S. Samuel
New York rapper Shyne has opened up about his admiration for Belize and how America has shaped him to be a leader for his birthcountry.
Shyne believes he can inspire his countrymen to want to be great.
“The Africans over [in the United States,] when you look at Obama — Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton…Berry Gordy, L.A. Reid, all these motherf*ckers that were able to accomplish so much — all these Africans that were considered one fifth of a man and all this hot sh*t, they were always able to take the nothing and the nightmare they had and transform it man,” Shyne said in an interview. “I don’t know, it’s something about that continent, in North America that allows motherf*ckers to go places that seem unattainable. But I bring that to my country. I feel I’m powerful enough and I’ve been conditions and trained enough to bring that to Belize. So hopefully I can inspire motherf*ckers to be in that vein of determination and drive and dreaming. That’s what America did for me and that’s what Americans do. Ya dig?” (XXL Video)
After being deported upon his release from prison last October, Shyne recently reflected on being forced to leave New York for Belize.
“I always knew it was a possibility I might be deported. I had lawyers, and I had people with serious relationships working to get me a f*ckin’ opportunity to continue my life in the place that raised me and developed me and grew me, after payin’ my debt, ya dig?” (XXL Magazine)
Shyne gave his first media press conference in November from Belize.
“Nobody’s perfect,” Shyne explained during a press conference. “A lot of us grow up in imperfect situations as myself and our lives continue to be imperfect but there are no excuses. President Obama didn’t make excuses, Governor Paterson over there in New York who’s a blind man and first African American governor didn’t make excuses…I make no excuses, I hold myself accountable for the mistakes I’ve made in my life but that’s the end of me or anyone. You make mistakes and the point is to transform those mistakes and that’s what I’m trying to do…I make music about life.” (Belizean 7)
In a recent interview, Shyne talked about being a representation of the people.
“The reason that I’m blessed and the reason I’m even existing today in a world with people’s attentions so short and motherf*ckers don’t even remember what happened ten minutes ago, or the last rapper from ten years ago, the only reason motherf*ckers are jacking Shyne is divine intervention,” Shyne said in an interview about remaining relevant from prison. “It’s because I’m for the people. I’m for my brother. I don’t care what color, I don’t care what rag you waving, if it’s right, I’m with you. And that’s like saying how did Martin Luther King‘s dream get recognized? How does Barack Obama exist? That’s because what they were doing was right. It was never about Matin Luther King. It was never about Barack Hussein Obama. It was never about [Nelson] Mandela. It was never about Abraham Lincoln or John Quincy Adams when he defended the runaway slaves. It was about what was right. Men aren’t great, men can just do it for great things to take place on this earth. God has preserved me because he knows I’m honest.” (The Life Files)
Check out Shyne’s interview down below:
