Shyne Urges Kids To Stay In School

Rapper SHYNE is encouraging young people to stay in school - after developing an appreciation for education during his time in prison.

The hip-hop star returned to his native Belize last month (Oct09) after spending over eight years behind bars in New York for his part in a 1999 club shooting.

He now wants to teach pupils to value their schooling in a bid to steer them away from a life of crime.

Speaking at a press conference held at his Belizean high school on Tuesday (03Nov09), Shyne told students and reporters, "I came up on the streets with guys that were into criminal activity, and those tools never worked. (With) those tools, you either end up spending the rest of your life in prison or sleeping in a grave. But with the tools that you are getting here as far as education is concerned, that is the ultimate tool and with that tool you can transcend any situation because I am just like you.

"I am not telling you what to do because I am not a preacher and I am not everybody's father, but I am exhibit A of what's going to happen if you don't stay in college."

And Shyne has credited his uncle and his father Dean Barrow, the Prime Minister of Belize, with instilling in him a love of reading.

He adds, "When I was coming (growing) up we didn't even have toilets. But one of the things my Uncle Finnegan and my father, Prime Minister Barrow, implored upon me was education, education, education, education.

"I used to be at my Uncle Denys' house and I used to be in the corner reading a dictionary. I was very into my English. I would fail my other classes but when it came to English, I would pay attention. And if it wasn't for that, I would have never sold any records. I wouldn't have been able to call Jay-Z on my iPhone and I wouldn't be able to live the life that I live."

--IANS-WENN