 | This article may require copy editing for promotional tone, overly detailed content. (March 2024) |
Moses "Shyne" Barrow | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Shyne in 2021 | |
| Leader of the Opposition | |
| Assumed office February 1, 2022 | |
| Prime Minister | Johnny Briceño |
| Preceded by | Patrick Faber |
| In office June 25, 2021 – September 16, 2021 | |
| Prime Minister | Johnny Briceño |
| Preceded by | Patrick Faber |
| Succeeded by | Patrick Faber |
| Member of the Belize House of Representatives for Mesopotamia | |
| Assumed office November 11, 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Michael Finnegan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Jamal Michael Barrow November 8, 1978 Belize City, Belize[1] |
| Political party | Belize United Democratic Party |
| Occupation |
|
| Musical career | |
| Origin | Brooklyn, New York City, U.S. |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Years active | 1996–present |
| Labels | |
Moses Michael Levi Barrow (born Jamal Michael Barrow, best known by his stage name Shyne; November 8, 1978) is a Belizean rapper and politician. He is the Leader of the Opposition in the Belize House of Representatives, and the leader of the Belize United Democratic Party. Barrow was born in Belize but moved to Brooklyn in New York City as a child and began to rap as a teenager. He is perhaps best known for his 2000 singles "Bad Boyz" and "Bonnie & Shyne". He also wrote and performed on a number of multi-platinum albums, such as Usher's Confessions, Lil Wayne's Carter IV, Notorious B.I.G's Born Again, Mase's Double Up, and Puff Daddy's Forever among other top-selling albums during his tenures with his former labels, Bad Boy Records and Def Jam Recordings.
Shyne and his mother lived in the Brooklyn neighborhood of East Flatbush, where after he was discovered as he was freestyling in a barbershop, he became a musician and rapper. On the verge of releasing his debut album, on the evening of December 27, 1999, he went to a nightclub with his mentor/label boss Sean Combs, and Combs' then-girlfriend singer/actress Jennifer Lopez. An argument broke out in the club between Combs and another man, guns were drawn, shots fired, and three bystanders were injured. In June 2001 he was convicted of assault, and sentenced to 10 years in prison. His 2000 debut album was nevertheless a success, and he continued to record music while incarcerated.
While serving his prison sentence, Shyne became interested in Judaism, became observant – practicing Orthodox Judaism, and officially changed his name to Moses Michael Levi Barrow in 2006. After he was released from prison in 2009, he was deported to Belize. In 2010, he moved to Jerusalem, where he spent his time studying the Torah up to 12 hours a day. He returned to Belize in 2013, and was appointed the Belize Music and Goodwill Ambassador, charged with the sustainable development of the music industry in Belize, and donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to develop it.
Shyne was elected to the Belizean House of Representatives in the 2020 general election, as a member of the center-right Belize United Democratic Party. He became the Belize Leader of the Opposition in the House of Representatives and the leader of the Belize United Democratic Party, in both June 2021 (until September 2021) and February 2022.