The Breakfast Club - INTERVIEW: Shyne Talks 25th-Anniversary Album Tour, Diddy Doc, Belize + More

Episode Date: February 16, 2026

Today on The Breakfast Club, Shyne Talks 25th-Anniversary Album Tour, Diddy Doc, Belize. Listen For More!YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BreakfastClubPower1051FMSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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It's DJ NV. Charlemagne de Guy. We are the Breakfast Club. I don't watch it. Morning, everybody. It's DJ NV. Jess Salami. Shalameen the Guy.

We are the Breakfast Club. Launlerosa. here as well. And we got a special guests in the building. We have Sean. Welcome, brother. Good morning. Good morning. How are you feeling? I am cold. You cold? You're used to this cold, man. No. Yes, you are. I am Belizean. This is why when I was here the last time, I was talking about how

much Belize is paradise. And this really underpins why Belize is paradise. Look out what you came from, Sean? Did you forget them cold Brooklyn days and nights and waiting for the bus and taking the doll of here? This is. This is beyond brick. Nothing.

Yeah, it is crazy. Nothing existed when I was in Brooklyn at this level. Shine, that's a lot of weather. It's never this cold in Brooklyn ever. It's never been seven degrees. Sean, you went to school in snow. We're now, if it's a little bit of snow, they cancel school. Yeah, it was snowing, but I don't remember being this brick.

Or maybe, you know, there's a lot of trauma, so I've, you know, buried some of those memories. But I don't remember being this cold. Well, let's start off for saying, congratulations. You're about to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Shine album, and you also have the 25th anniversary World Tour with New York being the first stop. That's right. That's right. The Shine album came out September 26, 2000.

So we're in the year of the celebration. It was this September 26th that passed, right? But I was working out my work status here. work status here because the last time I was here, I was here as the leader of the opposition, if I recall, so I was here as a diplomat. But then I had to transition, you know, as a worker. So I wasn't able to come earlier to start the tour.

But, you know, we started all of that out. And yeah, so now we're gonna perform and celebrate the album, you know, which was a very special album to me, very special album to a lot of people throughout the United States and throughout the world. You know, I was at the Africa Awards in Los Angeles over the weekend.

It's an African-American film critics award. And so Ryan Coogler, who obviously everybody knows who that is, broke the records for most Oscar nominations for sinners. So he was getting a bunch of awards. And so when I saw him, he was like, yo, you know, we grew up to your music. And he's from Oakland. But that just shows you the impact that the shine album had.

And I never got a chance to really, you know, even appreciate my career because that album came out September 26, 2000. And by March, I was in captivity. So like five months, right? And, you know, that's, I would love for you to discuss, right? So, of course, that album came out and it was a huge album, right? You had Bad Boys, this gangster, Bonnie and Shine, those were the singles off that album. Then you had songs like The Commission.

You had songs like N-word gone. I would kind of change that chorus. But, like, Farrell made that record. That's like one of my favorite records. When you hear me perform that at King's Theater on May 2nd, it's going to be a movie. But there was some great records on the album. My question is, you were huge back then, right?

And you got a locked up. You talked about it last time you were here, the amount of time you spent. And when you came out, you changed a lot, right? Yeah. You talked about your change, and, you know, you go to Jerusalem and you're reading the Torah, and then you're getting into politics, right? And then you became the total opposite, in my opinion, of who you were as a young man, right? At one time, you were talking gangster-ish and shooting and blowing people's heads off.

You talk about stories of you carrying guns, and I've heard stories about you in the bad boys' office, carrying guns and pulling out all types of nines and glocks and all types of stuff, right? And you changed, totally changed. You became a gentleman that was speaking positivity, trying to, instead of promote crime, you were against it. You were talking unity, trying to get kids off the streets. But the lyrics back then 25 years ago were still the lyrics 25 years ago. So as Shine to change gentlemen, how do you perform those records?

I think you got to listen to those lyrics. If you listen to Day America, I'm only what you made me, young black, crazy, please save me. I'm dying inside. As you see it in my eyes, maybe if you would teach me how to do a craft or trade, I'll come off the corner and stop serving that. Yay, build schools instead of prison, I stop living the way that I'm living. That's poetry. That's me crying out for help. That applies today to the NBA young boys, the same way it applied to shine back then.

If you listen to, you know, what you're going to do when it hit the fan, that's integrity. That's character. That's me talking about, you know, I'm telling my life story and saying that I abide by certain codes and not get my friends in trouble and, you know, being honest to who I am and trying to survive these streets. I don't think my album or my raps, I would say I know, were never Quentin Tarantino, gore, you know, violent rap. I was talking about my life. I was giving you a dissertation as to what I was going through. And if you listen carefully enough, I was always saying, this is not what I want to do. I would like to escape this.

But when you talk about the performance, people like Ryan Coogler and other people, regular people, grew up to my music. And so it's a celebration of that. You know, maybe when I'm performing, there might be a few words that, you know, I'll let the audience say and I wouldn't say. But it's a celebration of the music, of the evolution.

And art is not to be condemned, right? But it's definitely not as much as what you're saying if you listen to those lyrics, it's really telling the story of, you know, 18-year-old, 19-year-old that's trying to navigate the muddy waters of, you know, what the system created. That's how I remember.

And if you go lyric for lyric, you'll find a lot of, you know, please help me. This is not what I really want to do, but this is what I'm doing. I got to defend myself. You know, I got to protect myself. That was the energy that I was given. And I'm not judging.

