In July 2004, Billboard said, "This summer may end up as the season of Shyne. The MC, now imprisoned for assault, was once viewed as the future of Bad Boy Records. He re-emerges with a multimillion dollar deal with Def Jam Records for his Gangland imprint. "More or Less" is the first offering from Shyne's highly anticipated album, Godfather Buried Alive," due Aug. 10. The single's haunting track, which samples Lamont Dozier's "Rose," serves as a backdrop for Shyne's booming voice. Lyrically, he showcases his honed, thought-provoking writing skills: 'Hip-hop ain't responsible for violence in America/America is responsible for violence in America... The schools didn't want me/So, the drug dealers taught me/Simple math/Step on it twice and bring it back.' R&B programmers have been slow to champion this single. Expect that to change. Soon." Shyne was found guilty of gun possession and sentenced to 10 years in prison for the now infamous shooting incident at Club New York in December 1999 in which three people were wounded. Billboard also shared in a later article, "Shyne is one of hip-hop's most controversial stars. Given his previous affiliations with Sean "P. Diddy" Combs and his current imprisonment, the Brooklyn N.Y.-based MC has been through a lot in the past few years. It's no wonder, then, that "Godfather Buried Alive," his second set and first for Gangland/Def Jam, has been so eagerly anticipated. Shyne still knows how to strike a hardcore stance, as evidenced on the lead single, the Kanye West-produced, Lamont Dozier-sampling "More or Less." On "Jimmy Choo," which features Ashanti, Shyne shows his softer side. Cont'd below....
"Other highlights include "For The Record" (which is aimed at 50 Cent) and the East Coast Gangsta mix of "Behind the Walls" featuring Kurupt and Nate Dogg. However, Shyne is at his most impressive when he is contemplative, as on the melancholic "Martyr," where his reflections on life and death have real emotion." In 2006, Vibe reported, "Citing New York's revised "Son of Sam' law preventing criminals from profiting from their crimes, a judge freezes royalties from 2004's Godfather Buried Alive as well as Shyne's $500,000 Island Def Jam advance. Shyne reportedly sought a release from his label after clashing with L.A. Reid over poor promotion for his album." Vibe's earlier review said, "Godfather Buried Alive pieces together the political possibilities and the street arrogance of a pre-jailed Shyne," and rumored a supergroup of the "Firm proportions" between Shyne, Jay-Z and Foxy Brown. What would you have thought of that? Different, coulda been ill, who knows! Revisit it...