Belmopan, Belize 8 November (Belizean.com) Belize opened its arms last week to welcome home a man described as the country's most famous deportee.
Accomplished "hip-hop" artist Jamaal "Shyne" Barrow was handed over to Belizean authorities last Wednesday after spending the last ten years in the Clinton Correctional Facility, a maximum security penitentiary in upstate New York. (Clinton is named for the township in which it is located and not for the former US president.)
While in prison, Shyne changed his name to Moses Michael Levi to reflect his new found religion of Judaism. He has not indicated any plan to change his stage name but made it abundantly clear in an interview following an appearance at Wesley College that he definitely has no plans to change or "sanitize" his music. Shyne's lyrics, while catchy, creative and poetic is laden with vulgarity, violence and disrespect toward women.
While Shyne's presence in Belize could very well do wonders for our music industry, some have questioned what will be the long term effect on the morality of our young people. The administrators of Wesley College apparently had no reservations in that regard, allowing Shyne to give a press conference from a classroom while using the school and entire student body as a prop and backdrop.
Accomplished "hip-hop" artist Jamaal "Shyne" Barrow was handed over to Belizean authorities last Wednesday after spending the last ten years in the Clinton Correctional Facility, a maximum security penitentiary in upstate New York. (Clinton is named for the township in which it is located and not for the former US president.)
While in prison, Shyne changed his name to Moses Michael Levi to reflect his new found religion of Judaism. He has not indicated any plan to change his stage name but made it abundantly clear in an interview following an appearance at Wesley College that he definitely has no plans to change or "sanitize" his music. Shyne's lyrics, while catchy, creative and poetic is laden with vulgarity, violence and disrespect toward women.
While Shyne's presence in Belize could very well do wonders for our music industry, some have questioned what will be the long term effect on the morality of our young people. The administrators of Wesley College apparently had no reservations in that regard, allowing Shyne to give a press conference from a classroom while using the school and entire student body as a prop and backdrop.
Apart from being famous for his rap music, Shyne Barrow is also the son of our current Prime Minister and nephew to another controversial rapper, Michael "Bukut" Finnegan. Finnegan, who also moonlights as our housing minister, is known to "let off" a few indiscreet lyrics himself; ask Rhenea Nunez!
While the Prime Minister has been somewhat lukewarm in his embrace of the man some describe as his "estranged child", Finny has not been nearly as bashful in his shameless coat-tailing on Shyne's media hype.
Finnegan, who hopefully by now has learned the proper pronouncement of Professor Ogletree's name, has been busy giving interviews and accompanying Shyne on his tour of youth facilities. Shyne's very public visits to these various youth institutions by the way are not necessarily just out of goodwill. (We'll expound on that later) Shyne is still fighting a legal battle to be allowed to continue his profession in the one place where his contacts are sound and a few contract offers are supposedly laying around. While he certainly could continue a music career in Europe and even from Belize, Shyne's heart is in Brooklyn and his inspiration and biggest motivation comes from the mean streets of New York City.
An interesting sidebar to the whole Shyne theatrics was Prime Minister Dean Barrow's letter of appeal to the Governor of New York on behalf of his son. Few have questioned the ethics and true legality of such an appeal but this issue should not be taken so lightly.
As recent as July of this year, Grenada's Attorney General James Bristol was forced to resign following an uproar after he made a similar appeal to authorities in the United States. Bristol wrote a letter of appeal to a Florida State Prosecutor asking for clemency on behalf of his stepson Emmanmuel Ganpot who was also facing prison time and deportation.
James Bristol was at the time, considered a bright and rising star in Prime Minister Tillman Thomas's cabinet but acknowledged that he had made what he referred to as "an error in judgment". Upon learning about the letter of appeal, which was made in Bristol's official capacity as AG, Prime Minister Thomas demanded that Bristol resign from his post of Attorney General, which he eventually did. Prime Minister Thomas was quoted as saying that "while he regrets the circumstances, his decision was based on his commitment to keep his promises to the people of Grenada to restore high ethical standards, procedures, practices and integrity in public office." If that sounds at all familiar, it is because they are the said same vows made by our very own Prime Minister to the people of Belize after being elected to office. For Mr. Barrow now, to engage himself in the exact type of "error of judgment" is appalling and disappointing to say the very least.
Of course, it is not without reason that Prime Minister Barrow felt it worth the risk in sending his letter of appeal to the New York State governor. The hoopla surrounding Shyne has been quite helpful in distracting from the severe economic conditions currently afflicting Belizeans.
Governor David Patterson has also already set a precedent when on May 23rd 2008 he granted a full and unconditional pardon to another convicted rapper who was facing deportation after doing jail time. 44 year old London born rapper Ricky Walters, AKA Slick Rick, had been convicted of charges identical to the ones for which Shyne did his jail time. Those charges included attempted murder, use of a firearm and criminal possession of a weapon. After doing five years in a penitentiary, Slick Rick was released but later arrested by immigration officials who then initiated deportation proceedings.
