Shyne Says in ‘Honorable Shyne’ Trailer He Was ‘Set Up to Be the Fall Guy’ in 1999 Club Shooting Involving Diddy
Shyne (born Jamal Barrow) served eight years behind bars for his role in the 1999 NYC nightclub shooting involving Diddy. The former Bad Boy rapper is telling his story of evolving from rapper to politician in The Honorable Shyne documentary.
Hulu released a trailer for the feature doc on Tuesday (Oct. 22) ahead of its arrival on the streaming giant on Nov. 18. At one point in the clip, Shyne alleges that he was “set up” to be the “fall guy” in the club shooting, which led to Diddy getting off scot-free.
“I was absolutely set up to be the fall guy,” Shyne claimed. “I spent 10 years in prison, but I was able to move on. There’s a time to pivot, there’s a time to transition.”
The scene pivots to a Diddy press conference following the club shooting, which the mogule attended with his girlfriend at the time, Jennifer Lopez. “I had nothing to do with a shooting in this club,” he emphatically stated.
Shyne’s heart turned cold while watching other artists thrive throughout the 2000s, while he himself lost out on his opportunity at stardom behind bars.
“One of the most difficult parts of it was watching everybody succeed. Watching 50 [Cent],” he said. “I spent 10 years in prison, but I was able to move on. There’s a time to pivot, there’s a time transition. And that’s how I got into politics.”
Following his sentencing in 2001, Shyne was released from prison in 2009 and immediately deported to Belize. He pivoted to a career in politics, and currently serves as the Leader of the Opposition in the Belize House of Representatives.
Shyne commented on the nature of his current relationship with Diddy following the embattled Bad Boy mogul’s arrest on federal sex trafficking and RICO charges in September.
“I was defending him, and he turned around and called witnesses to testify against me,” he recalled of the 1999 shooting. “He contributed … he pretty much sent me to prison. That is the context by which you must always describe that [relationship]. I forgave. I moved on. But let us not pretend as if I was in Miami for Thanksgiving and Christmas.”
Shyne added at the time: “So, let us not lose sight of what the cold, hard facts are. This is not someone who I vacationed with and who he and I enjoyed this great, intimate relationship of brotherhood. This is someone who destroyed my life and who I forgave and who I moved on and for the better interest of Belize”
The Honorable Shyne arrives on Nov. 18. Watch the trailer below.
Michael Saponara
Billboard