Shyne Remixes Alicia Keys’ “Un-thinkable”, Renews Feud With 50 Cent

The rapper Shyne must really feel a little out of place — you may remember, he tasted stardom in the late 90s as a protege of P. Diddy, and then was carted off to prison to serve a ten-year sentence for his involvement in a New York nightclub shooting. Now he’s back, and the music game he knew has utterly changed. But he’s picked up the modern buzz techniques quickly: he’s tweaking pop songs in hopes of creating a viral Web hit. After releasing his own new song “Messiah” last week, he’s back again, freestyling over Alicia Keys’ hugely underrated Element Of Freedom track “Un-thinkable (I’m Ready)”. Who knew Shyne had a soft side? Better yet: who knew we’d like it? Listen below:

Think the American Idol kids would like it? We’re just saying, it’d be a nice change of pace to see Shyne on Idol Gives Back.

It is a little weird to hear Shyne on such an easy-going track, especially one with Drake in the background. But Shyne’s smart to show fans a different side of himself. It fits in with his comeback story, and from a musical standpoint, his low, gravelly vocals come off as seductive against the backdrop of Alicia’s romantic piano chords (“Un-thinkable” is also much better than his earlier attempt to tweak Rihanna’s “Rude Boy” — but then again, even Shyne’s was better than this.).

Shyne’s mistake here, though, is in taking potshots at a rapper who’s lost almost as much relevance as he has: 50 Cent, with whom he’s sparred before. “”I need a couple million, f— 50 cents,” Shyne raps on “Un-thinkable”. Why waste a verse, honestly?