Jamal Shyne Barrow Facing Deportation

Rapper Jamal “Shyne” barrow – the eldest son of Prime Minister Dean Barrow was released from a federal prison in New York today. He has spent eight and a half years out of a 10 year sentence for a shooting in 1999. But the news tonight is that the 31 year old Shyne Barrow isn’t a free man and he may be facing deportation – that could mean back to Belize – the country he left when he was 7.

On its website - the New York Department of Correctional Services indicates that Shyne Barrow – who legally changed his name to Moses Michael Leviy - was released today. But multiple news reports on the internet are that Shyne Barrow was released into the custody of ICE – the Immigration and Customs Enforcement. They are now reportedly deliberating whether or not to deport Shyne Barrow who was born in Belize but had a U.S. green card – giving him permanent residence status. That is unconfirmed – but what we do know tonight is that Shyne’s fate is uncertain.

His relatives in Belize who include his uncle and aunt Michael and Dianne Finnegan say they are following developments closely and we will keep in contact with his mother – Imeon Myvette who is Finnegan’s sister. Shyne was tried and convicted in 2001 for the incident which occurred in 1999. He was convicted of assault in the 1st degree, criminal possession of a weapon, reckless endangerment, and assault. It was believed at the time that Shyne took the fall for his record label boss Sean Combs.

http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=15191

Shyne, rapper and son of PM might be deported to Belize

Not much has been heard of Jamal Barrow until 2000 when he release his first album “Shyne”, named after himself. The rapper, the son of Prime Minister Dean Barrow, left Belize at an early age for the United states where he was recruited by Bad Boy Records. His hit song was “Bad Boyz” featuring Jamaica’s Barrington Levy, but Shyne ran into problems with the law ten years ago and having served time, he is now facing deportation to Belize. News Five’s Jose Sanchez has a look at what’s next for the rapper.

Jose Sanchez, Reporting
He was born Jamal Barrow, son of Imeon Myvette and Prime Minister Dean Barrow. His mother migrated to the USA when he was a boy. That was during a time when people still asked “Where is Belize?” But this kid and occasional bad boy had a talent for spouting lyrics and he wanted to shine.

Shyne, became his artist name and he linked up and got a record deal with Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, who signed him to his Bad Boy Entertainment label. His voice was critically compared to Hip Hop icon, Biggie Smalls. But any Belizean can tell you that the voice is his father’s. Shyne’s career was about to skyrocket, but on December twenty-seventh, 1999, while partying at Club New York with Combs and then girlfriend Jennifer Lopez, two persons were shot. Behind the haze, Shyne was seen holding the smoking gun.

Shyne was convicted on two counts of assault, reckless endangerment and gun possession for the shootings. In June of 2001, the twenty-one year old rapper was sentenced to ten years. His relationship at the time had soured with Bad Boy C.E.O. Sean Combs.

While incarcerated, he released a sophomore album called Godfather buried Alive which featured Barrington Levy in the track “Bonnie and Shyne.” In 2006, he changed his name to Moses Levi, to reflect his conversion to Judaism.
On Tuesday, Shyne was released from State custody but detained once more because he is not a US citizen. According to his attorney, Oscar Michelen, he could be deported.

Oscar Michelen, Attorney for Shyne
“He’s a permanent resident alien of the US. He was transferred yesterday from state custody into federal custody while they determine what his immigration status will be, we are fighting and arguing that he should be allowed to stay here in the country and the government is looking at whether they may deport him.”

Jose Sanchez
“He was born in Belize; he was in the US most of his life. Why doesn’t he have US citizenship?”

Oscar Michelen
“I never asked him why his mother never formalized his citizenship and I think it was just a matter of not getting around to it. He was very young if you remember, he was nineteen or twenty when he was convicted. So it’s not like he’s an old man. He never really had much of an opportunity as an adult to do it himself. His family never got around to doing it.”

Jose Sanchez
“With the way things have changed since nine-eleven do you think that might have an impact on the outcome?”

