SHYNE'S BIO
As a child, he was spurned by his father due to his illegitimacy and mixed ethnicity. Shyne is said to be a practicing Jew. Born in Belize, Barrow relocated with his mother to Brooklyn, in New York's Flatbush district at about age 13. Despite some time on the streets in his early teens, Shyne subsequently held down a steady job while continuing his education and pursuing his interest in music. He was fortuitously overheard rhyming in a barbershop by producer DJ Clark Kent, who, noting the young rapper's vocal similarity to the late Notorious B.I.G., steered him towards Combs and Bad Boy.
A protégé of P. Diddy who had been touted as the new star of Bad Boy Entertainment following the Notorious B.I.G.'s death, Shyne's career was left in the balance by his indictment on an attempted murder charge in January 2000. His involvement in the previous month's notorious nightclub incident (at Club New York on December 27, 1999), in which his mentor was also embroiled, hampered the promotion of his debut album. At the same time, however, the encounter raised Shyne's street credibility.
In 1998, Shyne signed a lucrative deal with the company, making low-key appearances on various Bad Boy compilations and solo albums while working on his own debut album. Immediately following the nightclub fracas, Shyne was brought center stage in the ensuing media circus. He was freed on bail in time for the release of his debut single "Bad Boyz", which featured vocal contributions from Barrington Levy. His self-titled debut, a gangsta rap album generally panned by the media as an uninspiring and mediocre, was eventually released in September. Shortly thereafter, on June 1, 2001, Jamal Barrow was charged in a New York court with first-degree assault, gun possession, and reckless endangerment. The trial was presided over by New York State Supreme Court Justice Charles Solomon, who commented that Shyne was intelligent and talented, but nevertheless guilty. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison, a sentence that Shyne is still serving at Clinton Correctional Facility as of 2005.
Meanwhile, Puffy and his bodyguard, Anthony "Wolf" Jones, were acquitted of all charges. The seeming abandonment or betrayal of Shyne (some fans and journalists have labelled him as Puff Daddy's "fall guy") has driven a wedge between them, with Shyne leaving Bad Boy Records for Def Jam.
Album cover for "Godfather Buried Alive"
Album cover for "Godfather Buried Alive"
Since his imprisonment, Shyne has gone on to release his sophomore album, Godfather Buried Alive. On the album he dissed various artists, namely 50 Cent (on the track For the Record) The album has been criticised as being incomplete and underpromoted by his label, with several tracks having been literally "phoned in" from prison. He did enjoy one modest hit from the album: Jimmy Choo, a song that featured the vocal stylings of R&B singer Ashanti. He is now signed to his own Gangland imprint on Def Jam Records.
Goodfather Buried Alive sold more than 500,000 units. Shyne now protest disent towards Def Jam and now in searching other record labels to release his music. The Black Wall Street Records and Death Row Records have persued interest in the rapper.
It's Ok
Shyne Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Uh-huh, like that
Geah, uhh
Ten bricks nigga in the air, hold tec
It's that motherfuckin nigga named Shyne
Nothin but cum for these bitches, love none for these bitches
It's that motherfuckin nigga named Shyne
What's my motherfuckin name? Put a bullet in your brain
Leave your shirt stained, guns and cocaine
It's the best of a V&E
I'm like homes in Charlie's Angels, y'all never seein me
Heavenly indeed, measure me a key
My moms was a virgin when she had me
I rock flows, top O's, better yet, sell it wet
Tape ki's to bitches, I need the riches
Scene switches, big bitches, to hide snitches
Smile for the feds as they take pictures
It's the young G speakin; leavin niggaz leakin
Shots repeatin; around the clip somethin bound to hit
Y'all motherfuckers was counterfeit
Eat a dick and choke, as I sniff coke
Shyne pro, watch how you pronounce the shit
G'z up, hoes down while you motherfuckers bounce to this
Before your dog you're dyin and bustin your iron
Take the stand you're lyin, it's ok
If you cook it, cut it, watch - flooded
Hit niggaz in public and bitches love it, it's ok
If you hard right now as they play this in the club
lookin for somethin to fuck, it's ok
If you startin with her, it's ok
If you snotty with him, it's ok
With so much blocks in the N-Y-C
to burn 'em all down is kinda hard for me
But uhh, somehow, someway
I keep takin over motherfucker's gates like every single day
It's, the, rap, singer
Slash, coke, crack, slinger
Sling crack sling smack sling dick to dingbats
that try to pussy bootchie coochie, I'm in that
Kingpin raps, I spit 'em, fed NARC's, I dip 'em
Bentley and large rims spinnin, the shit is sickenin
My rhymes, my flow, I got all the symptoms
Rinks and links and trips to Harry Winston
Born sinner; think that model bitch I'm with is slim?
