Current:Home > MarketsSignalHub-Former Bad Boy artist Shyne says Diddy 'destroyed' his life: 'I was defending him' -FinTechWorld
SignalHub-Former Bad Boy artist Shyne says Diddy 'destroyed' his life: 'I was defending him'
Rekubit Exchange View
Date:2025-04-11 01:08:40
Rapper and SignalHubformer Bad Boy Records artist Moses "Shyne" Barrow is now speaking up about his former collaborator, Sean "Diddy" Combs.
The rapper-turned-politician was asked about the record label founder after his arrest on Monday on racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution charges. Combs remains in custody after being denied bail for a second time on Wednesday.
"One of the things that I would never wish on my worst enemy is to be incarcerated ... so I take no joy in anyone's challenges," Barrow said of his former mentor's arrest.
But Barrow, who has since made the transition to politician in Belize and serves as leader of the opposition in the country's House of Representatives, said in an interview published Thursday that the producer "destroyed" his life after a 1999 nightclub shooting in New York City.
Combs, his then-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez and Barrow were all arrested following the shooting at the now-defunct Club New York in Times Square in December 1999.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
Diddy is'fighting for his life' amid sex trafficking charges. What does this mean for him?
The politician claimed Combs offered witnesses to assert Barrow's guilt in the resulting trial. Barrow was later convicted of assault in shooting two bystanders and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Combs and an employee of his, Anthony Jones, were acquitted of weapons charges.
The now-leader of the Belize United Democratic Party was released from prison in 2009 and deported to Belize.
"When I was an 18-year-old kid, just wanting to do nothing other than make my mother proud and make Belize proud and ... be recognized for my talent and take over the world," he continued. "I was defending him, and he turned around and called witnesses to testify against me."
As a rapper, Barrow is best known for the singles "Bad Boyz" and "Bonnie & Shyne," with notable collaborations including Usher's "Confessions Part II" remix with Kanye West and Twista. Released while he was still incarcerated, Barrow is assumed to have sent in his verse over prison phone. "Sitting in my cell, head about to burst," he rapped. "Wouldn't be alive if I didn't shoot first."
Barrow said he has since forgiven Combs. The pair have made appearances together, including at a November performance in London, and at the 2022 BET Awards, where Combs received the lifetime achievement award. Barrow also defended his relationship with the producer in recent years, claiming he continued to interact with Combs to push philanthropic causes.
"This was not someone who I vacationed with and who ... I enjoyed this great intimate relationship of brotherhood," he said. "This is someone who destroyed my life, and who I forgave."
Natania Reuben, one of the victims of the shooting, maintained in an interview earlier this year that Combs was responsible for her injuries.
Victim Natania Reubeninsists Sean 'Diddy' Combs pulled trigger in 1999 NYC nightclub shooting
"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 said during an appearance on NewsNation's "Elizabeth Vargas Reports" in March. "I have nine bullet fragments remaining in my face."
The trial lasted six weeks with a plethora of witnesses. Reuben testified, "I saw Mr. Combs … pull out a black gun with his right hand," the Washington Post reported at the time, adding she then felt as though "a flaming hot sledgehammer had hit me in the face."
The victim said she assumed Barrow was convicted over Combs despite her testimony "because his name was more notable … rather than a victim who gave it firsthand account."
Contributing: Naledi Ushe
veryGood! (758)
Related
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- Nightengale's Notebook: Twins' Carlos Correa finds peace after bizarre free agency saga
- Eddie Murphy on reviving Axel Foley, fatherhood and what a return to the stage might look like
- Caitlin Clark notches WNBA's first ever rookie triple-double as Fever beat Liberty
- The company planning a successor to Concorde makes its first supersonic test
- Biden tells ABC News debate was a bad episode, doesn't agree to independent neurological exam
- Key players: Who’s who at Alec Baldwin’s trial for the fatal shooting of a cinematographer
- U.S. troops leaving Niger bases this weekend and in August after coup, officials say
- A Mississippi company is sentenced for mislabeling cheap seafood as premium local fish
- Torrid heat bakes millions of people in large swaths of US, setting records and fanning wildfires
Ranking
- Current, future North Carolina governor’s challenge of power
- Alec Baldwin is about to go on trial in the death of a cinematographer. Here are key things to know
- Boeing accepts a plea deal to avoid a criminal trial over 737 Max crashes, Justice Department says
- 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year award rankings by odds
- The Super Bowl could end in a 'three
- Tour of Austria final stage cancelled after Andre Drege dies following crash
- To a defiant Biden, the 2024 race is up to the voters, not to Democrats on Capitol Hill
- National Urban League honors 4 Black women for their community impact
Recommendation
Will the 'Yellowstone' finale be the last episode? What we know about Season 6, spinoffs
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Greece head to Olympics. Brazil, Spain to join them in Paris Games field
June sizzles to 13th straight monthly heat record. String may end soon, but dangerous heat won’t
Travis Kelce Joined by Patrick and Brittany Mahomes at Taylor Swift's Amsterdam Eras Tour Show
'We're reborn!' Gazans express joy at returning home to north
Is a great gas station bathroom the key to uniting a divided America?
Jon Landau dies at 63: James Cameron, Zoe Saldana honor 'Avatar,' 'Titanic' producer
Tank and the Bangas to pay tribute to their New Orleans roots at Essence Festival