Belizean politician and rapper Shyne was signed to Sean “Diddy” Combs’ Bad Boy label in 1998. The 45-year-old, who is now the Leader of the Opposition in the Belize House of Representatives and the leader of the Belize United Democratic Party, was expected to have a fruitful career.
His first album, Shyne, peaked at number 5 on the US Billboard 200 and number 2 on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. But as previously reported by Face2Face Africa, his promising career, unfortunately, took a nosedive after he was sentenced to 10 years in prison on assault, reckless endangerment, and gun possession charges for a shooting incident at Club New York in New York City in 1999. Three people were injured in the aftermath of the shooting.
Combs was dating Jennifer Lopez at the time, and they were both at the club during the shooting. He was, however, acquitted on gun and bribery charges in connection to the incident, XXL reported. Shyne was deported to his home country in 2009 after serving almost nine years of his sentence despite appeals to allow him to remain in the U.S. He reportedly hadn’t naturalized as an American citizen and was a green card holder at the time.
In a recent interview with Channel 5 News back in his home country of Belize, Shyne, whose real name is Moses Michael Levi Barrow, touched on Combs’ recent arrest and how the embattled music executive “pretty much” sent him to prison.
“When I was an 18-year-old kid, just wanting to do nothing other than make my mother proud and make Belize proud and, do what all of us want to do, be recognized for our talent and take over the world, I was defending him, and he turned around and called witnesses to testify against me,” Shyne said about Combs, per The Independent.
“He pretty much sent me to prison,” Shyne, who was born in Belize and moved to New York to join his mother at a young age, claimed. “That is the context by which you must always describe that relationship. Yes, I forgave. I moved on. But let us not pretend as if I was in Miami for Thanksgiving and Christmas.”
“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,” Shyne added. “This is someone who destroyed my life, and who I forgave, and who I moved on, and for the better interest of Belize, because he was in a position at that time to give scholarships and to maybe invest.”
He continued: “I would not deny attempting to bring the investment to Belize and contribution to education to Belize.” Touching on Combs’ current legal woes, the 45-year-old said: “Do I take any joy with what he is going through? Absolutely not. I am different than other people — no one needs to fail for me to succeed.”
Federal agents on Monday arrested Combs at a Manhattan hotel. The 54-year-old, who is currently being held without bail, has been charged with sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has entered a not-guilty plea.
Combs’ lawyer also maintains his innocence amid the serious allegations. Combs is accused of orchestrating “Freak Offs,” described as elaborate, produced sex performances that he directed, recorded, and sometimes participated in.
Combs allegedly drugged victims to keep them compliant for days and used recorded footage as blackmail. Prosecutors also claim he used guns to intimidate and threaten his victims. Combs’ arrest comes about six months after agents with Homeland Security raided his Miami and Los Angeles homes in connection with a federal sex trafficking investigation. The Bad Boy Records founder is also facing multiple sexual assault lawsuits.
The embattled music executive’s recent legal woes started after CNN shared a video of him assaulting his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura at a Los Angeles hotel in 2016. The rapper and music executive had initially denied allegations of rape and abuse from Cassie. But he later issued an apology on social media after the circulation of the video.
Combs and Cassie started dating in 2007 and had an on-and-off relationship for over 10 years. The American music mogul signed Cassie to his label in 2005 when she was 19 and he was 37.
And Cassie, now 38, initially filed a lawsuit in New York federal court alleging that Combs brought her into his “ostentatious, fast-paced, and drug-fueled lifestyle” after she met him. The lawsuit further alleged that Combs was “prone to uncontrollable rage” and physically abused her during their relationship including punching, beating, kicking, and stomping on her.
It alleged that Combs urged Cassie to use drugs and forced her to have sex with other men while he masturbated and filmed. The lawsuit was later dismissed after both parties reached an undisclosed settlement.