A Brooklyn Supreme Court judge has frozen Jamal "Shyne" Barrow's assets, including royalties from sales of 2004's Godfather Buried Alive LP, until civil lawsuits filed against the rapper are cleared.

Judge Michael Garrison's decision to freeze Shyne's assets falls under New York's "Son of Sam Law," which is aimed at preventing criminals from profiting from their crimes. The law was first aimed at inmates profiting from tell-all books but has been expanded to include income from a variety of sources. Shyne signed a $3 million deal with Def Jam last year while serving a 10-year sentence for assault and other charges.

His royalties from Godfather Buried Alive and 2000's Shyne as well as his $500,000 Def Jam advance will be held in escrow until his civil lawsuits are cleared, according to Debra Reiser, an attorney for one of the shooting victims whose legal action led to Garrison's March 16 ruling.

Shyne was convicted in 2001 on two counts of assault, reckless endangerment and gun possession for his part in a December 1999 Club New York shooting incident that also involved P. Diddy (see [article id="1444188"]"Shyne Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison"[/article]). During a scuffle, three clubgoers were shot, including Reiser's client, 34-year-old Natania Reuben, who suffered a gunshot to her face. These victims have filed civil suits against Shyne for "personal injuries, pain and suffering."

For more on Shyne and how he's managing his music career from behind bars, check out the feature [article id="1489971"]"Shyne: Blessed With Curses."[/article]