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 While most were spending time with loved ones and eating turkey during the Thanksgiving weekend, former Bad Boy Records recording artist Shyne came out of seclusion to speak to a group of inmates in his native country of Belize.
The rapper is currently living in Belize, where he was recently deported after serving nines years for a 1999 New York club shooting involving hip-hop mogul Diddy.
Shyne, who converted to Judaism in prison and now goes by Moses Michael Levy, spent Thanksgiving Day with over 400 inmates at Belize's Hattiesville prison, where he discusses his experiences in prison and the events leading up to his incarceration.
"I went down when my co-defendant told on me and my life was over as a musician," Shyne said, accusing Diddy -- for the first time -- of forcing him to take the fall for the shooting. "To get ten years, that's like a death sentence. That's like going to death row and them injecting me with lethal injection, but that's life. I move on."
As he continued, the rapper gave inmates advice on survival behind bars, urging them to keep sight on the light at the end of the tunnel.
"I didn't sit there and cry. I said, 'This situation is not gonna affect me ... I'm gonna affect this situation,' and that's what you guys gotta do. And that's what I challenge you to do," Shyne said.
As he wrapped his appearance up, Shyne accepted responsibility for his past actions, urged inmates to move past the crime that landed them in prison, and make a decision for the future.
"I understood, I made a mistake. I accepted responsibility for my mistake," Shyne concluded. "I didn't blame anybody else for my mistakes. It wasn't my co-defendants fault that I shot somebody in the club. I did that sh**. It was a terrible mistake and I moved on. So that's what I challenge you guys to do. Don't blame the C.O.; don't blame the police that caught you. Don't blame the dude that you shot. You have to take accountability for your actions and you have to decide what your future is going to be."
While Shyne has been deported, he's said to be planning an appeal from Belize.
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