You know, don't think I'm judging you because I grew up to this music. I played his music. I DJ his music. But it's always interesting when I have somebody like yourself or even, you know, Mace, because Mace was probably one of the first one that we seen do it. Where Mace is, you know, talking, you know, bullets hit off the car, bling, bling, ding, ding, whatever. And then when he comes out as a pastor and then he comes back as a rapist, like, well,

can he do those lyrics, right? Yeah. And it's not a judge. It's that when people see people change, they're for it. They agree with it. All right. I agree with the change. because some people don't have the balls to do it.

Some people don't have the having evolved to do it. But then when they do it, it's like, that's a good thing. I understand why he did it, where he's going with it. But then when it goes back to the rap and it's like, well, how do you go back and forth? And I'm like, when I hear rap is like, you know, fuck y'all niggas, hope you die slow death. As I co-tests see Dolores protests,

can't fuck with you weak rap niggas, with your gay ass raps, running around, talking this and that. I'm like, how does Shine do that? You know what I mean? But then on the other side, But like, please to my friends at Belize, you know, I'm trying to get the kids. Like, I just, and I'm not judging. I'm just asking.

Yeah, but I think creativity, we were talking about that in the green room. Creativity is not as simple as, you know, you just read it. That's a poem. That's a work of art that people love. And this is a celebration of that. And even in my evolved state, I still help artists. in Belize and I still support artists, you know, whether it's offset or Quaver or Pusha T or all these young kids that I see and I run into them and we talk and I inspire them. I'm not here to

tell them, you know, well, you shouldn't rap like this or you should rap like that. So, you know, my creative expressions should be studied in Harvard should be in the museum. They're enshrined in history. So it's not something that I'm ashamed of. That was a young shine that. That's how he felt. That's what he was going through. And he expressed himself. And so celebrating that expression, this is not for, you know, a 12-year-old kid or a 13-year-old kid to come to my concert. You know, these are adults that are going to be in the room celebrating that body of work.

Now, now, if you're asking me about my new album, that's not what I'm going to be saying. And I would hope not. You're not slag in the streets. But I think, I think it would be very unfair. to deprive, you know, people that love that body of work. Correct. From that celebration. And as I said, there's a way for me to do it, right?

I don't, I don't necessarily need to, you know, there's crowd participation, right? So I could, you know, who want to ask us to ask us. You know what I mean? But you're going to do that open tonight. What type of brother was slaying and do bad things in the streets? Bad boy. I'm going to do what you still want to grind me at. Thank you, thank you, Lauren.

Thank you, Lauren. No, I mean, envy has a point, though. I mean, but I think you probably got a lot of this even before this tour when you, I mean, just as a politician now with people know in the back front of you said. Because he really ain't performed since we've seen him, right? I think he did a baby. So the great thing is to wait and see.

What is Sean going to do? Is he going to set? It's the album. We celebrate an album. You got to wait and sit. That's nothing. John, you can't come in the suit. What are you?

Why can I? Hold on, hold on, hold on. My good brother, hold on. Who did it? Who was the first one to do it? With the fitted, fitted low, going in the court with the Gucci suit, with the tag. Come on. You're right.

Come on, Envy. You're right. And look at, look at my brother. Again, J-Zzi, I just saw Gizi at Art Basel. Jay did it, Gizi did it. But Gizi performs his residency right now and his tuxedo. Right? This is his head.

Hip-hop. There's no one way to be hip-hop. And then, you know, I appreciate the question, but I go back to you with the dexterity and the color of hip-hop. Hip-hop has always been so multifaceted and multi-layered where Jay-Z would be wearing, you know, his best suit in corporate America, but then still be talking about, you know, all the drugs that he was trafficking. Right? It was like, oh, well, you can't be. in corporate America with the Doug Morris's and the Sylvia Rones and, you know, whoever else and talk about drug trafficking. No. Hip-hop always breaks the rules because hip-hop is an expression of art and there's no right or wrong way to do art. And so the 25th

anniversary tour is a celebration of that art. And there'll be a way to do that, to be honest to who I am today. What changed your mind? I think last time you were up here, you were like, you weren't thinking about performing and you said the only time that you think you would perform as if it was like a Grammys or a BET and they were showing you love and that you weren't interested in performing. What changed your mind? I mean, 25 years is

that's a milestone. People don't really get to celebrate a 25th anniversary and still be relevant 25 years later. And also, I'm no longer in the House of Representatives so my

focus shifted somewhat. I'm still focused on becoming the next prime minister of Belize at some point. I had a 2030 agenda and some way ahead of schedule on that. I still focus on helping the people in Mesopotamia, which is a constituency I used to represent. But when I lost my seat, you know, I had a few things that I'd been delaying due to being in the legislator.

So now I'm involved in real estate development for tourism in Belize. I get to finish my memoir. God bless you. I have film projects to do. Like I have a lot to do that I couldn't do because I was in the legislator and I'm one of those people that's a singular obsessed with whatever it is I am doing. And I just didn't feel comfortable focusing much on the creative as I did when I was in the legislator. Now I'm not. So I have a couple of years before the next election to do this.

This is not random. It's my 25th anniversary. I'm not going to be able to celebrate my 25th anniversary ever again. So it's a great way to celebrate 25 years of Shine, the first album, and to create new music. I mean, I think it's dope because, I mean, I'm from New York, so I remember the impact that record had on New York. Yeah. But I also feel a little bad for you as well, right?

