Shyne Claims He Was Fall Guy In 1999 Club New York Shooting

In not-so-shocking news, rapper-turned-politician, Moses Michael “Shyne” Levi Barrow said that he was positioned as the “fall guy” in the infamous 1999 Club shooting involving Sean “Diddy” Combs at the now-defunct Club New York in Times Square.

Shyne, then 21, spent 10 years in prison for the highly publicized incident that left victim Natania Reuben and two others injured. 

In a Channel 5 Belize interview published on April 18, the ex-hip-hop artist, now leader of Belize’s United Democratic Party, discussed Reuben’s recent claim implicating Diddy as the shooter during the tumultuous event.

In March, Reuben asserted that she was struck in the face after the Bad Boy Records founder allegedly opened fire during a heated argument with a Brooklyn drug dealer named Matthew “Scar” Allen at Club New York.

She claimed that she still had nine bullet fragments in her face from the shooting that she said was done by Diddy, and Shyne recently reacted to her revelation. 

“It opens wounds when you hear, you know, the victim saying that, you know, it was Diddy that shot her,” Shyne, 45, said.

In 2001, Shyne admitted to the shooting and faced charges of first-degree assault, gun possession, and reckless endangerment. However, Diddy and his bodyguard, Anthony “Wolf” Jones, were acquitted of all charges, as reported by Billboard.

Asserting his innocence, the Belize native claimed he was framed to take the blame for Diddy by various “enemies” and “detractors” at the time.

“Everyone knew all along that I was the fall guy. But my political enemies and, you know, detractors tried to make me into, you know, this criminal,” the “Commission” hitmaker said. “But everyone knew that I was a young kid that took the fall. Everyone knew that, that was the story. I’m just saying that I maintained my innocence all this time.”

Shyne, whose eponymous album was released in 2000 by Bad Boy Records, claimed that Lil Rod, a producer involved with Diddy’s The Love Album: Off the Grid, contributed to speculation regarding Diddy’s potential involvement as the gunman. The allegations arose from Lil Rod’s eyebrow-raising lawsuit filed in February, accusing the Revolt TV CEO of rape and exploitation.

Since the shooting, the Belize native has made efforts to leave the incident in the past and move forward. Despite the lingering pain from the travesty, he finds relief in people finally speaking the alleged “truth” about the events that transpired. The Democrat applauded Reuben and Lil Rod’s bravery but said he’d like to leave the shooting in the past. 

“… I didn’t get into who did what, but the victim is telling you who did what and I understand that there are other witnesses,” Shyne continued. “Fragments were never removed so there was never any forensic testing to say who it was, but the victims are vindicating me.

Witnesses are vindicating me, but I have moved on, I am not trying to relive that. And so, 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.”

In an interview with News Nation’s Elizabeth Vargas, released on March 29, Natalia Reuben, 52, claimed that it was Diddy, not Shyne, who shot her in the face during the Club New York shooting. She asserted that she witnessed the rapper-turned-entrepreneur pull the trigger and said she would be willing to have the fragments removed to implicate him.

“I saw Mr. Combs … pull out a black gun with his right hand,” Reuben told Vargas. “I literally watched them pull out the guns, I had a clear point of view. I mean, for God’s sake, I got shot in my nose. I was facing them directly. I watched everything occur and have described it, vehemently to all parties involved.”

Reuben added; 

“I’m willing to have a doctor remove a part of the nine-millimeter bullet in my face so that they can use it as evidence if need be for this trial, and it may cost me my life.”

What do you think about Shyne’s recent statement?