Shyne Dropped By Def Jam?

Around this time last year, Shyne talked about wanting to leave Def Jam for Cash Money. Well, according to producer Ken Lewis, he's free to go not get his album released by Cash Money, because he's been dropped by Def Jam. Take it away, HipHopDX and Ken:

DX: You worked on Shyne's album Godfather Buried Alive, and you were also mixing all of his upcoming album, right?

Ken Lewis: Well, I mixed 18 songs for the upcoming album and produced two, but he got dropped from Def Jam [Records], and I haven’t heard from him since.

DX: I didn't even realize he had been dropped from Def Jam—

Ken Lewis: Yeah, that may not be common knowledge. [Laughs] That might get me in trouble. His release date was splattered as May 17 all over the world, but the day came and went, and I never heard from Shyne again. I don't really know what happened to him, I just know that as far as I’m concerned, 'm not a part of that record anymore.

Whew! Looks like we dodged a bullet there. Now if only we could every recording studio in Belize to stage an NBA-esque lockout against Shyne so we could be assured no more music from Shyne torture.

Oh, and speaking of music from Shyne torture, HipHopDX also asked Kenneth about Shyne's new style. Check out what he had to say:

Ken Lewis: As he told me, he didn't want to be the same guy that was locked up. He's like, 'I don't want to put my mother through that again, I don't to go back to that old guy.' It was a conscious decision for him to change his vocal style and his flow. A lot of people didn't get it and wanted him to go back to the old Shyne, but he had enough belief and integrity in himself to say, 'As far I'm concerned, I'm rapping for the people in streets and in prison, I don't give a fuck what the critics think.' So love him or hate him, you've got to respect him for knowing who the audience he's trying to reach is, and speaking directly to them and sticking to it and not trying to mold himself to whatever the flavor of the day is.

So Shyne made the conscious decision to purposely make shitty music... and he's blaming that decision on his mom? Really? I bet his mom is at home re-living this scene from "Talladega Nights" and replacing "Ricky Bobby" with "Jamal Michael Barrow Moshe Levi Ben-David." Also, aren't people in prison feeling bad enough already, now Shyne wants to dedicate his struggle music to them? Sorry guys, that bid up north just got a lot harder.

SOURCE