And the reason I say that is when that album came out, I don't think you ever got a chance to enjoy it. Yeah. Because at that same time, you were on court, and you never got a chance to go to a tour because you got locked up. So you never got a chance to enjoy the fruits of your labor during that time. October, November, December, picked jury January, ready for trial, February,

convicted March 16th. So I think not just me, but the people that love the music, never got the chance to celebrate it. So this is really a celebration, you know, and we're going to bring some special guests to help me celebrate from the hip-hop world, from the dance hall world. Yeah.

It's going to be an incredible. So what do you say that people, there's one last question on it? What do you say to people that say, Sean, is this about the money? Money? No, go on. No.

That's irrelevant. That's not a... You don't take... these steps in life just to get a check. I've been good. I spent millions of dollars in Belize in politics

and so I became the leader of the opposition inconsequential. You know, you just got to do things which is in line with what I had said to you. It would have to be something special. And so this is special. The 25th anniversary is special.

The albums that I'm going to come out with are attached. I think if you go back to that interview, I mentioned it that I would do albums that were attached to the film projects. So I never put out the album for the Honorable Shine documentary. So that's going to be a specially curated album. Then I have the TV series, the bio TV series about my life. That's another album. Then we have the motion picture.

That's the final album. And then I would by that time be ready. for the elections. So, you know, what should I do? Should I just sit around for three years and not do anything? Like, what you mentioned is the furthest thing from my mind. It's just, how do I spend my time? And what have I been neglecting? What have I not been doing that I could do? You know, when you think about all that I've been through politically, been through a lot. I'm writing a book on that. You know, there was a coup in my part. party, you know, they tried to overthrow me.

They broke all types of laws. I had to take them to court. Like, it was, that was a movie within itself. And so I lost my seat because I took all that I had and gave it to my colleagues because I was a leader. So I had, I took, I took what I thought was enough for myself. But I made sure, because in Belize parliamentary system of governance, you can't become prime minister unless you have a majority of the seats in the house of representatives and as the leader you're responsible for getting everyone to 16 so we need 16 seats so i made a promise i'm their leader

we're in the battlefield it's bad we're all about to go down but i'm not going to you know turn around and be like all right well let's get in the tank and you know they're going to figure it out i made sure everybody had tanks and i made sure everyone was good um so that was a lot um um So now as I catch my breath and I think about, you know, what to do next, I'm grateful for my own sanity and for my, you know, my emotional stability, spirituality that I have something to do, which is incredible to be able to celebrate my 25th anniversary, to make new projects, to be in, you know, to be able to go to California

and go to Dr. Dre's house and, you know, to go in the studio and for him to play beats for me, that's a blessing. That's a miracle. Like, a lot of people can't go to California and get in front of Dre. So, yeah, so, like, that's where I'm at

with my art and what I'm doing now in life. And as I said, the projects, the real estate projects, you know, being able to work with somebody like Don Poo, you know, Robert Cummings, you know, Brooklyn Chop House to open a Brooklyn Chop House in Belize with a resort. You know, like... And that's so dope.

So I have a lot of blessings, very fortunate, and I never shied away from who I was as an entertainer. I reject the idea that, oh, well, if you're an entertainer, just be an entertainer, just be an athlete. You know, you shouldn't be involved in politics. I'm not going to get involved in American politics. That's y'all's. that's y'all's problem or whatever it is um but i just believe that uh hip hop is so diverse and we could do anything you know we were or are we're fashion designers um you know movie producers restaurantees hoteliers like that's just that's always been hip hop

speaking of our problem or do you have citizenship in the u.s or is that you're any worried about it normal. I'm, I'm, I'm, an 01 worker, so extraordinary ability worker. So I have a visa as an old one extraordinary ability worker, so I could live and work in the United States. Oh, okay, okay. And then when you, a couple months ago, teased the show, for your 25th anniversary, you hinted at a world tour, so are we getting that? Yeah, yeah, yeah. We, you know, Brooklyn is special, so we start there and then we're going to announce the rest of the dates. All right. Yeah, yeah. And, you know, incredibly, Kings Theater, I grew up blocks away, literally five blocks away from King's Theater.

When we first came to Brooklyn, when we first immigrated to Brooklyn, we immigrated to Church Avenue in East 18th Street, which is like up the street from Kingstead. So, you know, I had other offers, live nation, different people, but Kingstead is special. So it's going to be real special. And this is what I'm saying for me, you know, when you ask the question, like, that's the furthest thing. Like, you know, I'm in an elevated place.

Made money. Of trying to keep, you know, my mind, my spirit, my focus. And these things are blessings to go from not being able to come to the United States for all those years. Then I came as a diplomat and I took my diplomat responsibility serious. So I wasn't, so definitely when you were asking me about, I'm focused on the legislator, right? So I was on that. And then when I lost, the government took away my diplomatic passport and didn't even give me time to transition into my work visa, maybe thinking that because of the climate, I wouldn't have been able to get a visa.

So even people were praying that, you know, I just being Belize in the drain somewhere washed up. So to be able to return, you know, as an O-1 extraordinary ability of visa worker, you know, is a blessing. You know, it really is a blessing to be able to return after all this time and to celebrate with people who love Shine and love the Shine legacy. There's so much conversation right now around like immigration and all these things. for people who don't understand, like, the visa process when you're a diplomat and what they require of you, like, how all that works. Like, just break it down a bit. Well, that's a bit different than the 01 visa. So a diplomatic visa is still not guaranteed.

The Homeland Security and Department of State and the president was the ultimate boss, they can, you know, revoke anyone's visa. They can deny anyone's visa, not because you're a diplomat. They'll give you a visa. You know, if you're a diplomat that's involved in corruption and, you know, you're a threat to national security of the United States. I know people in government right now in Belize and in other countries who can't come to the states, even though they're a diplomat. So that in itself was a great thing for me because obviously, you know, the United States looked at me as a legitimate partner that they had confidence in. So that was great. But it's never guaranteed.

