Last night we premiered “Messiah” – the new song
from Moses Leviy – the rapper formally known as Jamal Shyne Barrow. It
is the first song since his release from prison and the first single since signing
the multimillion dollar recording contract with Def Jam Records. The song was
recorded in the United Kingdom but Shyne is in Belize and this evening he told
Keith Swift about the “Messiah” track.
Moses Leviy,
“It is one of many records to come, you know one of my favourite records.
But more importantly than Messiah, that is a heavy word and I hope with my position
in music again, I believe in the W. E. Dubois mantra of taking your hand back
and grabbing your Conrad.”
Keith Swift,
“Is the first single from the album?”
Moses Leviy,
“It is just music from the album. The people have been waiting ten
years to hear music and we are just making music. We have several other songs
out there floating around and we are just making music.”
Keith Swift,
“How did the collaboration with Rihanna on Rudy Boy come about?”
Moses Leviy,
“Well she is signed to Def Jam and LA Reid thought that would be a
great idea as well as myself.”
Keith Swift,
“What do you hope is the message this first single sends?”
Moses Leviy,
“I am not a message oriented fellow. The message from me is determination.
The message for others is them reaching into themselves to find that indomitable
part of their soul that doesn’t give in. That is my message. It is not
necessarily my music that I am admonishing anybody about this or I am instructing
anybody about that. I think my life is a message of hope, the fact that despite
the terrible mistake that I made, I was able to transform that mistake and I
was able to keep going. When I first came to Belize, they were people who might
have said well how are you going to do it from Belize. I have done it, I am
doing it, and it will continue to be done.”
Keith Swift,
“Is Messiah gangster rap?”
Moses Leviy,
“I don’t put labels on my music. I am who I am. I make music
for the people and for the people who are from where I am from and everybody
is from where I am from in some part of their soul. We’ve all been at
the bottom, from Martha Stewart to the guys at Tyco, to the guys at Congress
in Capitol Hill so everybody faces challenges and difficulties and you never
know where you’re going to be tomorrow.”
We met Shyne at the Central Assembly of God primary School which was
one of his public appearance as Music Ambassador and Director of the Music Program
at NICH. We’ll have that full story tomorrow.
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