‘Prison showed me who I wasn’t’

Listen to this article From performing as a child star alongside Tupac Shakur, to surviving a 14-year prison sentence, the rapper Shyheim Franklin has led a life of ups and downs.  Amid the gritty streets and towering skyscrapers of New York City, a teenage prodigy emerged. Shyheim Franklin, known to the world as ‘The Rugged Child’, was more than just a rapper; he was a force of nature. At just 13 years old, his freestyle at Madison Square Garden alongside rap icons Big Daddy Kane, Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur cemented itself as part of Hip-Hop history. His debut 1994 album ‘AKA The Rugged Child’ soared to number seven on the Billboard Charts. Wu-Tang Clan’s youngest affiliate, Shyheim’s meteoric rise from Staten Island to rap stardom captivated a generation during Hip-Hop’s golden era. His unapologetically raw lyrics still resonate globally, three decades on. However, Shyheim’s life hasn’t been devoid of personal struggles. In 2014 he was sentenced to a 14-year prison term. Now, in an exclusive interview with Inside Time, Shyheim discusses his remarkable journey from Hip-Hop stardom to the confines of maximum-security prison, reflecting on personal triumphs and his advocacy for social justice. How did you first get involved...