More than a decade removed from his release from prison, former Bad Boy artist Shyne is continuing to shape politics in his native Belize.
The “Bad Boys” rapper, who serves as the country’s Ambassador of Music, is currently running for Belize’s House Of Representatives and got a ringing endorsement from none other than Sean “Diddy” Combs.
“BELIZE I’m so proud of my brother @shyne_bz and the journey he is on,” Diddy wrote on Instagram. “He is running for the House of Representatives and needs your support. #BadBoy4Life”
View this post on InstagramBELIZE ?? I’m so proud of my brother @shyne_bz and the journey he is on. He is running for the House of Representatives and needs your support. #BadBoy4Life ✊??
Shyne, the son of Belize Prime Minister Dean Barrow, was nominated by the United Democratic Party to stand as a candidate for the Belize House of Representatives for the electors of Mesopotamia in Belize City. Dean Barrow became the first Black prime minister of Belize in 2008.
Shyne’s uncle, Honorable Michael Finnegan previously announced that he wouldn’t be seeking re-election back in 2017 and expressed that he wanted the “Bonnie & Shyne” rapper to be his replacement.
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Diddy’s endorsement of Shyne comes after the two feuded for years after Shyne was released from prison. The young rapper was partying with Diddy and Diddy’s then-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez before he fired a gun inside Club New York on December 27, 1999. While Diddy was acquitted of charges related to the incident, Shyne was found guilty and served 10 years in prison. He converted to Judaism while behind bars and even released a sophomore album, Godfather Buried Alive in 2004.
After he was released from prison in 2009, Shyne was deported to his native Belize where he assumed the role of Ambassador of Music for the country.
“I’m just trying to develop and discover the next generations of musicians in Belize,” Shyne said in a 2018 interview.