Oscar Michelen
“Yes of course, everybody knows that obviously, nine-eleven has made it more difficult for permanent resident aliens who have been convicted of crimes to stay in the country.”

Shyne has kept close contact with his uncle and Housing Minister Michael Finnegan.

Michael Finnegan, Shyne’s Uncle
“He’s in good spirit, extremely good spirit. His mother is sort of concerned, as any mother would be, but the boy is in good spirits. But if anything ih wah come home and he will be where—well yoh know I raise ah. When ih mother went to di states and me and my wife were his guardian, so if ih have to come back dah Belize ih gwein right dah Goldson Avenue and I wah—he will be comfortable there. All the accommodations are being made to accommodate him if he has to come back in Belize. He wants me to make immediate accommodations for him if he has to come back. That is the worst case scenario.”

Oscar Michelen
“We have hired immigration lawyers who are in Buffalo New York now, working on his case and we think we have some very strong arguments for his staying in the country. So we’re hopeful that we will be able to avoid deportation and we’re actually waiting to see what results our immigration lawyers can obtain for our client. He wants to stay here in the country and that’s the goal that we’re trying to achieve for him.”

Jose Sanchez
“What arguments do you have in his favour?”

Oscar Michelen
“Well, first of all, he was a model prisoner. He served his complete sentence. There are victims in the shooting incident; he has a pending civil lawsuit here. Many times when you are a party to a civil lawsuit, you can’t be deported while the civil lawsuit is pending. So that’s one of the other arguments and we’re continuing to try to resolve the civil case and the best way that the plaintiff can be made whole is if he is allowed to earn his maximum income while here in the states.”

Michael Finnegan
“His father’s child and he has been very instrumental in trying to resolve di problem that does exist out there with him.”

Jose Sanchez
“Okay, so he does keep in contact with the family.”

Michael Finnegan
“It's his child. That’s his child and I think he has been very faithful to his son in terms of trying to communicate with him and trying to resolve whatever matters of obstacles weh face ah no.”

In a few days his status in the U.S. will be determined. Whatever name he uses in his career, the rapper has already shined. Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.

But how hot are Shyne’s prospects in the music industry? Take into account that while in prison he had guest appearances on tracks sung by Ashanti, Foxy Brown, Kanye West, Usher and Keisha Cole.

http://www.channel5belize.com/archive_detail_story.php?story_id=25478

Shyne Will Have A Home on Goldson Avenue

The Prime Minister’s oldest son, Jamal Shyne Barrow, latterly known as Moses Michael Leviy is still in custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement at an unspecified holding facility in Western New York state at this hour. As we told you last night, he is being held pending deportation to Belize. Shyne was released from the Clinton Correctional Facility – the largest maximum security prison in New York State – yesterday – but was immediately detained by Immigration and Customs officials. That’s because Shyne who migrated to the United States when he was 7 - is a green card holder and standard US policy is that permanent residence holders who have been convicted of a violent crimes are deported to their home countries. But his attorneys are fighting deportation because Shyne’s home is in New York and so is his future as a recording artist.

His Uncle Michael Finnegan who is just back from Detroit
Michigan today told us that he has been in constant and close contact with his sister Imion Myvett, who is Shyne’s mother. She lives in New Jersey and is waiting for her son to come home to her but Finnegan admits that right now they can only hope that he will get there, if not, he will end up coming to this home in Belize.

Michael Finnegan, Uncle of Shyne Barrow
“He has been released from the prison and he is being attended to or being held by the immigration authorities. The matter will be dealt with by a well known immigration lawyer and he is being supported by Professor Overtree, you know the guy that was connected to Barack Obama campaign, well known professor, and as I understand from them while I was there yesterday, the process would want to appear to be looking kind of positive. But as a family we are not over, we don’t want to be too confident because any number can play once you’re dealing with court matters.

Yuh know dah me raise him so if he have to come back home he will come back to Goldson Avenue where he started out from. He is in good spirits.”

Jules Vasquez,
“Was he expecting that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement would have intercepted him?”

