Shyne, a rapper who has gone from songwriter to politician, has made a stunning personal metamorphosis.
Few could have predicted that Shyne, a platinum-selling rapper signed to the Bad Boy record label, would one day become a powerful politician in his native Belize.
The former Sean “Diddy” Combs protégé informed his 223K Instagram followers that he was leaving Belize to travel to the United States to meet with domestic legislators about expanding trade between the two countries. It’s a remarkable turn of events for Shyne, who was deported from the United States in 2009 after being convicted of felony weapons charges.
Shyne, who was born Jamal Michael Barrow in Belize, was recently appointed to lead the conservative opposition party in Belize after his predecessor, Patrick Faber, was deposed by a scandal.
Shyne is the second-generation of a political dynasty, as his father, Dean Barrow, was Belize’s prime minister. Before taking his current role, Shyne served in the country’s House of Representatives.
The rapper, whose self-titled first album went platinum in 2000, informed his fans that he paid tribute to Martin Luther King Jr.’s grave at the King Center and visited with local dignitaries.
House Rep. Hon. Erica Thomas, the vice chairwoman of the Georgia Democratic Caucus, was one of people Shyne spoke with.
“We had a lengthy, productive meeting,” Shyne penned. “We discussed tourism, cultural exchange, education, economy and crime. [She] is very excited about Belize.”
