Former rapper appointed leader of opposition party in Belize
Former rapper Shyne is now the leader of Belize’s Opposition party. Shyne, whose real name is Moses Barrow, is known for hits like . He was officially sworn in as leader of the conservative opposition on Thursday (June 24) less than a year after being elected to the country’s House of Representatives.
Shyne shared the accomplishment on his Instagram account and described it as a moment of inspiration.
“Officially Sworn in as Leader of the Opposition for Belize! Thank God for the perseverance and iron will to continue on to this point despite all challenges and difficulties,” he captioned a photo of him signing documents.
He continued; “This moment in history will forever serve as an inspiration to all people from all backgrounds especially the youth, the disadvantaged the impoverished, that there is nothing beyond their reach.”
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hon. Shyne Barrow MP (@shyne_bz)
“Thanks to my family, my Mesopotamia Constituents, and my Opposition colleagues in the House of Representatives whose trust and confidence in me has put me in this position to receive this responsibility and privilege of a lifetime to serve as Leader of the Opposition.”
Shyne was born in Belize City in 1978. His father, Dean Oliver Barrow became leader of the country’s United Democratic Party in 1998. In 2008, he went on to become the country’s first black prime minister.
In 2001, Shyne was sentenced to 10 years in an American prison for shooting and wounding two people. According to Billboard, before the handing down of the sentence, state Supreme Court Justice Charles Solomon called Barrow, who was 22-year-old at the time, smart, talented, and charitable.
After his imprisonment, Shyne was deported to Belize and was appointed the country’s musical goodwill ambassador.