So now as a worker, again, it shows that all that I've done throughout the last, you know, 20-something years, 27 years since I was incarcerated, 16 years, I was deported, the rehabilitation, transformation, contributions to my community in Belize, and the contributions here in the state. you know, the partnerships that I've developed with Democrats and Republicans. When I was here as a diplomat, you know, my good friend, Representative J.A. Moore from South Carolina invited me to the House in South Carolina, and that's a Republican House.

And they, you know, recognized me in the House. And I met with, you know, the Speaker, the House was a Republican, you know, the leader of the Republicans down there. And I've developed relationships you know, with both because I believe that's important for Belize. And so all these things play a part

in when they're looking at, you know, what you're coming here to do because, you know, I don't, as I said, I don't want to get into the politics of immigration, but I could understand that there are concerns about what people are going to come here and do. That's a valid concern.

But you were a convention. convicted felon here in the States, was it difficult to get your visa back here when it's not diplomatic? Because usually when people are convicted, even if it's a small crime, USA bring you back here. This is what I'm...

Especially other places. This is what I'm telling you. It's been a long process. So it's been 16 or 17 years since I've been deported. So the way the immigration laws work is there is a waiver process. So this is not unique to shine.

Okay. Anyone that was convicted, unless it was murder or torture or, you know, terrorist activity, anyone can get a waiver. But it's discretionary. And that's why I was explaining to you the way I conducted myself when I was coming here. It's not like I was coming here and I was taking advantage or taking the opportunity for granted. I built relationships. You know, I gave speeches, you know,

promoting Belize U.S. relations and, you know, I was a positive role model, and I continue to be a positive role model, even after I lost my seat. You know, but so I made, I made the case. And I am an extraordinary ability worker. You know, I was nominated for Grammys. I won Grammy, you know, sold over 40 million records. And I'm still relevant. I put out a number one documentary with Walt Disney. You know, I got, you know, distribution deals with, you know, the major record labels, right? So, yeah, it's a little bit different, right? But, you know, to the person that's there that made a mistake, never give up. And, you know, you live your life and you rebuild yourself, you rehabilitate, and, you know, there is a waiver, right? And you just have to have faith.

And for those that have an opportunity to be here, you know, don't take it for granted. Because there are a lot of people that would like this opportunity. what would you say to people and I've seen you talk about your relationship lack there of with Diddy but what would you say to people who feel like you're finally getting kind of like

I mean the support that a lot of people didn't give you back when the trial was happening because Diddy was like the mega superstar but now people see him in a different light so people are more kind of open to hearing anything that doesn't make him like this big mega perfect person well

Diddy's not really interrelated with anything that I'm doing right now. I think that I've been able to build my legacy and I've always had the support of the hip-hop community. There was a point where like the hip-hop community you remember, it kind of hated Diddy when I went away and they didn't want anything to do with him. But, you know, being the charlatan, the very, the very convincing person that he is, he knows how to get everybody, you know, back in line. But I've always had support, you know, throughout my incarceration, you know, Jay-Z was coming to Rikers Island on the Mayback.

You know, when Irv Goddy God, God bless his soul, was at the height of his power and murder ink, they all came up there to try to sign me, Nause, you know, Dr. Dre, I was just talking to my guy, Moni Healy, who was managing Keisha Cole and Future and a bunch of, you know, superstars. Mani. Yeah, Monty Healy.

Mani He was saying, yeah. So he, when he first discovered Keisha, it was between him and Dr. Dre, because Dr. Dre had this new kid called The Game. And they wanted a verse from Shine.

And Mani, who I came up with, raw flatbush my guy we started in the cradle he wanted the record for his artist but everybody wanted a shine record but it only could be one and I gave it to

many because of our brotherhood so I wouldn't say that you know people people always embrace shine then when I came out remember I did I did a deal while I was away went number one again despite remember

and you know I did the I don't know of double Xcel. People remember double XL, the death before the sign of cover, and the most hip-hop most wanted cover. And I was always telling people who Diddy was. The irony, I guess, is just that, well, now, you know, everything had, everything,

well, everything has collapsed and every, and the curtain has been removed. And now it's like, you know, irrefutable for most people, everything that I said back then. But then for me, it's like I'm gone. It's like, you know, Pharrell in the clips, you know, respect to them on that great album where, you know, that record where he says I'm so far gone.

Like I'm, you know, as soon as they wanted, I don't want it no more, I'm somewhere else. So it's like for me, I'm not there. I don't want to say glad, right? But are you glad God sat you down when he did? seeing that everything that happened out of it because, you know, when it happened, I know you probably was F the world,

but now when you see all this, you think to yourself, damn, I could have been maybe not part of it, but in the mix of it. Well, I definitely wasn't going to be a part of those parties. I said, in the mix of it. You know what I mean? Are you ever look back like, damn,

maybe that was the reason why I sat down? I mean, you know, it's tough, man. You know, all the pain that my mom been through, I wouldn't wish incarceration on anybody. I don't wish that on Diddy. You know, I pray for him. him, but I don't want to take away from the victims in his case and the justice. The newest tracks, let's go.

New music. And the next big thing. Always on the new music first. Your first place to hear it all. Because you're going to like it, love to want to play it twice. Playing now. I heart new music. Your digital station for brand new drops, fresh vines, and tomorrow's bangers.

