Shot up at 15. Dismissed as a Biggie sound-alike. Billed as the gun-toting thug in “The Puffy Trial.” Jamal “Shyne” Barrow deserved better. In an XXL exclusive convo, the Brooklyn MC declares his innocence and finally describes what happened that night in the club.
Carved into the facade of the New York State Supreme Courthouse in Lower Manhattan—literally written in stone—are the words, “The True Administration of Justice is the Firmest Pillar of Good Government.”
True administration of justice? In the criminal case of Jamal “Shyne” Barrow—what the mainstream media calls “The Puffy Trial”—the truth is still a mystery. Even as Shyne was found guilty of assault, reckless endangerment and weapons possession, questions remain as to who shot guns, who shot first and whose bullets injured the three people who got hurt.
Here are the facts:
On Dec. 27, 1999, there was a shooting at Club New York in Midtown Manhattan which injured three people. Testimony indicates that perhaps as many as three people shot guns. Yet only Shyne was charged with a shooting crime. Evidence found on the scene indicates that bullets were fired from a .40-caliber weapon. Shyne fired a 9-mm weapon. Who shot the .40-caliber gun? It isn’t clear. That means the truth may turn on the identity of a mystery gunman, a man described by two witnesses.
Should the mystery gunman have been charged with assault or attempted murder? Should Sean “Puffy” Combs have been? Can justice be done when only one of the people who shot is charged with shooting? And if that one person claims self-defense—as Shyne did—shouldn’t the alleged instigator of violence also be charged, or at least investigated?
With so many questions unanswered, it’s a wonder that anyone was charged at all.
Shyne spoke to XXL in the midst of the trial’s turmoil. It was a few days before closing arguments, and he had no idea how the jury would rule. He was firmly immersed in the details of the case, and fully determined to live by the code of the street—no testifying—even as he desired justice from the court. “I’m Gotti, nigga, for real,” he said. “I’m going out like a true warrior.”
But Jamal Barrow is not John Gotti. He’s no master criminal, making himself wealthy by extortion and intimidation. He’s a 21-year-old musician who escaped the horrors of street life, only to be pulled back into violence by the overlap between the streets and the rap world. Shyne chose to carry a gun, and while it may have saved his life, it’s also sealed his fate.
Awaiting that fate, Shyne was angry, fiercely intelligent, careful, emotional and articulate.
XXL: You appeared on Politically Incorrect recently. Bill Maher really came down hard on you and you held your own. Do you feel that his attitude represents the mainstream view of hip-hop?
His attitude represents the White, Anglo-Saxon ignorance and disease that exists in the world—people that claim America was discovered even though people was already living here. There’s a continuity in his behavior. It doesn’t disturb me because I know that ignorance exists. And I thank God that I have the power to enlighten the people rather than just let them be bombarded with his ignorance.
One thing a rap star needs to do to succeed financially is to maintain credibility. Rappers rap about being tough and it sounds great on wax. Then you get out to a club and there’s people there who try to test you. How do you deal with that?
I don’t understand why you are using the club situation, dawg. People try to test me anywhere. Here’s what I’m tryin’ to say, dawg: I’ma keep it real with you if you keep it real with me. Ask me the shit you want to ask me, and we get to the meat. I’m at a point in my life where I don’t play no games; it is what it is. So if you want to ask me what went down in the club, you do that. Other than that, a nigga get tested anywhere, man. A nigga get tested at the airport; a nigga get tested walking to the store.
Do you feel that when you were with Puffy, or now that you’re a well-known recording artist, people try to test you more often?
I don’t really put myself in the position, playboy. I keep it all the way real. I had two incidents being in this industry. One was when I got shot at in front of Daddy’s House [recording studio, in November 1999] and another one was in the club that night. Other than that I been cool. I keep it quiet, man. A lot of these rap niggas be living the life and they get caught up in the hype. I’m really not with that. I don’t have nothing to prove to nobody. I’m just a cool nigga, man.
It seems that more than one gun was fired in Club New York that night. Why do you think you’re the only one who’s been indicted for attempted murder and assault?
That’s just how they be livin’, playboy. Them kids don’t come to play. You get caught up in they backyard, they gonna jam you. The DA can charge you with anything. If he had an inkling he could have charged me with murder. Anybody can get indicted on anything, keep it all the way real. And the DA ain’t come in there with good will.
Two shots fired from the burner I had—I did have a gun. But that don’t mean I tried to kill nobody. Niggas was bustin’ at me. Niggas tried to kill me. I was just tryin’ to defend myself and I still ain’t even aim at nobody. I just shot up in the sky, like, “Yo man, let me get up out ’chea.”
You fired twice?
Yeah. Yeahhh! I mean, niggas is sayin’ they heard seven shots. That means, yo, it was two more guns fired, and I didn’t even fire first. All these people claiming that as soon as they heard the shots they got hit, so that means somebody else hit ’em, man. And the ballistics experts is talkin’ ’bout, “Yo, it could be a .40-caliber that hit these people.” You know, the fragments in honey’s [Natania Reuben’s] face could add up to a .40-caliber. And they sayin’ that she didn’t get hit with a direct shot, ’cause if she did she’d’ve died.
Whose ballistic expert was that?
The DA’s ballistics expert and my ballistics expert.
Witness David Cubilette said that a man standing next to Matthew “Scar” Allen—the man arguing with you and Puffy—fired his gun toward the ceiling. Did you see that?
Yeeeeah!
Do you know who that was…?