Michael Finnegan,
“Yes we knew that would happen but he had the differed legal people in play so that when this happened, they can process the necessary documents and so on and carried it from there.”

Jules Vasquez,
“Have they indicated if and how soon he will be deported?”

Michael Finnegan,
“But that is what I am saying to you, I don’t know if he will be deported. I know there are legal challenges that are being made by his attorneys and I would want to believe that those matters would be able to be resolved next week or the following week. So we’ll know shortly.”

Jules Vasquez,
“Do you feel sadness knowing that my nephew had to endure all these struggles?”

Michael Finnegan,
“Well yuh know I am a tough man but two times I cried in my adult life; when he was first sentenced to prison and when he was released on the 6th, on Tuesday.”

Jules Vasquez,
“You cried on Tuesday why?”

Michael Finnegan,
“Just the emotion and the feeling. Dah part of me that and also his father, he has been very instrumental in trying to resolve his legal problems that he has over there.”

Finnegan told us that just as a back up plan – he is preparing living quarters at his home on Goldson Avenue if Shyne is deported. Whatever the case, when he is released Shyne has two multi-million dollar recording contracts pending. Make no mistake, Shyne Barrow is a big star in the recording industry – his eponymous first album sold nearly a million copies. Hi second album, recorded and released while he was incarcerated sold just under half a million copies.

http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=15203

Shyne Awaiting Deportation

Jamal Shyne Barrow is awaiting deportation to Belize, but when is it going to happen? That’s the question no one seems to have a definite answer to. His uncle Michael Finnegan told us again today that he has not gotten any updates.

But whenever he is deported – and that will be soon – it is expected that Shyne would go through the same procedure that any deportee does. The standard procedure is that deportees arrive in Belize without handcuffs or restraints, are processed by police personnel at the airport and then taken down to the CIU office in the Queen Street police station where they are photographed, and then set free.

In the case of Shyne, that will be the first taste of freedom he will have had in almost 9 years. That it will come on Queen Street and not 5th and Broadway may be a matter of some personal regret but for a man coming off long stint in prison, we suspect it will hardly matter. According to US media sources, after Shyne is deported, he will continue the fight to get a pardon but he’ll do so from Belize.

His father, Prime Minister Dean Barrow has written a letter to the Governor of New York David Paterson asking for a pardon that would allow him to resume normal residence in the United States where he grew up along with his mother and grandmother.

http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=15329

Shyne Returns Home to Belize on Wednesday

Shyne is coming home on Wednesday. 7News has confirmed that Jamal Shyne Barrow, who now calls himself Moses Michael Levy will be deported from New York and arrive on a Continental Airlines Flight from Houston on Wednesday afternoon. It is expected that he will be greeted at the airport by his Father Prime Minister Dean Barrow and his Uncle, Housing Minister Michael Finnegan.

When he arrives, it will be his first breath of freedom in almost 9 years and it will be only the second time since the 31 year old has returned home since he left nearly two decades ago.

His Uncle Finnegan is building an extension on his Goldson Avenue home for him. He told us two weeks ago that he expects Shyne will resume his recording career utilizing his CARICOM Citizenship to gain access to recording studios in the Caribbean.

http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=15352

Shyne Will Touch Down at 2:40

Jamal Shyne Barrow is tonight spending his last night in custody as he’s headed home tomorrow. Barrow will leave a New York Immigration Detention facility tomorrow morning and board a Continental Airlines flight from Buffalo, New York. He is scheduled to arrive in Belize at 2:40 tomorrow afternoon.

Word is that he is being accompanied by his legal advisor Charles Ogletree. He will be met at the airport by his father, Prime Minister Dean Barrow and his Uncle, Housing Minister Michael Finnegan.

Indications are that Barrow will be cleared to go free after he is processed by police at the international airport. We’ll have full coverage of course, and you can tune in for that tomorrow.

http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=15370

Hard deal if he took the fall for Combs. And it may seem unreasonable that he's being sent back to Belize, considering he's been in the US since he was a child . . but let's assume he did the crime and did the time. People have to learn that there can be very long reaching consequences for bad behaviour.