According to a United States law which was passed in 1996 and more vigorously enforced since 9-11, "any foreigner convicted of violent felonies shall be deported." It is also worthy to note that Patterson's pardon of Slick Rick came shortly after he assumed office as governor. Since then, Patterson's approval rating has plummeted and is currently considered as being the lowest of any New York State governor ever. This is not good news for Shyne since it is hardly likely that those close to the governor would encourage him to make any move that could further damage his political career. Rap music has its fans but also has a fair share of critics. I
Interestingly enough, the rationale given by Governor Patterson for granting Slick Rick his pardon is that he was "pleased with his behavior since the mishap" citing that "he has volunteered his time to mentor youths about violence." Is it any wonder then that Shyne has made sure to drag along Belize's entire media corps while making his rounds and doing his own "mentoring to youths about violence"? For his part, Shyne Barrow can only hope that whoever can help his cause in the U.S.A.will be watching while we in Belize can only hope that whatever message Shyne delivers to our youth is different from the one that he delivers in his music. Welcome to our promised land Moses, we sincerely wish you the best.
Copyright 2009 G.M. Reid and Belize.com Ltd, You may quote or reprint provided that you credit and link to Belize,com Ltd. - Commentary by G.M. Reid
While the Prime Minister has been somewhat lukewarm in his embrace of the man some describe as his "estranged child", Finny has not been nearly as bashful in his shameless coat-tailing on Shyne's media hype.
Finnegan, who hopefully by now has learned the proper pronouncement of Professor Ogletree's name, has been busy giving interviews and accompanying Shyne on his tour of youth facilities. Shyne's very public visits to these various youth institutions by the way are not necessarily just out of goodwill. (We'll expound on that later) Shyne is still fighting a legal battle to be allowed to continue his profession in the one place where his contacts are sound and a few contract offers are supposedly laying around. While he certainly could continue a music career in Europe and even from Belize, Shyne's heart is in Brooklyn and his inspiration and biggest motivation comes from the mean streets of New York City.
An interesting sidebar to the whole Shyne theatrics was Prime Minister Dean Barrow's letter of appeal to the Governor of New York on behalf of his son. Few have questioned the ethics and true legality of such an appeal but this issue should not be taken so lightly.
As recent as July of this year, Grenada's Attorney General James Bristol was forced to resign following an uproar after he made a similar appeal to authorities in the United States. Bristol wrote a letter of appeal to a Florida State Prosecutor asking for clemency on behalf of his stepson Emmanmuel Ganpot who was also facing prison time and deportation.
James Bristol was at the time, considered a bright and rising star in Prime Minister Tillman Thomas's cabinet but acknowledged that he had made what he referred to as "an error in judgment". Upon learning about the letter of appeal, which was made in Bristol's official capacity as AG, Prime Minister Thomas demanded that Bristol resign from his post of Attorney General, which he eventually did. Prime Minister Thomas was quoted as saying that "while he regrets the circumstances, his decision was based on his commitment to keep his promises to the people of Grenada to restore high ethical standards, procedures, practices and integrity in public office." If that sounds at all familiar, it is because they are the said same vows made by our very own Prime Minister to the people of Belize after being elected to office. For Mr. Barrow now, to engage himself in the exact type of "error of judgment" is appalling and disappointing to say the very least.
Of course, it is not without reason that Prime Minister Barrow felt it worth the risk in sending his letter of appeal to the New York State governor. The hoopla surrounding Shyne has been quite helpful in distracting from the severe economic conditions currently afflicting Belizeans.
Governor David Patterson has also already set a precedent when on May 23rd 2008 he granted a full and unconditional pardon to another convicted rapper who was facing deportation after doing jail time. 44 year old London born rapper Ricky Walters, AKA Slick Rick, had been convicted of charges identical to the ones for which Shyne did his jail time. Those charges included attempted murder, use of a firearm and criminal possession of a weapon. After doing five years in a penitentiary, Slick Rick was released but later arrested by immigration officials who then initiated deportation proceedings.
According to a United States law which was passed in 1996 and more vigorously enforced since 9-11, "any foreigner convicted of violent felonies shall be deported." It is also worthy to note that Patterson's pardon of Slick Rick came shortly after he assumed office as governor. Since then, Patterson's approval rating has plummeted and is currently considered as being the lowest of any New York State governor ever. This is not good news for Shyne since it is hardly likely that those close to the governor would encourage him to make any move that could further damage his political career. Rap music has its fans but also has a fair share of critics. I
Interestingly enough, the rationale given by Governor Patterson for granting Slick Rick his pardon is that he was "pleased with his behavior since the mishap" citing that "he has volunteered his time to mentor youths about violence." Is it any wonder then that Shyne has made sure to drag along Belize's entire media corps while making his rounds and doing his own "mentoring to youths about violence"? For his part, Shyne Barrow can only hope that whoever can help his cause in the U.S.A.will be watching while we in Belize can only hope that whatever message Shyne delivers to our youth is different from the one that he delivers in his music. Welcome to our promised land Moses, we sincerely wish you the best.
Copyright 2009 G.M. Reid and Belize.com Ltd, You may quote or reprint provided that you credit and link to Belize,com Ltd. - Commentary by G.M. Reid
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