After 25 years, former rapper Shyne finally says forcefully and without ambiguity that he was the “fall guy” in the notorious club shooting in 1999 that involved Diddy. Shyne was convicted in that violent episode and slapped with a 10-year prison sentence.
Shyne had accompanied his boss Diddy — whose monikers then were “Puffy” and “Puff Daddy” — and his then-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez to a club event in New York near the turn of the century. When a fight broke out, shots were fired, and bullets struck three people. Shyne was subsequently implicated in the melee despite maintaining his innocence.
Shyne completely transformed his post-prison life
Shyne, whose full name is Shyne Barrow, completely transformed his post-prison life. After serving nearly the entire sentence, the Belize native forswore a career in rap, was repatriated back to his home country, converted to Judaism, and soon commenced a career in local politics. He is the current leader of the Opposition in Belize.
Shyne said the recent lawsuits against Diddy have unearthed painful memories
The issue of the actual shooter was excavated recently after former Diddy employee, producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, filed a civil lawsuit stating that Diddy allegedly admitted he was the shooter. That inspired one of the shooting victims to say publicly that she was looking at Diddy when he fired the shot that injured her. She even volunteered to have one of the bullet fragments removed from her nose if investigators or prosecutors requested it.
Meanwhile, Shyne said these occurrences have forced him to revisit his painful past.
“It opens wounds when you hear, you know, the victim saying that, you know, it was Diddy that shot her… I’ve done my best to put it behind me and to move forward. But it certainly reopens the wounds that I’ve been saying this all along, everyone knew all along that I was the fall guy,” Shyne said, according to the local news station Channel 5 Belize. “But my political enemies and, you know, detractors try to make me into, you know, this criminal. But everyone knew that I was a young kid that took the fall. Everyone knew that that was the story.”
He refuses to go further than that. He adds that he is grateful for what Diddy has done for Belize. However, he would like to see justice be served.
“I am relieved that people are saying what the truth is, that I did not shoot those people… victims are vindicating me. Witnesses are vindicating me, but I have moved on, I am not trying to relive that,” he said.
“I am appreciative of whatever contributions that Diddy has made to help the people of Belize. I wish him well and I pray for him, and I pray for the alleged victims. And if it is true, may justice be served and if it’s not, it’s a tragedy because a global icon would have been destroyed.”
