Shyheim Dionel Franklin, known mononymously as Shyheim, is an American rapper and actor from Staten Island, New York City who was a well-known Wu-Tang affiliate. He is largely known for having released his debut album at only 14 years old. Shyheim was also associated with Wu-affiliated group GP Wu.

Shyheim was raised in the Stapleton Houses, a housing project in the Stapleton neighborhood of Staten Island where Wu-Tang Clan was founded. Having known RZA’s brother 9th Prince since the second grade as his next door neighbor, 9th Prince eventually introduced Shyheim to RZA and Ghostface Killah, leading to his lifelong affiliation with the Wu-Tang movement. Shyheim also became closely affiliated with GP Wu, a local rap group from Stapleton, and by age 11 he was being mentored by Big Daddy Kane.

With the help of producer RNS, who was monumental in shaping his early sound, Shyheim signed an approximate $350,000 record deal with Virgin Records in 1993 at age 13. He appeared later that year in a live freestyle at Madison Square Garden alongside Big Daddy Kane, The Notorious B.I.G., 2Pac, and Big Scoob. Throughout 1993, Shyheim recorded his debut album with help from RNS and GP Wu, but the album’s release was delayed due to complications with the court system caused by Shyheim’s age. He was, however, able to release his hit single “On and On” that year. In 1994, Shyheim finally released his debut album AKA the Rugged Child, and was subsequently praised as a child prodigy.

After its release, Shyheim immediately began working on his second album, and he was “transferred” from Virgin Records to Noo Trybe Records following a distribution deal between the two labels. His second album The Lost Generation was released in ‘96, and is often praised as one of his best albums.

Shyheim was attacked in a Staten Island nightclub in 1997, and was cut across the face with a box-cutter; he ended up needing about 350 stitches. Although he attributes this attack to the “$100,000” of jewelry he had on and being a naïve kid, Shyheim describes the attack as a turning point in his life, as he was left scarred and paranoid, and the once “child prodigy” was forced to carry guns in order to protect himself.

Further solidifying himself as one of the main “Wu-Tang Killa Beez”, Shyheim signed to Wu-Tang Records around 1998, amassing a handful of appearances and features on Wu-affiliated albums. In 1999, he released his third album, Manchild, which was executive produced by Wu-Tang’s RZA.

In 2000, Shyheim was arrested for an armed robbery that, as of 2020, he alleges he did not commit. Facing a possibility of up to 15 years, Shyheim pled guilty in order to avoid a maximum sentence; he was sentenced to two years in prison, and was released around 2003–04. After being released, Shyheim was no longer signed to a label and his career saw a string of underperforming releases for nearly a decade. In 2014, Shyheim was once again arrested, this time for a hit-and-run that left one person dead. After pleading guilty to second degree manslaughter, Shyheim was sentenced to 14 years in prison; he was released early in 2020.

Since being released from prison, Shyheim has focused his efforts into starting The Rugged Road to Recovery, a program dedicated to helping people overcome addiction. Shyheim has been open about his mother’s struggles with drugs, as well as his own.