You chances of seein me are slimmer
I was through with it, before y'all knew what to do with it
Put my finger in the ground and turn the world around
Before your dog you're dyin and bustin your iron
Take the stand you're lyin, it's ok
If you cook it, cut it, watch - flooded
Hit niggaz in public and bitches love it, it's ok
If you hard right now as they play this in the club
lookin for somethin to fuck, it's ok
If you startin with her, it's ok
If you snotty with him, it's ok
From hip-hop to them hot blocks
It ain't never gon' stop; well maybe for three days
but then I'll return, more blacks to burn for more yea
Get them sittin up on Broadway (geah)
Livin the life, ridin on Twinkies
Thirty inch rims spinnin, bitches is grinnin
Roscoe on my left, wonderin where the pussy at
so I can scheme the dope, get the pussy and float
Big things, live from the Empire State
where niggaz, live in fear of a 8-48
Don't owe my favors, jewelers deliberate
Shops have me spinnin like you was doin a figure eight
Gun in your mouth bitch, got a bitter taste
Push up hard on the arms - uhh, bitter face
Guerilla pimpin indeed
Shit I'm like a perm;
somethin every girl in the ghetto need
Before your dog you're dyin and bustin your iron
Take the stand you're lyin, it's ok
If you cook it, cut it, watch - flooded
Hit niggaz in public and bitches love it, it's ok
If you hard right now as they play this in the club
lookin for somethin to fuck, it's ok
If you startin with her, it's ok
If you snotty with him, it's ok
Before your dog you're dyin and bustin your iron
Take the stand you're lyin, it's ok
If you cook it, cut it, watch - flooded
Hit niggaz in public and bitches love it, it's ok
If you hard right now as they play this in the club
lookin for somethin to fuck, it's ok
If you startin with her, it's ok
If you snotty with him, it's ok
In Shyne's song "It's OK," the rapper creates a persona of a gangsta, boasting about his criminal exploits and drug dealing. With lines like "Ten bricks nigga in the air, hold tec," and "Tape ki's to bitches, I need the riches," Shyne portrays a life of violence and drug trafficking. He also references his mother's virginity, claiming to be heavenly and measured like a key. Shyne compares himself to Charlie's Angels, saying that people will never see him, highlighting his level of control in his criminal empire. His lyrics also reference his affinity for sex and his ability to handle snitches. Overall, "It's OK" is a glimpse into a dark and dangerous world that exists beyond the boundaries of legality.
Line by Line Meaning
Ten bricks nigga in the air, hold tec
I'm holding ten bricks of cocaine and a gun in case someone tries to take it from me.
It's that motherfuckin nigga named Shyne
I'm Shyne, and I'm a badass rapper.
Nothin but cum for these bitches, love none for these bitches
I don't care about these women, I'll sleep with them but I have no love for them.
What's my motherfuckin name? Put a bullet in your brain
My name is Shyne, and if you don't know it or disrespect me, I'll kill you.
Leave your shirt stained, guns and cocaine
I'm carrying a gun and cocaine, and if I have to use the gun, it'll get messy.
It's the best of a V&E
I'm the best at what I do and represent the V&E gang.
I'm like homes in Charlie's Angels, y'all never seein me
I'm like the hidden character, Charlie from Charlie's Angels - no one knows who I am or where I'm at.
Heavenly indeed, measure me a key
I bring heaven-like quality and amazing deliveries; and sell a key of cocaine for money.
My moms was a virgin when she had me
My mother was a virgin when she gave birth to me.
I rock flows, top O's, better yet, sell it wet
I'm a great rapper, I control the illegal drug flows, and sell them at their highest potency.
Tape ki's to bitches, I need the riches
I sell kilos of cocaine and give it to women so that I can gain more wealth.
Scene switches, big bitches, to hide snitches
I change locations to avoid being caught and use overweight women to conceal informants from recognizing me.
Smile for the feds as they take pictures
I smile to the police while they take my picture as evidence, but it doesn't matter because I'm still free.
It's the young G speakin; leavin niggaz leakin
I'm the young gangster speaking, and when I shoot someone, they're left bleeding on the ground.
Shots repeatin; around the clip somethin bound to hit
I'm shooting repeatedly, and someone is bound to get hit by my bullets.
Y'all motherfuckers was counterfeit
All of you are fake gangsters compared to me.
Eat a dick and choke, as I sniff coke
I don't care what you think, and while I'm snorting cocaine, you can choke on a penis.
