Belizean - Belize News

Belmopan, Belize 29 October (Belizean.com) Rapper Jamal "Shyne" Barrow arrived in Belize at 2:40 pm local time Thursday evening October 28 on a Continental flight from Houston escorted by a U.S. Marshall following his deportation from the U.S. after serving almost nine years in a New York penitentiary for his role in a nightclub shooting in New York city.

The rapper was processed by local police authorities at the airport's V.I.P. lounge after which he was welcomed by his father Dean Barrow, Prime Minister of Belize, his mother Imeon Myvett and other members of his family and well wishers.

Shyne arrived wearing a Harvard Law School sweatshirt, a full head of hair, headphones wrapped around his neck and sporting tzitzis reflecting his conversion to Judaism while in jail. The Rapper born Jamal Barrow has relayed through his handlers that while Shyne is his stage name he would like to be called Moses Michael Leviy to reflect his conversion to Judaism..

The government closed down the airport's public waving gallery and attempted to prevent the local media from covering his arrival but enterprising T.V. cameramen managed to get some footage through a chain link fence of Shyne entering the V.I.P. lounge and later exiting the airport.

The rapper, contrary to previous reports, was not accompanied on the trip by Harvard Law Professor Charles Ogletree who is trying to obtain a pardon to allow Shyne to get back to the U.S.A. One local radio stattion reported that Ogletree will visit Belize on Saturday and make a statement to the media.

Shyne's uncle Michael Finnegan current Minister of Housing, told reporters that:

"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 with the US government or with the Belize government. So he asked
me to ask you that he does not  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 did not want to let go of each other."

Shyne's uncle added:

"His residence at my place is two weeks away from completion so he
has rented a complete floor at the Radisson Fort George Hotel. So every
room on a floor was taken by him whether he will use it or not.
He said that after going through the eight and a half years he has gone
through, he needs some privacy, he needs not to be around anybody, 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."

Copyright 2009 Belize.com Ltd. You may quote or reprint provided you credit and link to www.Belizean.com

Belmopan, Belize 19 October (Belizean.com) The fate of Rapper Jamal "Shyne" Barrow who faces deportation to his homeland Belize after serving eight years in prison for his role in a New York City shooting, rests in the hands of Charles Ogletree – Harvard law professor and President Obama insider. Professor Ogletree is an associate of Harvard Professor Henry Gates of President Obama's famed beer fest.

Shyne's uncle in Belize Michael Finnegan who is a member of parliament and the cabinet controlled by Shyne's father Belize Prime Minister Dean Barrow told the media this weekend that:

"All the lawyers who were dealing with his immigration problems, they are totally off the case now.

"The matter is placed squarely in the hands of Professor Ogletree. All legal options or legal directions or whatever the case may be in terms of legal movements, these are now in the hands of Professor Ogletree.

"He has stepped in totally, he was given permission to deal with the situation in all its aspects. Jamaal's father who is the Prime Minister is one of the best attorneys in this country and I would want to believe he has total confidence in Ogletree, and I believe the family knows what it is doing."

Shyne's estranged father, the Prime Minister of Belize had earlier this week revealed that on the advice of Charles Ogletree, he, Barrow, had written a letter to New York Governor David Paterson asking for a pardon for his son so that Shyne would be able to remain in the U.S.A. despite current U.S. rules that convicted felons be deported to their homeland at the end of their sentence.

Mr. Michael Finnegan has reiterated that the family in Belize has a backup plan should Shyne be sent back to Belize:

"But as I have said to you before, we are optimistic but if worse comes to worse, we are doing all preparations at my home, to have him be there. All the accommodations and construction is taking place to accommodate him if he has to come home.

"If he has to land here and stay for a little while, it will not be long before he uses Europe to work out from. He will go and live in a European country."

The New York State Department of Corrections records show  that Jamal Barrow  was released from the Woodbourne Correctional Facility on Oct. 6th on parole but his release was subject to immigration review.

Barrow, on his FaceBook page, says he was born in Belize, Central America, to "Dean Barrow, a Belizean African-descent politician (elected as Belizean Prime Minister on February 8, 2008) and a Belize-Garifuna mother Imeon Myvett."

As a child, he was reportedly spurned by his father due to his illegitimacy and mixed ethnicity. Jamal Barrow relocated with his mother to Flatbush, in Brooklyn, New York City at about age 13. He began to sell drugs at a young age and became involved with a variety of dangerous people. He never acquired U.S. nationality.

He was shot by a Tec 9 submachine gun when he was 15. 

In 1998, while Shyne was freestyling in a barbershop, one of hip-hop`s most respected producers, Clark Kent noticed something unique and took him to the Bad Boy studios where producer Sean "Diddy" Combs signed him on the spot.

Reports indicate that Shyne received millions of dollars, three  cars of his choice and two homes just for signing. The contract also featured more money and a 5-album deal.

Soon after, Shyne was making his appearances on fellow Bad Boy`s hits and was featured on a remix of Total`s `Sittin At Home` track and on Mase`s second album Double Up on the track entitled `From Scratch.` In that same year he starred on P Diddy`s Forever album (Reverse) as well as on a remix of P.E. 2000.

On December 27, 1999, Shyne, along with Sean "P Diddy" Combs and girlfriend Jennifer Lopez, were involved in a high-profile shooting which left three people injured at the now defunct New York Club in Manhattan.

Shyne was convicted and sentenced to ten years in prison for his role in the incident. Today Shyne Barrow faces a $130 million civil lawsuit from the shooting victims – part of the strategy Professor Ogletree is alleged to be following in his quest to have his client remain in the U.S.A. Copyright 2009 Belize.com Ltd.

Belmopan, Belize 15 October (Belizean.com) Reports in local Belize media say that Rapper "Shyne" Barrow is now detained at the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility in New York by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as lawyers fight to resist his deportation to Belize where he was born and raised.

Local Belize T.V. stations quote Jamal's lead attorney Oscar Michelen as saying that the former Bad Boy Rapper's fate will be decided this week. Shyne Barrow was born and raised in Belize and is the love child of current Belize Prime Minister Dean Barrow from who he is estranged. "Shyne" was raised in Belize by his uncle Michael Finnegan – a local politician and close ally of Jamal's father – after which he traveled to the U.S.A. to stay with his Belizean mother Imeon Myvette.

Notwithstanding the rift, Shyne's father Dean Barrow has thrown his full support behind his son's desire to resist deportation. This includes a pleading to New York Governor David Paterson for a pardon at the behest of Harvard Law professor and President Obama insider Charles Ogletree – an adviser to  Jamal's legal team..

Shyne Barrow served almost nine years for his role in a shooting incident in a New York City night club involving rapper star Sean "Diddy" Combs and Jennifer Lopez. Jamal "Shyne" Barrow is a native of Belize, Central America, where his dad is the current Prime Minister. Copyright 2009 www.Belize.com