Discover I heart new music. Fresh, always first. Stream now on the free IHR. Radio app. Welcome to the A building. I'm Hans Charles. I'm Inalec, Lamouba. It's 1969. Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.

had both been assassinated. And Black America was out of breaking point. Writing and protests broke out on an unprecedented scale. In Atlanta, Georgia, at Martin's Almemada, Morehouse College, the students had their own protest. It featured two prominent figures in black history. Martin Luther King Sr. and a young student, Samuel L. Jackson. To be in what we really thought was a revolution. I mean, people would die.

In 1968, the murder of Dr. King, which traumatized everyone. The FBI had a role in the murder of a Black Panther leader in Chicago. This story is about protest. It echoes in today's world far more than it should, and it will blow your mind. Listen to the A building on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. In the middle of the night, Saskia awoke in a haze. Her husband, Mike, was on his laptop. What was on his screen would change Saskia's life forever. I said, I need you to tell me exactly what you're doing.

And immediately, the mask. King off. You're supposed to be safe. That's your home. That's your husband. So keep this secret for so many years. He's like a seasoned pro. This is a story about the end of a marriage.

But it's also the story of one woman who was done living in the dark. You're a dangerous person who prays unvulnerable and trusting people. Your creditor might go up and good. Listen to Betrayal Season 5 on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What do you do in the headlines don't explain what's happening inside of you? I'm Ben Higgins, and if you can hear me, is where culture meets the soul, a place for real conversation. Each episode, I sit down with people from all walks of life, celebrities, thinkers, and everyday folks, and we go deeper than the polished story.

We talk about what drives us, what shapes us, and what gives us hope. We get honest about the big stuff, identity when you don't recognize yourself anymore, loss that changes you, purpose when success isn't enough, peace when your mind won't slow down, faith when it's complicated. Some guests have answers. Most are still figuring it out. If you've ever felt like there has to be more to the story, this show is for you. Listen to if you can hear me on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast. or wherever you get your podcasts. That they want, but it's not something that, you know,

I would ever wish on my worst enemy. So I definitely, I'm just grateful to have been able to endure what God had planned for me the journey. And I made choices. I made a choice to defend myself. And that came with consequences. So I hope that I could be a deterrent to young people out there and to people out there in general.

Think before you make a choice. or there are going to be consequences? I chose to defend myself. I don't shy away from that. One of the people that were injured, she came forward in 2024 and said, oh, explicitly it was Diddy that shot her, not shine. If she would have said that in 2001,

I would have probably beat my case and they would have accepted my defense claim. But no, I could never say that I'm glad that the deal with you know, difficult, painful things happen to me, but I'm grateful that I was able to endure those difficulties because endurance is what leads to greatness. So anybody that's listening right now and so many of us are going through things at the Oscar level, at the janitor level, at the intern level, whatever you're going through,

if you can just endure, if you can just have the stamina to keep going, the greatness is at the end of that journey. That was rumored that they asked you to be part of the Dididoc. You know, I saw Alex that directed the film. That's her name. The reckoning Diddy. Yeah, yeah. I know it was Alex. Because I had heard that too. Remember I hit you and I'm like, hey, what happened? And I told you, I'm coming out with a new album and you ain't saying that. No, I said. Listen, I'm like her person. You know what's going to know. She wants to scoop, right?

So I'm like, listen, you know, I'm coming out with a new album. new album, new tour, all that. I'm thinking she gonna go back. Well, listen, Sean said he's working on a new album, but he's gonna, you know, pop up. I didn't know. No, I wanted you to say it. That's why I hit you with that.

No, I didn't know. I thought you were saying that like when a time is right. I didn't know you wanted me to say it. I thought, you know. You got to be specific with me. Yeah. You got to, you got. So did they reach out.

But, um, she said she did, but I tell you to, I tell you honestly, I'm so focused on me and believes and all the great things. and all the great things that are before me, if you look at it, when the things started happening to Ditty, I was never talking to the American media. There's this degenerate journalist in Belize, I won't mention his name and give him any spotlight, but he's the one that was working for my ops

in my political party trying to tear me down, and so he would always come with these gotcha questions, and want to incite and want to, you know, paint me. Like I was incarcerated. I was deported. I had nothing to do with this. You know, this guy already ruined my life. You're trying to ruin my life again.

I had nothing to do with that. And so I would have to, as an elected official, I would have to answer those questions. But I never jumped into the situation when it came to the American media. So I would get, you know, expressions of interest from NBC, ABC, ABC. CNN, TMZ, Wall Street Journal, everybody, and I would decline because I just wasn't interested in participating in that. So Alex said she did reach out to me, she probably did, but I saw her congratulations to her.

She was nominated for a Director's Guild Award over the weekend. So I saw her at the DGA ceremony. Congratulations to her. I didn't see the documentary. Ready to watch him. You can watch it. But I heard that it's great, as powerful as. It's award winning worthy.

I heard I was in the documentary, even though I didn't speak, but obviously they told the truth about what I've been saying, so nothing that I'm saying is different than what I've said before. But I didn't watch it because I just, that's my trauma. So without getting into what he did to Cassie and what he did to all. the other people that have accused them. And I see that like there's some people that saying, oh, well, you know, well, Cassie, Cassie wanted it or, yeah, she, that's what she signed up for.

You know, we all can't be wrong, right? So it's like, I know what he did to me as far as sending me to prison. He was one of the most powerful people in the world. And he used his money and his power to make sure that witnesses, is lied. People went in there not to say, listen, Sean was defending. Did he? Because we, I owned up to having the weapon. There was no dispute to that, but it was a matter of self-defense. And he had the power to make sure that if people went in there, they told the truth. And Sean was defending all of us. He didn't do that. He said, listen, somebody got to go down. And he wasn't a gentleman.