That said, there's more than a few criminals up here that I wish could get sent back home. For Shyne, it's too bad he didn't commit the crime and do the crime in Canada. He'd probably be chillin' in Vancouver or TO by now.

Shyne freed in Belize; mother and father welcome him at airport

Shyne Jamal Barrow is back in Belize. He arrived at two-forty this afternoon at the Philip International Airport where he was met by family, fans and the media. The famous rapper began his journey after six this morning when he left the detention center in Buffalo New York in the company of a U.S. Marshall. After stops in Houston he landed as scheduled. News Five Jose Sanchez reports from the P.G.I.A.

Jose Sanchez, Reporting
The prodigal son returns. Born Jamal Barrow, commonly known as Shyne, the son of Prime Minister Dean Barrow, inhaled his first breath of freedom after nine years of incarceration for a club shooting in New York. That taste of freedom coincided with his homecoming at the Philip Goldson International Airport this afternoon. More than the usual number of cameramen and photographers were waiting to get a glimpse of him as he exited the Continental flight. Fans were also waiting to see the rapper who changed his name to Moses Michael Leviy.

DJ Busch, Shyne Fan
“To witness Shyne getting his freedom, that’s my main thing for being out here.”

Jose Sanchez
“As a man who is into music, what does this really mean for you?”

DJ Busch
“Right now everything means to be for Shyne being out of jail is just the freedom. The celebrity status, we know Shyne before he has blown up to be on the TV and everything because he was a youth from King’s Park. But now my main thing out here is to just see him out and free. That’s all I'm based on right now; to see him out with my two eyes and see that he’s free.”

Jose Sanchez
“When we’re out, should we expect to hear some of Shyne’s music in the clubs this weekend?”

DJ Busch
“Well, I’ve never stopped playing Shyne. From ever since I have not stopped playing Shyne. I bought one of his original albums from Diddy’s album and from then I was a fan of Shyne.”

Berrisford Frazer, Shyne Fan
“Fi see wah Belizean come home wid stats, wid enough stats and den we want si ah get wah break now and mek wi big ah up fi Belize and den afta dat now we could go from deh and mek wah lee money. Ih good fi di economy anyway.”

Robert Vellos, Shyne Fan
“The guy Shyne I knew him from Chicago when I was over there, never paid much attention to him but he’s a Belizean and I’m so proud that at least he came back home and we greet him with a lot of dignity and I hope and pray that he can push his career in Belize. I know he will not do as good as he did in the states but he will survive here because people really like him and he’ll be doing good here in Belize.”

Jose Sanchez
“Do you think this time will allow him and his father to restore the relationship they didn’t have for all the years he was out there in the states?”

Robert Vellos
“Well I presume so. I think family closeness means a lot and I guess his father would be glad enough to help him do anything in his life to progress.”

Barry Flowers
“Just to support, just to see the guy.”

Jose Sanchez
“You listen to his music?”

Barry Flowers
“All the time.”

Jose Sanchez
“Which particular song is it that you like?”

Barry Flowers
“Bad Boys.”

Jose Sanchez
“Was this the same way your process happened when you returned to Belize?”

Berne Velasquez, Deportee and Shyne Fan
“Nah it wasn’t the same process. Shyne is a giant and that man has had some great accomplishments and for him to get the publicity that he has gotten, man it’s not no catwalk. He has done what it takes to get it. So you can’t expect Shyne to be treated the way that any deportee would be treated.”

Jose Sanchez
“As a musician yourself, are you hoping to meet Shyne?”

Berne Velasquez
“Definitely, it will be cool to meet Shyne. I’m sure we’ll meet. We didn’t get a chance to meet in America but in small Belize hopefully we will.”

