Shyne

Gaining notoriety in the wake of a life-changing 1999 nightclub shooting in Manhattan, for which he was sentenced to a potential 25 years’ imprisonment, Belizean rapper Shyne (born Jamal Barrow in Belize City on November 8th, 1978) nonetheless managed to launch a successful rap career from the penitentiary, with his co-defendant, Bad Boy Records head honcho Puff Daddy, continuing to back him unequivocally during his time behind bars. Scouted by decorated producer Clark Kent in ‘98 while delivering an impromptu performance at a barbershop, Barrow had instantly struck up a rapport with Puffy, who appreciated his distinctively conversational, storytelling-oriented form of delivery, signing him to his label for a rumoured multi-million-dollar advance. Having built up hype with a string of high-profile features on Bad Boy prior to his conviction, including appearances on Mase’s “From Scratch” and Puffy’s all-star anthem “Reverse”, Barrow opted to release his self-titled debut album just months into his sentence, with its lead single, the Barrington Levy collaboration “Bad Boyz”, reaching #57 on the Billboard Hot 100. Hotly anticipated – due in part to the media’s laser focus on his criminal case and widespread speculation about the events of the evening – the project peaked at #5 in the US, later achieving platinum certification. He returned in 2004 with a second LP, Godfather Buried Alive. Primarily consisting of material recorded before he was locked up, the album featured appearances from Nate Dogg and Ashanti as well as productions from Kanye West, Mike Dean and Swizz Beatz. It marked a new chart high for Barrow, reaching #3 in the US. After serving nine years inside, converting to Orthodox Judaism and changing his name to Moses Barrow, he was released in 2009 and deported to Belize, where he promptly returned to the studio, collaborating with DJ Khaled, Lil Wayne, Game and Pharrell Williams among others. In 2020, he ran for office under the United Democratic Party banner, and was elected to represent Mesopotamia in the House of Representatives.