And raising the minimum wage is only one national issue that's been on the mind of the Leader of the Opposition. That's what he told our hosts this morning on Sunup on 7. While you might have thought he was still dreaming of that moment when he graced the BET stage, you'd be wrong.
In fact, Shyne Barrow explained that he only did performance as a favor to his long time friend, Sean "P Diddy" Combs, and that his true passion no longer lies in making music or performing, but - in working the political process in Belize. He added that his performance wasn't to bolster himself, but to put Belize on the main stage. And despite spending a decade in a maximum security US prison, he said it was one of the hardest things he's ever done.
Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
"It was a patriotic moment because it wasn't about the UDP or the PUP or any P or any type of politics, it was all about Belize and it really demonstrates that when we come together for th greater good we can thrust forward and that's what really helped me on Sunday night, you know, one of the questions I've been asked is what was it like. It was one of the most difficult experiences of my life."
Host:
"How so?"
Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
"Listen, as a rapper, you're ultra cool, you're iron, you're steel, you could do anything, I'm not a rapper, regardless of what the prime minister says, I'm a retired Grammy award winning professional, all I think about is policy, all I think about legislation and how I could move the country forward should I be prime minister and how to hold the government accountable. I'm thinking about Daniel Chi and him going before the Public Service Commission for him standing up against corruption, I'm thinking about how we could bring the fuel prices to $10, how we could access for education, these are the things that I think about, improving the quality of life, the minimum wage. I don't sit there and think about, oh, how can I get to perform. When Diddy called me and asked me, this is my lifetime achievement award, could you please? In my head I was like, are you crazy? I'm not a rapper."
Host:
"Is it out of your comfort zone a little bit now?"
Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
"I'm not even there, I have no interest, it doesn't excite me. But you know, Diddy is my brother and he's a global icon and I couldn't say no and so I figured out how to transform this situation into something that would suit my purpose."
