SamDid Def Jam sign Shyne to a 360? Only value this guy has now is to do a reality tv show/documentary or something. This is hilarious though. Shyne might kind of be a genius. Seems like the plan after jail was to have this spiritual rediscovery the whole time but he just got that big check from Def Jam first. Is Shyne still pretending to be a blood or no? Seems like that wave would go against thi one. According to The Jewish Chronicle:
When Chasidic reggae singer Matisyahu played Jerusalem last month, he welcomed on stage a surprising guest – rapper Shyne. Like Matisyahu, he found his inspiration in Chasidism, and the two have become firm friends. “I’d say he was someone that I’d be there for anything he needs, and he has expressed the same for me,” he comments. He reveals that the two are collaborating on recordings and are likely to appear on each other’s albums.
For the past nine months, the 32-year-old rapper has been living in Jerusalem under the name Moses Michael Levi and spending 12 hours a day studying religion with Chasidim from the Belz sect. He is planning a world tour and the release of two albums by early 2012 but promises that the lyrics will be clean, and his shows, like forthcoming videos, will be without female dancers in deference to Jewish modesty laws.
He does not hesitate to compare himself to biblical heroes. “The thing that is so masterful about David Hamelech [King David] was that he went from the slums, the absolute bottom, rejection, being ostracised,” he says when discussing his rise to stardom and return to music after prison. He took the name Moses because he has “so much in common” with the biblical Moses, and compares himself to Joseph, who became influential shortly after being released from prison, “just like me”.
He says that he had asked for divine help in bringing the world his debut album in which he sings about “bitches walkin’ topless with G-strings”. In return, he promised to adopt a lifestyle alien to the world portrayed in his music – one without any sexual activity whatsoever. “You know what? You know how much I love women, I’m going to be shomer habris [refrain from all sexual activity unless married] until this record comes out.”
