Shyne, once touted as the heir to Biggie Smalls’ rap legacy, has faced a tumultuous career since 1999. The rapper was arrested and sentenced to a decade in prison for his involvement in a nightclub shooting that left a woman, Natania Reuben, injured. Despite continuing his music career, Shyne’s legacy remains overshadowed by this incident. Reuben, who claims Shyne did not shoot her, won a settlement against him, which she asserts remains unpaid.
In a candid interview on The Art of Dialogue, Reuben criticized Shyne not only for the unresolved settlement but also for perpetuating a false narrative about his innocence. “Shyne did not shoot me because he didn’t, but Shyne is a con artist,” Reuben declared. “Everybody’s like, ‘Oh, we know Shyne was innocent.’ No, you don’t know… Because he’s far from innocent.”
Shyne has consistently maintained his innocence, suggesting that he took the fall for more powerful individuals in the music industry. In an interview with Channel 5 Belize, he portrayed himself as a scapegoat, a narrative that Reuben vehemently disputes. She believes Shyne’s claims are part of his strategy to gain political leverage in Belize, where he has been active in politics.
“He’s going to jockey off of me,” Reuben stated. “Saying Shyne didn’t shoot me to try to leverage himself to get that prime minister seat. You ain’t nothing but a penny Annie Shyer, a shady car salesman, a dressed-up fraud, a liar.”
Reuben’s frustration is compounded by the rapper’s apparent failure to fulfill his financial obligations from the settlement. She highlighted the disparity between Shyne’s lavish lifestyle and his outstanding debt to her. “You still owe me money,” Reuben emphasized. “In the settlement, Shyne was responsible… He didn’t have the money to pay [then].”
Adding to the controversy, Reuben revealed that she received a $1.8 million payout from Sean “Diddy” Combs, another figure involved in the 1999 incident. However, she alleges that the settlement led to years of harassment orchestrated by Diddy. Reuben claims that Diddy has flattened her car tires multiple times and subjected her to continuous intimidation. “Not only did he pew pew me in the face,” she said. “He also set off a course of harassment against me for the past 24 years.” Diddy has consistently denied these allegations.
Shyne’s situation highlights the complexities of legacy, justice, and responsibility. While he continues to advocate for his innocence and pursue a political career in Belize, the unresolved issues from his past remain a contentious topic. Natania Reuben’s allegations and the unpaid settlement serve as a stark reminder of the lingering consequences of that fateful night in 1999.