Shyne emerged from the plane in a Harvard Law School sweat shirt and a pair of headphones around his neck. The rapper sported a full head of parted hair. He was hugged first by his godmother then his manager and others including one of his attorneys, Oscar Michelin, followed by Pulu Lightburn. Emerging to meet him at the stairs of the VIP room was his mother Imeon Myvette. She escorted him inside for the processing of his freedom on Belizean soil. After greeting with his father in the privacy of V.I.P. area, Shyne’s uncle, Michael Finnegan, gave the media an update on his status.

Michael Finnegan, Shyne’s Uncle
“Shyne is home. He wants to say how happy he is to be home and to be a free man. He would love to have a conversation with the media but because he was legally advised by Professor Ogletree, he must not speak to the media because he doesn’t want to prejudice his situation any at all with the US government or with the Belize government. So he asked me to ask you that he don’t want to disrespect you the media, but please to understand what is going on. You could see the tears in his eyes as they hugged and the romantic situation in there especially with his Grandmother and with his father, with his younger brother Anwar, they hugged and neva want let go one another.”

Jose Sanchez
“Will there be a family dinner tonight with everybody, father included?”

Michael Finnegan
“No, there will be no—we are not a formal kind of people so we will play it by ear. His residence at my place is two weeks away from completion so he has rented a complete floor at Radisson Fort George Hotel. So every room on a floor was taken by him whether ih wah use it or noh use it. He said that after going through the eight and a half years he has gone through, he needs some privacy, he needs noh to deh round nobody, he needs just to sit down in isolation and contemplate his life. And I think that we need to respect that. If you notice, he has lost an extreme amount of weight.”

Jose Sanchez
“As uncle what were your first words to him?”

Michael Finnegan
“come yah old bwai. That’s all I said to him cause when he was small and di raise ah I used to call ah old fart. So come yah old fart, come yah old bwai. Dat dah di way we greet one another when we talk on di phone. But he’s in good spirit, he is in good health but he is a bit frail.”

Shyne, in the company of his brother Anwar, left the airport in a red Ford Expedition towards the Youth Hostel on the Western Highway where he gave a pep talk to youths. Like the prodigal son, the former bad boy, returned home to open arms. Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.

http://www.channel5belize.com/archive_detail_story.php?story_id=25675

Shyne’s first stop in Belize: surprise visit to Youth Hostel

As soon as Shyne left the P.G.I. A. with his entourage in tow, he made his way to the Youth Hostel at mile twenty-one on the Western Highway. Shyne gave a speech to the youths, but the media was not allowed to record it. Only after the speech was finished, his handlers allowed the cameras to catch him as he posed for pictures with the youths who were quite happy for the celebrity visit. His aunt, Diane Finnegan, said he identified with the youths.

Glenda Martinez, Chief Supervisor, Youth Hostel
“This was very important to us because I want him to share his experience with the youth and children in our care. I want them to recognize that in life, we make mistakes but we use it as a stepping stone to go to another level in life. Shyne is a shining example of that. He shared with us his story, he was in juvenile homes. He made a mistake, he paid the price but now he is willing to share with the youths of the Youth Hostel his experiences and to let them recognize that they can be anything they want to be in life from a janitor to a doctor, a lawyer a teacher.”

Diane Finnegan, Shyne’s Aunt
“He identifies with these kids and I think the kids saw themselves in him. The message was powerful. Unfortunately, the media was not able to capture all of that but I think this is the stage that has been set for them to have food for thought in order to start a new life and to make some positive changes in their lives.”

Justice Emanuel, Resident of Youth Hostel
“It was a really good experience because knowing somebody who came from down to bits and actually rose up to become somebody that he is today. It shows me more to make good decisions in what I do before I go to jail and it keeps me to fight for my goals and try harder and try to achieve my objectives.”

Winston Ramclam, Resident of Youth Hostel
“It means a lot to me because he shared nearly his whole fault that he was behind jail. He told everything that he was doing in jail and yeah like ih really hurt my heart to see a Belizean spend time at jail at the US and then dehn come back and dehn look different and everything so ih really give me a heartbreaker.”

