Rapper-turned-politician Moses “Shyne” Barrow is recounting his journey to fame and his downfall after being signed under Sean “Diddy” Combs’s label Bad Boy. This week, Hulu released the trailer for a new documentary on Barrow’s life, “The Honorable Shyne.”
“The Honorable Shyne tells the remarkable story of Moses “Shyne” Barrow, the Grammy Award-winning musician turned politician,” the film’s synopsis read. “A rising star in the late 1990s, Shyne’s promising rap career was cut short after he was charged in a high-profile New York nightclub shooting, along with rap impresario Sean “Puffy” Combs.”
In 1999, a nightclub shooting in New York City left three people injured, leading to Barrow’s conviction for first-degree assault. At the time, Combs was in a relationship with Jennifer Lopez and faced scrutiny for his potential involvement. Throughout his trial, the founder of Bad Boy Records denied his involvement, resulting in his ultimate acquittal. Meanwhile, Barrow faced a 10-year prison sentence in 2001.
“Under no circumstances whatsoever did I have anything to do with a shooting,” Combs said in a press conference at the time, per People magazine. “I do not own a gun, nor did I have possession of a gun that night.”
As previously reported by theGrio, Barrow says Combs “destroyed” his life when he essentially testified against him during his trial. In the documentary trailer, which features cameos from his mother, Frances Myvette, emphasizing the sense of betrayal, Barrow shares his perspective on the situation.
“I was absolutely set up to be the fall guy,” the former rapper said in the film’s trailer.
“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, I was defending him and he turned around and called witnesses to testify against me,” Barrow explained in a press conference. “[Combs] pretty much sent me to prison.”
After being released and deported back to his native Belize in 2009, Barrow transitioned into national politics. He currently serves as the Leader of the Opposition in the Belize House of Representatives.
“I spent 10 years in prison but I was able to move on. There’s a time to pivot. There’s a time to transition, and that’s how it got into politics. Politics just came naturally because that made me have a purpose,” he added. “Everybody’s journey is different; mine was 23 years. I sacrificed my career and life and family to be someone with humanity, with integrity, with honor.”
“The Honorable Shyne” documentary will premiere on Hulu on November 18.