Earlier this month, rapper Shyne called out his new label home, Def Jam Records, in a conversation with Hip Hop site, SOHH.com. “I’ve been fixing to get up out of there for a while now because L.A. Reid don’t care about Hip Hop. The people up there, they don’t know what they’re doing. When you don’t have a strong leader, where you gonna go?” said Shyne. L.A. Reid is the Island Def Jam Chairman of the Board.
In the same later, Shyne stated his wishes to explore a deal with Cash Money Records, co-owned by Birdman.
Nearly two weeks later, Shyne is now changing his public opinion with a letter published by XXLMag.com. “I was wrong about my assessment of Chairman Reid. After I stopped being all Carl Thomas emotional and things like that, I thought about the facts.” Shyne, who was believed to accept a seven-figure contract from the storied label elaborated, “Fact is L.A Reid was there when I was locked, a few feet away from death row and the Black Panthers. L.A. was on the visit floor on Rikers Island looking at me through them blinding bars, showing me he believed in that gang boy revolutionary music I make. A bond forged at the nadir of suffering [that’s] unbreakable. That’s why I chose L.A. Reid over all the other distributors. We already went through it. I’ll never forget what L.A. did for me behind that b-wall. Caged like an animal, stripped of all my rights; he gave me freedom— freedom to follow my vision. Freedom to make my momma smile after so many tears and sleepless nights weeping for her baby boy like Rachel the matriarch weeps for the Israelites.”
Shyne’s other points, including citing Reid’s sales history, and a brief rhyme offering (in the letter) are available to read in full, here at XXLMag.com.
AD LOADING...