He didn't say, listen, listen. It was a cop out. or this is how we're going to do it. I'm going to make sure family good for life, you good for life, but we need you to take this hit. No. He was like, you're going to take the hit because the DA was offering me 13 years. So I couldn't even get a reasonable plea.

And then I think the judge offered me like seven years. But I say all that to say, what he did to me, I would never do to another human being, worst thing in the world, to send somebody to prison. So I could imagine all these other things that people are saying, but his celebrity is so loud, what's so loud,

and you could still see it creeping in sometimes because you see people come out and start attacking the victims. It was the same thing that kind of happened to me where after a certain point, people were like, shut up, we don't want to hear about that. You know, let's party, let's drink sarat. So I don't want to, I don't even want to talk about that. But I respect my.

responsibility to you, to the audience, to, you know, when you text me, I told you when I come up here. You can ask me whatever. And that's why I didn't mention anything because I felt like it was unfair to bring you into that conversation because we're reporting on dating his documentary and it's like, oh, well, Sean and new music. So when you said you were willing to come and talk, I was like, all right, I'll make sure it happens so that you can have your own conversation about that. You're good. I like how you got. I like how you got. She just slid out of that. She's great. I do have one more question, though. I know you said you want to kind of move past that stuff. But I know when you drop the honorable Shine.

documentary, Did his team essentially that cease and desist trying to stop it, right? He said to the Disney. They ain't no better to send me foolishness like that. But, yeah, you know, congratulations to my guy, Jason A-Doo, over there at Disney Anscape. He was, he got the Vanguard Award at the Africa ceremony. Yeah, you know, the documentary was great, number one, one of the most successful documentaries that Disney ever put out. and I told my story.

I didn't tell the Diddy story. You know, respect to Alex and to Fitti, you know, congratulations to them. That was the story that they told on behalf of the victims. And in all fairness, I see a lot of people attacking Fithi trying to bastardize the legitimate pain and suffering. of those victims. But without 50, Alex might have had a hard time with her project. And yes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend,

but, you know, they did the same thing to me. Everybody was like, yo, shut up, you know, let's drink Surrock. Right? Even people that respected me and loved me, they was like, damn, Sean, you put me, you know, like, yo, he's the man, he's Michael Jackson. Like, what you want us to do? Right. So I feel the pain of the victims, Cassie in particular, and everyone that went through what they went through.

But I didn't want to tell the Diddy story. So that's the beautiful thing about my documentary. The documentary, the Honorable Shine, if you haven't seen it, go see it on Hulu. That's the Shine story. And he just happens to be a footnote in that because that's a part of the story. And Disney, tell you, I let them do what they're supposed to do because documentaries are supposed to have the utmost integrity and I'm not supposed to be in there saying, oh, I want this out, I want that in. And I was busy with the legislator. So I made myself available. I opened up as much as I could and provided my family. And I didn't see it until it was done. Saw it twice. So that's that's why I said. So if I only saw my own documentary twice, I'm definitely not watching the Diddy documentary to traumatize myself. There's nothing I could gain from that. Everything that anybody could say,

I know to be a fact, right? Even if it's not a fact, I know the potential. And the same way nobody wanted to believe me, I'm not going to be that person and disbelieve those victims. I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt. I'm sorry because he did it to me. So I'm not hating. I don't want him to be in the position he's in, but I know what he's capable of. I think when I was in Atlanta, I did an interview with my guy Tigger. And I said, and I repeated, I pray that Diddy rehabilitates, that he reforms. Maybe he should be glad that God sat him down

because maybe he was on the verge of ODN on those drugs and whatever it else it is that he's doing. So maybe this is a blessing for him that he didn't get that RICO. They didn't mention that. Because if you look, because if you look, Because if you look at the charges, there was a case there for Rico. So he's very blessed. But I just hope that he is able to, because I reform, I rehabilitate,

even though I was defending myself, but there was a lot going on as young shine. And I had to make sure that I never put myself or my family in that position again. And so to this day, you know, it's not a, tried by 12 or carried by 6. I just let the Lord take me because I'm not, you know, I'm not going to do that to my family. I'm going to do that to my daughter. And so my whole mind, my whole everything has changed.

I just bring so much positivity and great energy to the planet. And that's what I pray for him. So it's not that I'm condemning him that I wish he got to Rico, or I wish he does his entire time. I just hope that when he returns to the streets, that, you know, he can return with a genuine transformation and dedicate the rest of his life, you know, to making people's lives better and to healing and, you know, making a positive contribution.

What's one thing that's misunderstood about, Sean? I think the most difficult thing for me, I would say, is in Belize, not necessarily here in the States. I think here in the States, I started off kind of as the Diddy Protégé, but then I was able to break through that. You know, with the number one album while I was incarcerated and becoming a larger than life figure. And then going to Belize and getting elected to the House and doing things that are just unprecedented for hip-hop.

No person, no rapper, no R&B has ever made it to the House of Representatives and definitely not the leader of the opposition in the House of Representatives. But my, I think the one thing I would focus on is in Belize, which is all being taken care of now by the grace of God. But my political enemies used to say that, oh, I'm a deportee. I'm a criminal. Forgetting the Grammys.

Forgetting that, you know, I wrote and produced and published over 40 million albums with Usher with Lil Wayne, Notorious, B-I-G, Puff Daddy, Mace. but they would just equate me to a deportee criminal. And I never forget when I first signed my record deal in 1998, I bought my platinum Rolex, bought a big chain diamond plate, and I got on the plane to go to Belize. Belize was always a part of me. My mom still speaks Belize,

and she can't even speak a proper sentence of English. We love Belize so much. I used to go to Belize every summer. So it hurt me. If any, and I'm like a duck. You know, water usually just flows off my back. But if one thing so misunderstood and hurt was when people would try to deny me my patriotism and my love for my country and then my integrity, because it's like I'm shy.

Like I sat in prison for 10 years because of character and integrity. I'm not that guy. I'm not that guy that fronts that says one thing and does the other thing. like I didn't do that for Diddy because he was he was trying to crush me I did that for me and for what I believe in and for the people that believed in me so yeah that's the one thing that was misunderstood

that I was only in Belize because I was deported and I had to be in Belize I didn't want to be in Belize and so I got involved in politics so I could get back to America and and watch watch when he get back to America you're not going to come back so the best thing that's why I say God is so great So the best thing is going back.

So I come here for a couple weeks and I work. Get your ass me over there. But they turn back on you. No, it's not even turning on me. It just feels good to prove people wrong. And for the people that believe them, because there's a lot of people that believe in me in Belize, and to vindicate them, for them to feel good.

And then becoming the prime minister of a country, You know, the current prime minister of Belize, as much as him and I, you know, I used to be me. I used to go against his whole team. It's 26 of them. Sometimes it's one of me in the House of Representatives. I shut it down. The Speaker, the House got to close down the House of Representatives. They throw me out.

But I have a lot of respect for him because he's been there for 30 years. He's, you know, I think maybe late 50s, early 60s. and so he was an area representative. He was a deputy prime minister. And then he became the prime minister. And that's what I talk about, endurance and stamina. And then he got his time. People criticize and people say he's not the best this.

He's not the best that. But he got his time. I'm going to get my time, but I got to go through my journey. So part of my journey is building the relationship with the people of Belize. So I got to go through the hits Oh, he's a deportee

Oh, he's a criminal Oh, he don't love Belize Oh, he don't need to prove them wrong So then those same people are going to be like, yeah, all right And continue to have the conversation About policy, about education, how we can, you know, provide, you know, student loans. We don't even have student loans in Belize.

You know, how we could develop the economy, how we could develop, you know, the tourism industry. I think the tourism minister is one of the best tourism ministers that we've ever had. And he's on the other side of the political divide. We're opponents. So that's the one thing. But it's a good thing because I get to prove people wrong

and I get to build relationships with people because I don't hold grudges. I'm not malicious, right? So now people could see. So we could get past that and we could get to policy and that's how I become the prime minister one day. because now I would have shown them everything, all that they said about me I would have disproved

and I could come to them with a genuine plan to change their lives and improve things and beliefs, which is what they... Do you feel like they maybe felt like that at that time because you didn't pop as an artist over there in Belize? But you came here, you know, you're hanging with the New Yorkers and you're chilling. I think politics had a lot to do with it.

You know, my father was the prime minister of Belize. but my father and I couldn't be more different. We don't agree on most policies, and he wasn't involved in my life. He had nothing to do with me selling over 40 million records. My mom and I'm a mother's son. Respect to him, you know, him and I, we have a cordial relationship.

There's no ill will. But I took a lot of hits in Belize because of him. Right? And I never got anything from, him. You know, he has another son who has benefited tremendously from, you know, him being prime minister. Yeah. But that wasn't me. Are you close with your brother? Are you, well, no, I don't. Yeah, yeah. Those are his children. I'm my mother's only son. But I'm just saying, so I think a lot of it had to do with, you know, him being prime minister for 13 years, benefits that came to, you know,

his son and other people. And so they took that out on me. And I didn't get nothing. When I say nothing, not 10, right? Even going to the House of Representatives, he had nothing to do with that as far as planning that or saying to me, son, I think you should follow in my footsteps. I decided to do that.

I decided to return to Belize and offer myself to service. And I put my money into that. Open to a resource center, you know, when my friends would come to Belize, if there were professors or entrepreneurs, have them speak to the people in Mesopotamia. But don't get me wrong. I don't want to be ungrateful.

There were people, the same people that ended up overthrowing me that felt a deportee and a criminal should not be involved in politics. Right? So on that end, as the leader of the party, he and others were like, nah, that's crazy. He didn't do anything in Belize.

That was an American. We all know that he took the fall. But I think he should have did that for anybody that, you know, was in that situation. We have a person right now that was the former leader of the party that just got arrested. And he's a senator. He got arrested for assaulting the police. He got arrested for assaulting a woman with a hammer. He did all types of things and everybody was okay with that.

So I'm saying that wasn't like a father-son thing. I think that was just the right. thing to do. But I take a lot of heat for, you know, the prime minister serving 13 years, got no benefits. Not that he should have given me anything, but a lot of people claim he gave his other son everything. But that's okay, right? Were you ever looking for his validation and turn into war politics?

I mean, you. And some part of you. You know, as a child, you always wanted your father. Yeah. And then when I became successful as, you know, my first album, Million Records sold, even before I went in, most famous Belizean ever, most successful commercial, Belizeon ever, then, you know, yeah, everybody recognized.

And even, like I said, I don't want to throw him under the bus. We have policy differences. We agree to disagree. It's an agreeable relationship. but I'm past that, right? I'm at a place where, you know, my daughter is my life. Belize is my life helping Belizeans, and I have everything in my disposal to be able to do everything that I want to do.

