Almost every single article and review written about 20-year-old Jamal "Shyne" Barrows has mentioned the infamous Brooklyn nightclub shooting that resulted in his attempted-murder charge or the similarity he shares with the late rapper Notorious B.I.G.
Shyne
Shyne
Bad Boy/Artista Records
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Shyne does sound uncannily reminiscent to Biggie at first listen. It's not just that his husky voice and the way he punctuates his rhymes are dead ringers for Biggie, Shyne is also a compelling storyteller. But the subject matter of Shyne's rhymes on his self-titled debut are mostly different than Biggie's. Those who are buying Shyne's album solely based on the Biggie comparison will probably be disappointed by it.
While both rappers rap about survival in the streets, Biggie's themes of material wealth and getting with the ladies are less of a recurring theme on Shyne's album. His rhymes aren't as compellingly prophetic as Biggie's are. The overall musical production on Shyne's album is also not as radio- or club-friendly as those of Biggie's albums.
The rapper declares his agenda at the very beginning of the album and announces his anti-American sentiments, then proceeds to recount the nightmarish reality of inner cities to prove his point. While this has certainly been done by most rappers out there, Shyne does it in a way that is more vivid and less annoying than many other East Coast rappers like Cam'ron, The Lox and the Murder Inc. crew.
Shyne's album is more musically adventurous. His currently hit single "Bad Boyz" is one example of the diverse sound you can expect on the album. Featuring reggae artist Barrington Levy, the track is captivatingly exotic and totally infectious. The album boasts another collaboration with Levy as well as some techno flavors.
The album ultimately rises above most of the current crop of hip-hop releases because of Shyne's storytelling ability. The lack of other hip-hop artists' guest appearances on this album (there are only three) help tremendously to maintain the album's consistency from beginning to end.