Glenda Martinez
“In life you can do anything you want as long as you believe in yourself. And we want to take this opportunity to welcome Shyne.”

As we reported earlier, Shyne has rented a floor at the Radisson where he will stay until construction is complete at Finnegan’s house. According to Finnegan, Shyne is paying for the addition to the house, where he will reside while in Belize.

http://www.channel5belize.com/archive_detail_story.php?story_id=25676

Shyne Speaks:

On His Mistakes, Religion, and Future

Today Moses Leviy, known to the most of us as Shyne made his second media appearance when he visited Wesley College. It wasn’t a random stop-in, Shyne was visiting the school he attended briefly in 1993 when he last lived in Belize. 16 years have passed since then and in that time, the rapper from Brooklyn has become one of the most famous Belizeans – anywhere in the world, probably eclipsing his own father – who is the Prime Minister.

But – today it wasn’t about Shyne - he went to his old school with a special guest, his mentor and legal advisor Professor Charles Ogletree. Now, it will help you to know that US President Barack Obama also calls Ogletree a mentor as did slain rapper Tupac Shakur. He was also recently legal advisor to another famed Harvard Professor, Henry Louis Gates and Ogletree taught Barack and Michelle Obama st Harvard.

To be sure, the man has major credentials and he came to Belize on Saturday to follow up with his latest protégé Shyne. They spent the weekend in San Pedro, but this morning it was back to school for Shyne in a homecoming he probably never expected. Here’s more.

Jules Vasquez Reporting,
The entire Wesley student body congregated this morning at 9:00 to welcome for a special guest. Shyne arrived in his now trademark Harvard apparel along with his mentor and legal advisor Harvard professor, Charles Ogletree. He had warm greeting for his former principal

Shyne to Brenda Armstrong: “I am a Wesley College alumni. 1993 I was here.”

Shyne and Principal Armstrong walked over to the podium where the former student played counselor, if not role model.

Moses Michael Leviy, “Shyne”, Speaking to students:
“Good morning everybody it is a pleasure to be back in my old alumni Wesley College. I am trying to think where my classroom was at, it was probably over there. This is the most important tool that you have against all the opposition that you are going to face in life.

I came up on the streets with guys that gang banged and were into criminal activity and those tools never worked. Those tools, you either end up spending the rest of your life in prison or sleeping in a grave for the rest of your life. But with the tools that you are getting here as far as education is concerned, that is the ultimate tool and with that tool you can transcend any situation because I am just like you, you dig.

I grew up on Curassow Street. When I was coming up we didn’t even have toilets, you dig. But one of the things my uncle Finnegan and my father Prime Minister Barrow implored upon me was education, education, education, education. And I didn’t really get that, I was like, ‘yo well education whatever.’

But as I came up, my music, being Shyne and being able to go from Curassow Street and United States and sell millions of records, the only way I was able to do that is because I used to be at my uncle Denys’ house and I used to be in the corner reading a dictionary, you dig. I was very into my English. I would fail my other classes but when it came to English, I would pay attention. And if it wasn’t for that, I would have never sell any records. I wouldn’t have been able to call Jay-Z on my Iphone and I wouldn’t be able to live the life that I live and so education is very important.”

And that was the theme of Ogletree’s address as well.

Prof. Charles J. Ogletree, Shyne’s Mentor & Legal Advisor
“He has come from this very school, taught by these same teachers, by the same principal who was actually here when he was here in 1993, he stumbled up and down and you know what, look at him now. Now he can call anybody in the world because education made it important.

So I say to each and everyone of you that inspire to be the best you can be and understand that Belize has produced some of the most important people in the world. Not just in this part of Central America but in the world. And one of them stands right to my right. You see him wearing that Harvard hat, you see him wearing that Harvard t-shirt because now his spirit is that there is nothing I can’t do and I hope to see you, those of you who want to become lawyers, or want to go to a higher university, I hope to see you at Harvard University. And I will welcome you the same way I welcomed this young man, the same way I welcomed Michelle Robertson Obama, the same way I welcomed Barack Obama with open arms and with love and gratitude because you are the future.”

