NEPO-BABY

Shyne is nothing if not entertaining. Having no willing audience for his shenanigans here at home in Belize he traveled all the way to St. Lucia to guest star in a foreign comedy show. Shyne met with the Leader of the Opposition in that country, Allen Chastanet, and was a main speaker at an event. Belizeans would have had great difficulty recognizing the speaker from the introduction Chastanet gave Shyne. The presenter heralded Shyne as the next savior of Belize and spoke of his selflessness and contributions to Belizean society, his example, and his hard work.

Shyne separated himself from “cronyism, self-enrichment, and corruption.” He further declared that “Brother Chass, like me, we don’t need politics.” It is affirmed that birds of a feather flock together, however, it is not clear if these birds have banded together in defeat at the polls or as elitist, clueless, and completely tone-deaf and delusional individuals. The entire situation is ludicrous, the entire Barrow clan at one point was employed and enjoyed taxpayer’s money. Has Shyne forgotten that he was the Musical Ambassador, his sibling was made Chair of Belize Telecommunication Limited, and its Chief Executive Officer? Need we remind him of the multimillion-dollar deal that was? His cousin, Kimano Barrow was equally famous for his shenanigans at the Public Utilities Commission and those luxurious trips to Dubai, and his oil prospecting contract. His uncle Denys Barrow and father, the former PM, made millions in litigation representing the Government of Belize. His aunt continues to collect salaries and monies for work as a Member of the House of Representatives when in fact she has not been to a single House meeting in over two years. In fact, the only reason that he was made relevant in Belizean politics was through his lineage and pedigree.

The only true statement he has in fact uttered is that he doesn’t need politics because the only thing he thought he needed was his US Visa. Politics was merely a means to that end. There is a term coined to refer to those such as he who use their privilege, their connections, and their entitlement to get ahead. Shyne is a nepo-baby. He is the product of his environment, he declares to the world his struggles, but those were just consequences of very bad life choices. He screams about his poverty and, in the same sentence, reminds us that he is a has-been grammy winning, multi-platinum, multi-millionaire recording artist. Shyne should decide which story is true and stick to it to avoid confusing himself. He switches his story from rags to riches to fit the mood and moment. The truth is Shyne does not need politics, he needs a stage, a platform, and a new gig because, as an entertainer, he needs to perform.