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Belize Rapper Shyne Barrow To Be Deported Home Wednesday

October 27, 2009 By Leave a Comment

shyne-barrow.jpgBelmopan, Belize 27 October (Belizean.com) Jamal "Shyne" Barrow is being deported back to his homeland Belize on Wednesday after serving almost nine years in jail for his role in a shooting in New York that involved his then mentor Sean "Diddy" Combs and Jennifer Lopez.

Media reports monitored in Belize confirm that the former Bad Boyz rapper is being deported by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.). Shyne's family has enlisted the services of Harvard Law Professor and President Obama insider Professor Charles Ogletree to try and secure a pardon from New York Governor David Paterson to allow the rapper to re-inter the U.S.

Under U.S. law, convicted felons are deported to their country of origin following the end of the sentence. Jamal "Shyne" Barrow was born and raised in Belize but moved to Flatbush, New York as a teenager but never gained U.S. citizenship,

A television station controlled by the ruling United Democratic Party of Prime Minister Dean Barrow who is Jamal's father, reported today that the 31 year old rapper has been expelled from the U.S. and will arrive in Belize on Wednesday via a Continental Airlines flight from Houston.

The station reports that Jamal's dad Prime Minister Barrow and his uncle Michael Finnegan (born Michael Myvett) will be on hand to receive Shyne at the Belize City airport. Mr. Finnegan, a close associate of the Prime Minister of Belize and member of the Belize Cabinet responsible for housing, has built an extension to his house in Belize City for Jamal. Mr. Finnegan raised Jamal in Belize before his emigration to the U.S.

One Belize radio station is reporting that rather than immediately attempting to emigrate to Europe to re-start his rapping career, Shyne will now try to utilise his Belize passport to move to a Caribbean country such as Jamaica to use as a base for re-igniting his recording career.

Shyne's last album – Godfather – Buried Alive, was released in 2004 while he was incarcerated, The Def Jam album included 13 tracks, 12 of which were previously recorded vocals, and one recorded over the phone from jail.

Copyright 2009 Belize.com Ltd. You may quote from this article provided you link to www.Belizean.com

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Rapper Shyne’s Fate Still In Limbo

October 14, 2009 By Leave a Comment

14 October (Belizean.com) Up to Tuesday October 13 no word had been received in Belize as to whether rapper Jamal "Shyne" Barrow would be deported to the the land of his birth after serving more than eight years for his involvement in a New York nightclub shooting involving Sean "Diddy" Combs and Jennifer Lopez.

Callers to popular radio morning shows in Belize referred to the former Bad Boy record label star as being in a state of limbo as lawyers including Harvard Law Professor and member of President Obama's inner circle Charles Ogletree fight to resist Jamal's deportation to Belize. The 30 year old rapper was released from prison on October 6th, but immediately detained in New York by Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities (I.C.E.) pending verification of his immigration status. The rapper currently faces a $130 million civil lawsuit brought by individuals injured in the shooting spree at the now defunct Club New York.

Shyne's estranged father Dean Barrow, who is currently the Prime Minister of Belize, had last week written to New York Governor David Paterson to intercede with a pardon for his son to avoid having him returned to Belize. So far there is no official word that this plea has been addressed.

Meanwhile in an interview to local media in Belize over the weekend, Shyne's uncle Michael Finnegan, Minister of Housing and close ally to Shyne's dad Dean Barrow revealed that there is a backup plan in case the young rapper he helped raise in Belize is deported.

Mr. Finnegan told the media that Shyne who at the time of his sentencing wanted to be repatriated to Belize, now wants to remain in the U.S.A.

But Mr. Finnegan stated that, "If he comes back here, he will be able to operate out of Europe. He will have to be able to operate out of Europe because he is committed with contracts.

"I would imagine that he'd want to be where the rest of his family is, where his mother is. But if that doesn't work out, then I see him operating out of Europe."

