Shyne Claims Diddy Never Offered Him Money To Be The Alleged Scapegoat For Club Shooting

Shyne is airing out all his grievances and reflections regarding the 1999 club shooting that involved Diddy and landed the Bad Boy artist in jail. He continues to allege that his boss made him a scapegoat in this case and threw him under the bus when he’s the one who should’ve been guilty. The rapper and politician went on The Stephen A. Smith Show to promote his upcoming Hulu documentary and also elaborate on these allegations. Specifically, he posited that Sean Combs never offered him any compensation or support when he allegedly took the fall that he shouldn’t have had to take.

“In my words, I said so many years ago back in 2001,” Shyne said of the Diddy situation. “It was me talking about not snitching on Diddy and not getting him in trouble to get myself out of trouble. I said that 20-odd years ago. I’ve always maintained in every interview I did until recently when I healed and I moved on and I forgave, but for years I was saying what a creep I thought he was and how he destroyed my life and at one point, I thought he was the devil. But because of the power of Diddy, which is so loud as far as a pop culture icon, nobody listened. So I moved on. And I pivoted my life to healing, to forgiveness and to taking accountability for what I can control. And I can’t control what someone did to me decades ago.

Shyne Speaks About Diddy To Stephen A. Smith

“I can’t control them not wanting to pay reparations, not wanting to make it right,” Shyne continued. “People say, ‘Oh, Diddy gave me millions to go to jail.’ Nothing! Probably made two what I thought were offensive contributions over the last 20-something years, which led to a breakdown in the relations. But I moved on. So yes, was I the sacrificial lamb? Of course. Did I take the fall? Yes. There was no quid pro quo. There was not, ‘Listen, we’re gonna have $10 million waiting for you when you come out,’ or just do the right thing. I did that on my own. I’ve been saying that, it’s not anything new.”

“Mr. Combs categorically denies Mr. Barrow’s allegations, including any suggestion that he orchestrated Mr. Barrow to ‘take the fall’ or ‘sacrificed’ him by directing witnesses to testify against him,” Diddy’s team stated to Billboard concerning Shyne’s claims. “These claims are unequivocally false. Mr. Combs was acquitted of all charges related to the 1999 Club New York incident and has consistently maintained his innocence. He cannot accept or condone any characterization of his actions as ‘demonic’ or malicious. Mr. Combs appreciates the path Mr. Barrow has pursued and wishes him continued success. It is unfortunate that Mr. Barrow has chosen to revisit these allegations. Mr. Combs trusts that responsible journalism will weigh both the established legal outcomes and Mr. Combs’ positive, longstanding support for those he has worked with.”

About The Author

Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022.

Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case.

Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.