and his fan base was minimal and forgetful.

Then, four years later, in April 2004, surprise news came that Def Jam had signed the imprisoned rapper to a multi-million-dollar contract after a heated bidding war with Warner Brothers (then headed by former Def Jam CEO Lyor Cohen), and a new album would be forthcoming by the end of the year, as well as an attempt by Harvard law professor and practicing lawyer Charles Ogletree to get Shyne an early work-release discharge. (Echoes resounded quietly of 2Pac's imprisonment, his subsequent signing with Death Row, and his eventual prison release to much celebration.) That reportedly forthcoming album, Godfather Buried Alive, did surface months later in August 2004. Like its predecessor it spun off no major hits and got a weak critical response, though the album did benefit from all the media publicity, debuting very strongly at number three on Billboard's album chart and returning Shyne to the spotlight for a fleeting moment.

Wikipedia:

Moshe Levi Ben-David (born Jamal Michael Barrow; November 8, 1978), better known by his stage name Shyne, is a Belizean rapper.

Background

Shyne was born in Belize City, Belize, the son of Dean Barrow, the current Prime Minister of Belize. Shyne's once estranged father was first to welcome him back to their home country upon his return in 2009. His mother is the sister of Michael Finnegan, one of Barrow's long-time political colleagues. Shyne remained behind with his uncle in Belize City when his mother moved to the US. It was not until the age of 13 when she was able to bring him with her to Brooklyn's Vanderveer Estates in East Flatbush (now known as 'Flatbush Gardens').

Music career

Early career and Bad Boy Records

In 1998 hip hop producer Clark Kent discovered Shyne, noticing something unique in his voice. He sounded to him very similar to the late Notorious B.I.G.. At the time, Clark Kent was working on B.I.G.'s posthumous "Born Again" album.

Not long after, Shyne started making appearances on recordings made by Bad Boy Records artists. He notably featured on a remix of Total's "Sittin At Home" track and on Mase's second album Double Up, on the track entitled "From Scratch". In the same year he featured on Bad Boy Records' chief executive Sean Combs' Forever, as well as on a remix of P.E. 2000.

2000–2004

Shyne's first, self-titled album was recorded prior to the rapper's arrest, and released on September 26, 2000. The album made Billboard's number five spot on the charts and sold over 900,000 copies.

While many labels met with Shyne while he was at the Clinton Correctional Facility, the rapper ultimately signed with Def Jam Records for a $3 million contract. In 2004 Shyne released his second album, Godfather Buried Alive. The album, recorded prior to imprisonment and partially over the phone, sold 434,000 copies and hit No. 1 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop chart.

2010–Present

Shyne collaborated with artist Matisyahu on his single Messiah. He released "Roller Song" in 2010, and contributed to the "Outro" to Lil' Wayne's platinum-selling album Tha Carter IV, alongside Nas, Bun B, and Busta Rhymes.

Personal life

Club New York shooting

On December 27, 1999, Shyne and then girlfriend Monay Hawkins, who were with Sean Combs and Combs' then girlfriend, Jennifer Lopez, were involved in a shooting at a Manhattan club which left three people injured. As a result the 20-year-old rapper, whose debut album was pending release, was charged with and convicted of attempted murder, assault, and reckless endangerment. This led to rumours about Shyne's position at Bad Boy records and doubts about whether his debut album was ever going to be released.

Incarceration

On June 1, 2001, Shyne was sentenced to ten years in prison. He began serving his sentence at the maximum security prison Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora. This seemed to spell the end of his rap career and his legal team's attempts to appeal for a suspended sentence ultimately failed. Rumors that he had severed all ties with Sean Combs and Bad Boy Records proved later to be true.

He had his name legally changed, in early March 2006, from his birthname of Jamal Michael Barrow to Moses Michael Levi to reflect his grandmother's Jewish heritage. Just days later he was in court again to challenge New York's application of the 'Son of Sam' law, a law which resulted in his assets being frozen and limiting his ability to line up record deals and remain profitable. He and his lawyers argued that allowing him to make deals with record producers would also increase the value of a potential settlement with the victims involved in the night club shooting.

Despite his crimes, his incarceration drew many sympathizers, as well as the admiration of many in the hip hop community. His adherence to the code of silence, which he made reference to numerous times on his self-titled debut album, earned him a hardcore reputation in both the prison community as well as on the streets. Even while incarcerated, his name continued to be linked with several record labels. However, he was not without his detractors; fellow New York rapper 50 Cent even went so far as to call him a punk and made light of his situation and his involvement in the "night club incident". Shyne responded in kind on his 2004 release Godfather Buried Alive, with a track entitled "For the Record".

