Outside of the music and the controversy that has followed Shyne over the past decade, a more interesting aspect of his life is Shyne’s very intense spirituality. After shooting his “Roller Song” video in Mexico City last week, Shyne flew to Jerusalem for the Jewish high holidays (which begin at sundown today with Rosh Hashanah…) and will be there for the next month. And in this interview, Shyne gets very personal about his faith (spotted on Icedotcom via HipHopIsRead)

“I grew up the Israelite life, the same way Moses, Ya’acov (*aka Jacob, grandson of Abraham), all of our forefathers had the most difficult lives….me being a Yid, whenever I went through difficulties…I had to cry to Hashem (*aka The Almighty)….I grew up going through the most difficult circumstances, and the only thing I ever felt could allow me to escape that was a divine force. And being a dude with half a brain, the only thing that ever made sense to me, you look at any other science, it all goes back to Judaism. They say Abraham is the father of all religions…I don’t want to talk to a middle man, I want to talk to Hashem, I want to go straight to the boss, and that’s what Am Israel (*aka Judaism) has the luxury of doing….

For me, when I got shot when I was 15, that was the consummation of my relationship with Hashem…..that’s when it became real. This faith is gonna get me through this, a year after I got shot is when I got my record deal, and went from sleeping on my mom’s couch to being a millionaire…”

What’s also interesting is Ice‘s insight into Shyne’s interaction with Judaism growing up amongst Israelites in Brooklyn, back when Shyne was known as “Indian.”….

Meanwhile: Shyne now has both this really intense religious affiliation, and a really public Blood affiliation too….do they co-exist? or contradict each other?
more after the jump…

Shyne-Bone

Shyne, on his video set in Mexico City, along with Lakey The Kid (yes, the same Lakey that was immortalized in various rhymes by Nas and later joined Suge’s Death Row) and Cle ‘Bone’ Sloan. (for more on the significance of this, see Ice)