In a recent interview with Tamron Hall, Moses Barrow, formerly known as rapper Shyne, opened up about his conviction after a 1999 club shooting and how that shaped him into a world leader.
In 1999, Barrow was involved in a nightclub shooting which resulted in him being sentenced to 10 years in prison for assault. Today, Barrow is a politician and part of Belize’s House of Representatives.
Hall asked Barrow if being near the area of the incident brought up any kind of memories to the night of the shooting.
“I actually haven’t walked in that area,” said Barrow. “It was so long ago, and it’s to me more of a blip on my journey to where I was going, which was always a world leader,” he added.
“I think maybe because, in media, sensationalism is what grabs people, but for me, like when I walk around New York everyone is like ‘Shyne, your album got me through college, I love your music.’ No one’s thinking about that night,” said Barrow.
“What was that like for you watching them shine and Shyne live in darkness?” asked Brown, referred to the two other stars there the night of the shooting.
“I think everything is about timing, and you know, the opportunity that I have today to impact the world, everything that I’ve been through is really worth it, because I’m not just a leader in Belize, but I’m a world leader,” responded Barrow.
“What I’ve been through is not about Puff. I’m nobody’s victim, that was about me. That was about my honor, my integrity, which propelled me to be exactly where I am today,” he said.
Hall went on to ask Barrow if he ever misses the rapping and being on stage.
“If you ever listen to me speak in the House of Representatives, it’s just like I’m at Madison Square Garden,” he said.
Barrow holds pride in his position in the House of Representatives, he believes he is helping make a change, and although it is different from being a superstar rapper, he finds similarities between both professions.
“It’s similar to when you make music because I never made music just to make music, I was the voice of the voiceless,” said Barrow.
Photo Credit: Instagram via @shyne_bz