Release and deportation

On August 4, 2009, Shyne was released to his former producer Nick Dahms. A Manhattan judge signed the order that would schedule Shyne for release on October 6, 2009. Having served over 9 years of a 10 year sentence on which no terms for post-release supervision had originally been placed; at the request of the Correction Department the recent re-sentencing calls for a mandatory probation period of at least two and half years. Shyne and his attorney, Oscar Michelen had initially hoped to avoid this, with Shyne labeling it as being akin to "extra jail time". However Michelen did allow that the state was well within its rights. He was then transferred to the Woodbourne Correctional Facility, where he spent the last months of his incarceration, from Rikers Island where he had awaited his parole hearing.

There was considerable anticipation for his release in hip hop and mainstream media alike. On October 6, 2009, Shyne was released from New York State custody. However upon his release, Shyne was immediately apprehended into Federal custody. It became public knowledge a few hours following his apparent release that he had been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at a then "undisclosed detention facility in Western New York State". At least one source revealed that the facility in question was the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility in Batavia. According to his attorney, Oscar Michelen, Federal officials were reviewing the rapper's immigration status and making a determination on whether or not he would be deported to his native Belize. He went on to clarify that Shyne was in possession of a "green card" but had never been naturalized. There was some speculation that Shyne might have been released on bail in the US while his case was being resolved. However there was no real indication that a bail was ever set or notification of any change in his official status.

Although statements from his family in Belize and the US remained positive, according to Shyne's uncle, Michael Finnegan, preparations had been made in the event that the rapper was sent back to Belize. He also revealed that Shyne and his representatives had been expecting to be intercepted by ICE officials upon his release and had deferred members of his legal team to prepare the necessary documents in an effort to deal with this situation. Shortly into the developing ordeal, Dean Barrow, Belize's Prime Minister and Shyne's estranged father, sent a petition to New York Governor David Paterson to pardon his son. In 2008 Governor Paterson pardoned rapper Slick Rick who, in a similar situation, also faced deportation. Barrow stated that he'd been assured that the Governor received his letter and that it was under consideration, but that he did not expect to have any influence in swaying the decision. The family also indicated that they had sought the assistance of Charles Ogletree, a Harvard Law professor who is known for being a mentor to President Barack Obama and a part of his inner circle. On October 15, 2009 Michael Finnegan released a statement indicating that all legal matters regarding the case had been turned over to Ogletree entirely. The decision was apparently agreed to by all concerned members of Shyne's family.

By October 22, 2009 most publications were indicating that a final decision had been reached and, barring a last minute pardon from Governor Paterson, Shyne would be deported back to Belize. Shyne was deported back to Belize on Wednesday October 28, 2009 though he continued to fight for residency in the United States.

He is now living in Jerusalem as an Orthodox Jew under his new name, Moses Levi. He reportedly spends his time learning the Torah and is planning a comeback of biblical proportions.

In February 2010, the rapper was refused entry into the United Kingdom due to his criminal past. He had commenced his journey in Cancun, Mexico, but was deported upon arrival in the UK after immigration officials refused to allow him to enter the country. On February 16, 2010, Shyne signed a seven figure deal with Def Jam Records. Gangland & Messiah, are scheduled to be released in the fall of 2011, and they will be his first studio albums since his release from prison in late 2009. Shyne made a surprise guest appearance in the Matisyahu / HaDag Nachash concert in Jerusalem’s Kikar Safra on June 23, 2011. He rapped into Matisyahu’s set for “King Without a Crown”. He shouted “Free Jonathan Pollard, Free Gilad Shalit” to thunderous applause before he exited the stage. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j2HXyMjrEk

In July 2011 Shyne was confirmed to have signed a deal with Cash Money Records. Shyne appears on the track Outro from Lil Wayne's ninth studio album Tha Carter IV, along with Bun B, Nas, and Busta Rhymes.

In March of 2012 Shyne and Diddy finally reconciliation. The two were photographed together at Fashion Week in Paris and Diddy even tweeted “Me and Shyne Po front row at Kenzo #ParisIsBurning RT to da world!!!!”

In April of 2012 Shyne traveled to Kiev, Ukraine where he was a featured speaker speaker at a conference on inter-religious understanding. The conference – called Global Winds of Change: Religions' Role in Today's World;The Challenges in Democracies and Secular Societies – was aimed at bringing together members of the world's many faiths to discuss the role of religion in modern society. Oleksandr Feldman, a member of the Ukrainian parliament and the President of the Ukrainian Jewish Committee hosted the three day event.