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.