Ogletree – who has written extensively on race and American Criminal Justice presented a gift of his books to Wesley College while Shyne received a gift from the head girl at Wesley and he got an outpouring of love from the students. From there the group walked over to a classroom for a press conference which would give Shyne an opportunity to make his first public comments since his release.

Prof. Charles Ogletree, Shyne’s Legal Advisor
“I met Moses Leviy a decade ago and have seen the transformative powers of faith and commitment in his spirit and in his works and it is remarkable to me to see somebody who having come from such humble surroundings, having taken on the challenge of being successful as a musician and an entertainer, and the United States having captured not just the United States but the world. And then as he returns to Belize, his sole focus has been on service. That is I’ve made mistakes in my life, I’ve learnt from those mistakes, I am a new person.”

Moses Michael Leviy, “Shyne”,
“As Shyne, I think they want to hear what I have to say and what I do have to say is not, ‘listen man I am on a gangster roll.’ No listen, look what gangster roll got me. Look where it led me. And I am not telling you what to do because I am not a preacher and I am not everybody’s father but I am exhibit A of what’s going to happen if you don’t stay in Wesley College, you dig. If you don’t go to that sixth form, if you don’t try to go to the university you’re going to spend the rest of your life in the cooker or you’re going to be in the grave. That is what this is about.

This is not about any type of romanticizing. No, this is about me, this is about them, and hopefully them learning from me that listen, I don’t want to make the mistakes that he made but if you do make a mistake you can transform that mistake. That is what a mistake is, not continuing to hit yourself in the brick wall but understand this is a brick wall, I ran into it, let me tear this wall down, or let me just go a different direction.”

Prof. Charles Ogletree,
“He is a son of Belize. He is a native of Belize and everything that he is doing now in his life going forward is dedicated to this great country and to the people who are here. And as he talked to the young people today, they recognized that here is a guy who has Jay-Z on speed dial, who talks to Mark Walberg regularly, who has relationships with almost everyone in the entertainment industry, in business, and he has a huge upside of what he is going to do but again his commitment is not about money, it is not about bling bling, it is not about status in reviews, it is about service.”

And if he sounds like an advocate at a parole hearing or pardon pleading in New York State – Ogletree says it’s not that, it’s about Belize.

Prof. Charles Ogletree,
“Belize is ground zero. When you talk about his resources, his commitment, his affection, his service –it is not in Los Angeles, it’s not Brooklyn, it is not Buenos Aires.

The reality is the United States is an important country, it has been very successful in terms of the music he is doing but the reality is that if you look at the market, if you pay attention right now, the word Shyne is a global word, it is all over the world.”

Moses Michael Leviy, “Shyne”,
“Listen people sell tens of millions of records outside of the States. Quite frankly the Euro is stronger than the dollar right now. So I will make far more money in Europe and in Japan and throughout the world than I would make in the States.”

And one aspect of his universalism is faith. Shyne is now a deeply devout orthodox Jew, the product, he says, not of conversion, but of recognition.

Moses Michael Leviy, “Shyne”,
“There was no conversion to Judaism. This is a hereditary thing in my ancestry. As you know many Africans throughout Central Africa, East Africa come to Belize. You have Stann Creek and Manatee, you have old Africans there. So this is not a conversion but nonetheless in life you are what you are and that is who I am. I don’t want to be like Michael Jordan, I want to be like Moses or King David or King Solomon. Those are the guys that I aspire to be like. I didn’t want to be like the kingpin on my block, I want to be like the guy that part the seas. That is the reason why I took that name because my life is one big red sea.

Religiosity isn’t my thing. I think we have to understand what this means. David, King David was the king, the biggest king in the world and he had 1,000 wives, you know we drive Lamborghinis and Ferraris and that’s what he did. He was a global jetsetter but that doesn’t mean you don’t have a relationship with the person that created the universe. Talking to God don’t make me holier than you. I am just trying to get to the man that architect the world so he can make me know what I need to do to be successful in travels but that doesn’t mean I am more pure or more holier than anybody. As I said I am actually worse than most people. I need to work on myself more than you do. So I need to talk God more than most people.”

