10yrs later...Shyne

If you don’t know the story of Jamal Michael Barrow aka “Shyne,” I’ll give you a quick rundown: The son of the current Prime Minister of Belize might have suffered from either neglect because his mother had to leave him behind in Belize for a number of years during his early childhood while she made a life for both of from in New York or abandonment issues from his father who publicly stated that Jamal was an “unwanted” child. Either way, in 1998, Jamal was discovered by Clark Kent at a barbershop in Brooklyn. Shyne’s distinct voice sounded very familiar to famous Brooklyn rapper, BIG; that notoriety got him a deal with Bad Boy Entertainment and shot him straight into stardom. His quick “celebrity” along with the common misconception amongst rappers that being “gangsta” sells records, contributed to his early career demise. Just a year after being discovered, Jamal shot-up a popular club in Manhattan which left three people injured. He was sentenced to 10yrs in prison for attempted murder, assault and reckless endangerment. Shyne was released almost a year ago after serving 9years in prison and than was immediately deported to his native country, Belize

Before his unfortunate imprisonment, his lyrical style was pretty mediocre. I am curious to see if the time spent behind bars has helped improve his “skills.” So far he has released a couple of tracks to mixed reviews (/www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK7G2JOFW8E & www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bCEZWz728w&feature=related ). On February 2010, Shyne signed a multiple million-dollar deal with Def Jam Records; hopefully he will be worth the money. We’ll see this December 2010 when he releases his long awaited come-back album. Currently the deported Shyne is living in Belize fighting for his residency here in the States.

Check out the following images of Shyne. He has a new look. My reviews are mixed. I don’t hate the hair cut, though I am definitely not in love. He also lost a lot of weight which is interesting consider that he was in prison for 9years. I falsely assumed that men gained muscle weight in prison with all that free time. Also check out this link for footage of Shyne freestyling in Belize (www.youtube.com/watch?v=iezM4bLLN78&feature=related ) and be sure to pick up the new XXL September issue featuring Shyne.