So I don't, you know, it's not about Diddy, it's not about pops, it's not about nobody. God has given me all the tools. A great team, you know, people like Stephen Victor, Stephen Carlos, Don Poole, Mani, you know, Switty. light for shine. After all this, I think we passed redemption right now.

It's like what does, what does, what does, you know, this great future of blees and, you know, creating more art.

It's celebration time. That's why I really said the 25th anniversary, celebration time. Because we got past like all the other stuff and now it's,

celebrate. Like, you know, like I'm making, listen, like my brother, you know, the last thing I did was watch the Super Bowl with Dr. Dre.

Like, quiet. No pitches, no nothing. Do you know what it is to be able to come to L.A. and be like, yo, I'm in the city of Angels and pull up, right? And you got some incredible beats. Trust me, the doc agent timelessly.

That's a great place to be. Like, right? If I go to Miami, I'm going to go to Miami in a few weeks. I'm going to go see Khalid, you know, see my guy Russian. I know, you know, we in New York, so all the Caribbean, they know who Russian is. Russian, he got that thing for my album. CJ the chemists. The Caribbean know who that is.

I'm glad you know that when I know. That's Brooklyn. No, no, no, that's Brooklyn. That's my guy. They just grabbed him, Chronic Law and Armani and, you know, the Caribbean know who that is. But anyway, I'm in such a great place that all the people that I love and admire, love and admire me. And so I'm making an album from there like DJ Toons and the Starboy Collective, Whisk Kid. When I was, you know, when I was in L.A. at L.

Lenny S. Respect to my good brother, Lenny S. Those the best parties ever. So he had a Grammy after party. I hear DJ tunes is at the party. I go to the turntable. He's like, oh, go, Sean. Like, and the song he got right now with Mavo and WizKid,

that's my favorite song. And we're working right there. Wow. He's sending me stuff. That's a great place to be. Yeah, full circle. Right? Like, I don't need.

nobody to do nothing because everybody embraces shine and love shine and they celebrate shine and so we celebrate it so thank God right so we look forward to using this to get more people to come to Belize last time I was here you said you come in

you still ain't reach this year I went to Dominica this year I went to Dominica but we're gonna get out there but I'm gonna bring the family out there don't be a politician this year was Dominica I had to go to Dominica that's what my father's from

So I had to go here first. But we're going to make it stop. Oh, you've never been to Belize? I think I might have did something that a long time. Yeah, I did too. I love it. But I got to get back. I'm going to bring the family.

But that's what's on the horizon, man, to be able to put these projects out and you know everything I do, I'm going to always talk about Belize and just celebrating from a great space of positivity. It seems like in a good space. Yes, amen. I'm happy to meet you. So May 2nd.

May 2nd. King Theater in Brooklyn, Sean. We appreciate you for joining us. Thank you for answering all the questions. All right. I know. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

That's your way. Oh, please. What's the website? It's on the, um, it's on the... Just go to kingtheta.com. I'm sure they got a place to get the tickets. And Sean is like, look, I'm tired of ass. Don't happen.

No more about this. All right, Lauren. If you're going to DME, talk about my concert, damn it. Talk about my album, damn it. We're here talking about it. Well, listen, not the, not that you, you're going back on tour for the money. Hey, y'all.

Right. Because I didn't even grew you. I know. No, he's not. See, I hear the best questions then. But you have to ask, because these are the things people think. So you clear it up. Why would somebody think that?

It's not like I'm out here stunting. No, no, but listen, I take the train. Like, I'm a regular guy. Like, it's not like I'm. I think it's because it's been a long time. It's not like I'm fronting. Like, I'm out here front. Like, I got 100 million.

And you heard something. The first thing that people say is, well, why did they come back? You know, especially when you- I never got a chance. But last time you said, he was like, I don't want to perform. Because I was in the legislator. I was in the legislature. legislator.

You can't pay. You were Obama at first. No, no, no, no, but I'm still Obama. Hold on. Hold on. I got the, I got the polo crests on, but I still got, you know what I mean? Obama. I'm trying.

All right. Let's shot. It's the breakfast club. Good morning. Hold on. Every day I wake up. Wake your ass up. The breakfast club.

You're all finished or y'all's done. In the middle of the night, Soskia awoke in a haze. Her husband, Mike was on his laptop. What was on his screen, would change. change Saskia's life forever. I said, I need you to tell me exactly what you're doing. And immediately, the mask came off. You're supposed to be safe.

That's your home. That's your husband. Listen to Betrayal Season 5 on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 1969, Malcolm and Martin are gone. America is in crisis. And at Morehouse College, the students make their move. These students, including a young Samuel L. Jackson, locked up the members of the board of trustees, including Martin Luther King's senior. It's the true story of protests and rebellion in black American history that you'll never forget.

I'm Hans Charles. I'm Mennelick Lemoombo. Listen to the A building on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can scroll the headlines all day and still feel empty. I'm Ben Higgins, and if you can hear me, is where culture meets the soul. Honest conversations about identity, loss, purpose, peace, faith, and everything in between. Celebrities, thinkers, everyday people, some have answers. Most are still figuring it out.

And if you've ever felt like there has to be more to the story, this show is for you. Listen to if you can hear me on my I-Heart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Over the last couple years, didn't we learn that the folding chair was invented by black people because of what happened in Alabama? This Black History Month, the podcast Selective Ignorance with Mandy B, unpackes black history and culture with comedy, clarity, and conversations that shake the status quo. The Crown Act in New York was signed in July of 2019, and that is a bill that was passed to prohibit discrimination based on hair styles associated with race. To hear this and more, listen to Selective Ignorance with Mandy B from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHeart podcast.

Guaranteed Human. Thank you.