But his faith doesn’t mean his lyrics will go soft.

Moses Michael Leviy, “Shyne”,
“I would like to make that type of contribution, that kind of Marvin Gaye contribution, you dig, but at the same time we curse, at the same time life is violent, life is troublesome sometimes so don’t expect my music to be sanitized. I am just going to talk about what’s going on in the world.”

And, we imagine, he will also speak about lessons learnt from eight and a half years in prison.

Prof. Charles Ogletree,
“He served every minute, every minute. There was no parole, there was no probation. Take every ounce and they tried to break his will, they tried to break his soul, they tried to break him but he said I am going to come back and I am going to do it. He has all sorts of legal options.”

Moses Michael Leviy, “Shyne”,
“Part of that experience is a lesson of gratitude because many of us take things for granted because they seem so accessible and they seem so arbitrary but you know, that experience just allowed me to be more grateful and appreciate everything.”

It is an appreciation he says also of his mission.

Moses Michael Leviy, “Shyne”,
“I’m here to help my comrade, you dig. I am from the Professor Ogletree‘s day, back in the Bobby Seale day where being a gangster was defending your momma and your momma’s friend and making sure the police didn’t oppress us and the police didn’t abuse us and people didn’t discriminate against us, you dig. So that is what I am about. I am about service and not service in the sense that I did ten years and so now I will do service. I could be in San Pedro snorkelling right now. I don’t got to be here. You understand what I am talking about? But this is what we do, the school that I’m from. It is Barack does, this is what Michelle does, this is what Tupac did. Everybody that this man has mentored, you don’t go to his school of initiation without being about service. And service ain’t a holier than thou thing, service isn’t what you do when you do a bit. Service is what great men do.”

That is the Ogletree mantra and Shyne’s first step in that direction brought him right back to Wesley High the last place he went to school in Belize. But now instead of a point of departure, it is a starting point in what should be an interesting journey in Belize.

At the end of the classroom press conference, Shyne indicated that he was going to record some music. He has been sounding out local studios about recording options. Word from his camp is that rap mogul Jay Z may visit Shyne in Belize before the end of the year.

http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=15415

Whoa, this is some serious marketing, man . . .

No sh*t, mien. . . but that was his old rap. Should be interesting to see what his new stuff will be like.

But hey, he's Shyne'n on with that marketing team, no two ways about that. :^)

Shyne “moving on up to a deluxe apartment in the sky”

Moses Michael Leviy AKA “Shyne” has a new home. And when we checked at Renaissance Towers today, packers were moving the personal effects of businessman Luke Espat from the luxury apartment. This will now be Shyne’s new address, a far cry from the small prison cell at the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora where he spent almost a decade of his life. Shyne, rapper and son of the prime minister, is expected to take up residence today in the sprawling unit that sits atop of the Towers at Newtown Barracks, far away from Meighan Avenue or Curassow Street, in time to celebrate his thirtieth birthday this Sunday with family and friends. A peek at the furnished apartment shows it comes complete with a movie theatre, bar, guest rooms and maid quarters. Espat would not confirm the rental price but it is safe to say the price tag matches the lifestyle of the rich and famous. It is also known that negotiations include the option to purchase the multi-million dollar luxury apartment along with two units below the seventh floor penthouse that will be used by guests and agents. Once settled, Moses Leivy’s immediate plans include writing a book on his life. Another fixture expected to be seen at his new crib is the mentor of U.S. President Barack Obama. Charles Ogletree taught Obama and first lady Michelle at Harvard University and he is expected to return to visit Shyne in two weeks. Shyne’s affinity for Ogletree is evident in the fact that from the time of his arrival in the jewel, all his public appearances have been in Harvard apparel.

http://www.channel5belize.com/archive_detail_story.php?story_id=25770