Shyne pro, watch how you pronounce the shit
My name is Shyne, pronounced 'sheen,' so say it right and respect me.
G'z up, hoes down while you motherfuckers bounce to this
I represent the gangsters, while women are beneath us, and you can jam to my music.
Before your dog you're dyin and bustin your iron
If someone attacks my loyal friend, my gun will be blazing and ready to kill.
Take the stand you're lyin, it's ok
If someone testifies against me in court, I'll know that they're lying, and it's okay because I won't get caught.
If you cook it, cut it, watch - flooded
When you sell cocaine, make sure to cut it properly because it can become over-flooded with water.
Hit niggaz in public and bitches love it, it's ok
When I commit violent acts in public, women find it attractive, and I'm okay with it.
If you hard right now as they play this in the club lookin for somethin to fuck, it's ok
If you're horny while my music is playing in the club and looking for someone to have sex with, it's okay.
If you startin with her, it's ok
I'm okay with you starting a fight with a woman because I don't care about them.
If you snotty with him, it's ok
You can be rude to people because it doesn't matter to me.
With so much blocks in the N-Y-C to burn 'em all down is kinda hard for me
There are a lot of streets in NYC, and it's challenging for me to take over all of them.
But uhh, somehow, someway I keep takin over motherfucker's gates like every single day
Somehow, I keep taking over areas and becoming more powerful every day.
It, the, rap, singer Slash, coke, crack, slinger
I rap and sing, and I also sell a variety of drugs like cocaine and crack.
Sling crack sling smack sling dick to dingbats that try to pussy bootchie coochie, I'm in that
I sell drugs to fools that try to act like they're tough and get women, but they can't, and I'm in that game too.
Kingpin raps, I spit 'em, fed NARC's, I dip 'em
I'm like a kingpin who raps, and I spit rhymes that the police can't understand or catch onto.
Bentley and large rims spinnin, the shit is sickenin
I drive a luxury car, and its rims are so large that it's causing others to feel sick about how incredible it is.
My rhymes, my flow, I got all the symptoms
I'm a great rapper, and my style is infectious.
Rinks and links and trips to Harry Winston
I wear expensive jewelry and enjoy visiting high-end jewelry stores like Harry Winston's.
Born sinner; think that model bitch I'm with is slim?
I was born with the tendency to sin, and the model I'm with is skinny, do you think I care if you judge me?
You chances of seein me are slimmer
The chances of you ever seeing me or understanding me are slim.
I was through with it, before y'all knew what to do with it
I was already ahead of the game and successful before you even had the chance to start playing.
Put my finger in the ground and turn the world around
I'm so powerful that I can turn the world around and control it.
From hip-hop to them hot blocks
I went from being a successful rapper from the hip-hop genre to owning the most dangerous blocks in the city.
It ain't never gon' stop; well maybe for three days but then I'll return, more blacks to burn for more yea
The violence and success will never stop; it may pause for three days, but then I'll be back, destroying more neighborhoods for my gain.
Get them sittin up on Broadway (geah)
I'm getting so rich that I'll have people sitting on Broadway waiting to see me drive by.
Livin the life, ridin on Twinkies
I'm living a great life, driving around on expensive cars with huge rims.
Thirty inch rims spinnin, bitches is grinnin
My rims are so large, women are impressed and happy to see me.
Roscoe on my left, wonderin where the pussy at so I can scheme the dope, get the pussy and float
I have my gun with me, looking for women to have sex with, and while I do that, I'll sell drugs and make money.
Big things, live from the Empire State
I'm doing big things and performing live in the Empire State building.
where niggaz, live in fear of a 8-48
In this dangerous city, people live in fear of the police's 8-48 raid and arrests.
Don't owe my favors, jewelers deliberate
I don't owe anyone anything, and jewelers are willing to work with me for money.
Shops have me spinnin like you was doin a figure eight
Stores are selling so much of my merchandise that it's as if I'm doing a figure eight.
Gun in your mouth bitch, got a bitter taste
If you mess with me, I'll put my gun in your mouth, and it'll taste terrible.
Push up hard on the arms - uhh, bitter face
When I push my guns hard against my enemies' arms, their face twists in bitter pain.
Guerilla pimpin indeed
I'm an unconventional pimp, who is aggressive and intelligent.
Shit I'm like a perm; somethin every girl in the ghetto need
I'm like a perm hairstyle that every woman in the ghetto needs and wants.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JAMAAL BARROW, MATTHEW THOMAS ARTHUR SELIGNAM, JALIL HUTCHINS, THOMAS MORGAN ROBERTSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind