He may have a successful record but he can’t make a phone call. Jailed rapper Jamal “Shyne” Barrow lost phone privileges after officials learned he was doing business behind bars. He used the jail house phone for interviews and recording music. His debut record for Island/Def Jam (on his own Gangland Records label) is expected to enter the Billboard charts in the top five this week with sales around 170,000. Shyne also lost face-to-face interview privileges. Over the past few months, he has been interviewed by Vibe and The New York Times among others.

Shyne is incarcerated in New York’s Clinton Correctional Facility. The state’s “Son of Sam” law prevents inmates from profiting from their crimes. Barrow has made over 100 business calls since his incarceration in 2001. He was convicted for his involvement in the infamous 1999 NYC club shooting in which Sean “P. Diddy” Combs and Jennifer Lopez were implicated. When news of Shyne’s album began to hit the media, victim’s rights groups were angered and this may have led to the decision to take away his phone rights. Although state laws clearly state that inmates are prohibited from calling cell phones and calling reporters as well as conducting business, it is clear that Shyne was able to do these things for a long period of time.

The 25-year-old rapper’s album Godfather Buried Alive is his sophomore CD. The New York Post has also reported that he has signed model Devon Aoki to his record label for a $1 million dollar contract. Shyne’s first album was released on P. Diddy’s Bad Boy label. After the shooting and the trial, P. Diddy dumped the young rapper. Shyne has claimed that he was sold out by his former mentor. His new record addresses the incident.