"I was absolutely set up to be the fall guy"— Shyne opens up about Diddy and infamous New York nightclub shooting case in new documentary

Moses Michael Levi Barrow, famously known by his rap moniker Shyne, addressed the 1999 New York club shooting that changed his life in a trailer for his upcoming Hulu documentary, The Honorable Shyne. The rapper-turned-politician, who was signed with Diddy's Bad Boy Records at the time, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the shooting that left three people injured.

Shyne, who was 21 at the time of the incident, claimed that he was set up to be the "fall guy" to allegedly cover for Diddy after the shooting. Both rappers were arrested in connection to the shooting. While Diddy was acquitted, Barrow was convicted of first-degree assault and other charges in 2001.

“I was absolutely set up to be the fall guy. I spent ten years in prison but I was able to move on. There’s a time to pivot, there’s a time to transition," he said in the trailer.

Following his release from prison, Barrow quit his rap career and pivoted into politics. He has been the Leader of the Opposition in Belize since 2022. The Honourable Shyne will explore the former rapper's charges, incarceration, release, and entry into politics.

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Exploring the 1999 shooting case that left Shyne incarcerated

In 1999, Sean "Diddy" Combs, his then-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez, his bodyguard Anthony Jones, and his protege Shyne were at Club New York when an altercation reportedly broke out between Diddy's party and other patrons. The altercation resulted in shots being fired that left three people injured.

Diddy and the others reportedly fled the scene in a car but were arrested by the police after they found a stolen gun in the vehicle. While Lopez was released, the other three faced charges related to gun possession.

In a trial in 2001, Diddy and Wolf were acquitted while Barrow was found guilty of five counts and sentenced to prison, though his attempted murder charge was dropped. After being imprisoned for nearly nine years, he was deported to Belize following his release.

In a 2009 interview with Rolling Stone, the politician claimed Diddy never called or visited him in prison, despite the latter's claims that he did.

"I want it known that this supposed conversation is a figment of Sean Combs’ imagination. He never spoke with me, he never visited me nor would I ever accept a phone call or visit from him. The only way I would do either of those things would be if he stepped up and did the right thing for the victims of the incident," he said.

While Diddy was acquitted, one of the shooting victims, Natania Reuben, alleged that the rapper pulled a gun and shot her in the face. In a press conference in Belize after Diddy's arrest, Barrow also alluded to Diddy being the reason he was convicted.

The former Bad Boy artist claimed Diddy "destroyed his life" by asking his acquaintances to testify against Shyne to allegedly protect himself.

"This is someone who in essence testified against me when I was on trial, when I was an 18-year-old kid just wanting to do nothing other than make my mother proud and make Belize proud. I was defending him, and he turned around and called witnesses to testify against me and he contributed; he pretty much sent me to prison,” he said.

He added he had since forgiven Combs. When asked about Diddy's alleged "freak offs" parties, Barrow said his relationship with Diddy was strictly professional.

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The Honourable Shyne will stream on Hulu from November 18.