Shyne is the self-titled debut album by rapper Shyne. It was released by Sean "P. Diddy" Combs'Bad Boy Records on September 26, 2000.[1] Shyne had been hyped prior to the album's release as similar in style and delivery to the deceased Notorious B.I.G. Shyne had also drawn unfavorable media attention for being convicted in June 2000 for his involvement in a nightclub shooting. Shyne was incarcerated at the time of this album's release. The album debuted and peaked at number five on the Billboard 200 and sold just under 160,000 copies in its first week.[2] It sold very well, eventually achieving Gold status.[3] It contained fewer guest artists than most Bad Boy releases. The singles from the album, "Bad Boyz," "Bonnie & Shyne" (which both feature Barrington Levy), and "That's Gangsta" were moderate hits.
Shyne received mixed reviews from music critics. Jason Birchmeier of AllMusic thought the album was "forgettable" and "far too contrived, seeming staged and overly theatrical".[4] In his review for Entertainment Weekly, Craig Seymour wrote that Shyne lacked the "insight, pathos, and humor" of the Notorious B.I.G. he is trying to imitate, but commended the production of the album.[5] Steve 'Flash' Juon of RapReviews, comparing it to the debut album Life Story of Shyne's labelmate Black Rob, saying that Shyne "lacks the charm" of the former. He described Shyne's vocals as pleasing but uncompelling, pointing out that the album doesn't have a common theme "other than the fact Shyne (or his rap persona) is a flossy criminal".[7] Kris Ex of Rolling Stone thought Shyne "could be the pinnacle of Y2K thug pathology". He described the production as "dramatic yet minimalist", but also thought Shyne's vocal performance "puts him more in league with B-team players".[8]Jon Caramanica, writing for Spin, believed the album is "saved by strong producers", who "dress up [Shyne's] rhymes in frenetic electro beats, tweaked synths, and the old steel drum", but criticized the vocals too. "If Shyne's style is twice-heard, his stories are thrice-told", wrote the journalist.[10]Kim Osorio of The Source also thought the album "sport[s] some of the hottest beats hip-hop has heard in a while", but "Shyne [...] doesn't say anything here to make listeners hit rewind".[9]
Derek A. Bardowell of NME commended the rapper, who despite "say[ing] nothing new" has an "uptight, slightly nasal vocal style [...] arresting enough to keep it interesting". Talking about the production, he added that Shyne "features some of the most original beats laced on a hip-hop album this year".[6]Uncut magazine described the album as "[t]houghtful soulful declamations delivered with a deep hued baritone".[11]
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