Shyne’s redemption arc is no easy feat, and his reunion with former Bad Boy teammate Loon put his achievements into perspective.
The 2023 Invest Fest took place in Atlanta from August 25–27, during which both of them met up and shared a hug. Soon after the event, Loon shared footage of his embrace with Shyne in two social media posts.
“We both spent almost a decade of our lives in prison , only to come back to be leaders in our respective spaces,” Loon captioned a clip of the two showing each other love backstage, under which Shyne commented: “Good to see you brother.”
In 2001, Shyne was sentenced to 10 years in prison for assault. After his release in 2009, he moved to Belize and got involved in the country’s politics.
In 2012, Loon was handed a 14-year sentence for drug trafficking, but was released in 2020, following which he shifted his focus to business and philanthropy. Both have come a long way since their days behind bars.
In a photo series of all the people he crossed paths with at the gathering, Loon wrote: “Everybody knows I don’t get out much as far as hanging out in crowds, clubs etc. but I really enjoyed bumping into a lot of my old friends from a business that helped shape the man that I am today at @investfestival”
Shyne’s pivot to Belizean politics has been highly successful. Since 2021, he has been the Leader of the Opposition in the House of Representatives as well as the leader of the United Democratic Party.
Diddy recently showed him and his governmental achievements some love, taking some time to congratulate the 44-year-old on his ever-burgeoning career.
The Bad Boy mogul took to Instagram on Wednesday (August 30) to congratulate his former artist for getting re-elected to the Democratic Party in Belize. He also remarked that Shyne’s future was a bright one, and could involve election to a higher office in the future.
“Words can’t explain how proud I am of Shyne,” he wrote. “It’s truly remarkable to see everything he’s gone through and to see him turn his life totally around and get on the path to making a positive impact on his country and his people. His re-election is a major victory for him, Hip-Hop globally, and the people of Belize.”
He added: “Next stop, PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE! We’re not going to stop until my brother is the Prime Minister. I believe in you! I love you! I’m proud of you!!”
It’s interesting how so many of Bad Boy’s former artists do better without Diddy.
It was good to see Shyne n Loon hug it out n show love n respect towards one another also to show the growth these too gentlemen have shown since being incarcerated but also being the music figures that we all known they showed us all that it’s more to life then just making music