Mr. Finnegan had earlier stated that Shyne's old accommodations in Belize are ready and waiting for him.,

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Rapper Shyne’s Dad Asks N.Y. Governor For Pardon

October 10, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Belmopan, Belize 10 October (Belizean.com) Rapper Jamal "Shyne" Barrow's father, Dean Barrow, Prime Minister of Belize, told Belize media that he has written to New York Governor David Paterson asking him to pardon his son so that he is not deported back to the Belize – the country of his birth. Shyne was released from prison on Tuesday after serving eight years for his role in a New York nightclub shooting incident in 1999 involving rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs and Jennifer Lopez. Shyne is currently in the custody of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities (I.C.E.)  in New York.

Questioned by reporters as he was leaving the house of parliament in Belmopan Friday, Prime Minister Barrow said the Barrow family sought help from Charles Ogletree – Harvard law professor and a member of President Barrack Obama's inner circle to assist Shyne in resisting deportation to Belize. Mr. Barrow told reporters he wrote the letter to the New York governor at the request of Professor Ogletree.

The Belize Prime Minister told reporters that "I have not had a response. I have spoken to people close to the governor and I have been assured that the letter has been received and that it is under active consideration. But I can't say that I am able to call in any favors such that would guarantee that he is able to remain in the states."

A spokesman for the Barrow family said today that Shyne's lawyer Oscar Michelen has advised them that I.C.E. will make a determination next week on whether Shyne will be deported to Belize.

Meanwhile Prime Minister Barrow revealed for the first time that shortly after his son Jamal "Shyne" Barrow was sentenced to prison in the U.S.A., he had written a letter to the then governor of New York. In that letter Mr. Barrow said he asked that his son be repatriated to Belize to serve his sentence as that was what Shyne wanted at the time. "That never went anywhere. Just as well as it is now clear that he wants to remain in the U.S.A. to continue his career," stated the Prime Minister.

Shyne is the son of Dean Barrow, an accomplished Belize attorney and politician (and currently Prime Minister) and a Belizean Garifuna woman Ms. Imeon Myvette. Shyne was raised in Belize by his uncle's familiy after his mother emigrated to the U.S.A.  (Copyright 2009 Belize.com Ltd.)

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Rapper Shyne Fights Deportation To Belize

October 8, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Belmopan, Belize 8 October (Belizean.com) Former Bad Boy rapper Shyne (born Jamal Barrow) is fighting deportation to Belize, according to his attorney Oscar Michelen. Shyne was released from prison on Tuesday October 6 after completing more than nine years of a ten year sentence following a 2001 New York nightclub shooting involving his mentor and felow rapper Diddy (Sean Combs) and Jennifer Lopez.

But he was immediately taken into custody by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) authorities while his future immigration status is determined. Shyne was born in Belize to a Belizean woman, Imeon Myvette and his Belizean father Dean Barrow a politician and attorney who is now the Prime Minister of Belize. Ms. Myvette subsequently emigrated to the U.S.A. and her son eventually followed her to live there.

Shyne's attonery Oscar Michelen in an interview with Belize radio and T.V. stations in Belize today stated that Shyne wants to remain in the U.S.A. and his family has hired immigration lawyers in New York to try and ensure that he remains there.

According to Mr. Michelen, Shyne has a "green card", or permanent residence in the U.S. but never acquired U.S. nationality. Mr. Michelen said that his client is fighting deportation on two main grounds. Firstly that he has been a model prisoner, and secondly that he is the subject of a multi-million dollar civil lawsuit in the U.S.A. brought about by the victims of the shooting at the now defunct New York Club. But he admitted that because of the more strict post 911 immigration rules on deporting felons to the country of their birth, it will not be an easy battle.

Meanwhile in Belize, Shyne's uncle Michael Finnegan who is a member of the Belize Cabinet, Minister of Housing and close ally of Shyne's father Prime Minister Dean Barrow, told the media today that if Shyne is deported, he will be welcomed in Belize.

Hon. Michael Finnegan who helped raise Shyne as a child in Belize when his mother left for the U.S.A. said that "…his accomodations on Goldson Avenue where he grew up are ready and waiting for him in Belize if he is deported."

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