Rygin King reveals for the first time that he is paralyzed from a gun attack two years ago.
The Montego Bay dancehall artist has kept a low profile since the 2020 shooting, which left his manager’s wife dead, and has finally opened up publicly as he shared that he is paralyzed and also shared the heart-rending details of the shooting while seeing himself bleed out.
Rygin King had rubbished claims in August 2020 that he was paralyzed. In a new interview with the Jamaica Observer, the artist opened up about his injury and confirmed that he is currently unable to walk.
The newspaper shared a photograph of the artist well dressed and sitting in a wheelchair, which shocked fans on social media. The artist had an upbeat spirit and shared that he has taken the event in stride and maintained a positive attitude.
“I don’t know anyone who is in a position like me, inna one tragic unfortunate situation like me and who hold it like how me hold it, bredda…and mi no bawl out on the internet and all now, mi no go to the press, no one don’t know what happened after Rygin King get shot because is a rocky road bredda and we still ah go through it,” he said.
The” artist shared that he has been doing therapy and working with professionals to help him regain his ability to walk.
“I know I will walk again, I know it is God’s will, a lot of youths call me to say me ah motivate dem, so mi ah hold it said way,” he said.
The artist confirmed that on the fateful day of the shooting, he was shot three times and nearly died. At the time, reports are that they were returning from a funeral with his entourage when his manager’s car was involved in an accident leading them to stop in Struie district, Westmoreland. That’s when gunmen fired on the artist who was at the height of his career.
“The shot enter mi back, touch mi spine and puncture mi lungs, mi couldn’t breathe good,” he said.
Since then, Rygin King says he has been praying for his miracle.
“Mi ah do therapy ya now, it tek a time before me even coulda start and mi ah look forward to walk again bredda and mi do believe that miracle ah go happen but ah just the conscious part of it, the positive thinking that gives me that belief. All the days of my life, I am just a positive person,” he said.
He also spoke about the mental difficulties he has faced coming to terms with the long-term impact of the shooting.
“The dawg have so much things to pree that are negative, ah me feed my family. I am the primary breadwinner for my family, from the incident, mi don’t do no stage show, and mi have three youths, two boys and one girl, but mi just focus on the positive,” he added.
Since the shooting, the artist has released several songs, including “Plead My Cause oh Jah,” “Dancehall Baddest Ting,” “Who You Doing Like That,” and others, despite the challenges of the injury that not only affected his voice but also his lung capacity.
“Because ah the determination, knowing that ah this alone mi have and that mi do to mek a living….mi have to push on, mi youths dem de round me and dem haffi eat bro G,” the artist said.
In the meantime, the artist also reveals that the attempt on his life left him paranoid.
“Mi forward home and mi very paranoid, mi don’t know who fi trust since me get back.”
Rygin King also recalled the events leading up to the shooting. According to him, his manager Ramsay got into an accident in Struie district in Westmoreland, and he was unaware. After he was told, he reportedly turned back and met up with Ramsay and ended up talking to the woman that was involved in the accident for around 45 minutes.
“I shouldn’t have come outta my car but mi de de with mi two youths dem, mi son and mi daughter, and my manager de de with his two daughter and him babymother said way and another vehicle that was there with us as part of the entourage,” he said.
The singer recalled seeing a car pulling up with a lone gunman firing shots.
“Bwoy, mi not even know ah wah gwaan because the manager (Ramsay) ah look under him car. Same time, a strange car pull up and mi ah look exactly inna the people dem face but the man dem mask up,” Rygin said.
“My manager’s wife (Blackwood) was in the car, she got shot while coming out of the car. Mi never run like everybody else , mi see two man run and ray ray ray, and mi say ‘wah dis’. Mi youth de right side ah me but when mi realize, mi inna shock but no panic, mi push down mi yute fi lay flat , he was knee high, and after mi push him down flat and try move from side ah him,” he continued.
“Mi turn my back, mi jump over a concrete drain that water run through, the jump mi jump, mi drop down de so but mi never know to say mi get two shot and when mi drop and caan get up, mi realise mi caan get up,” Rygin King said.
The artist said the mother of his children took him out of the ditch along with help from good Samaritans passing by.
“My baby mother Kaylia come down there for me and tek me out of the ditch. Ah Kaylia tek me outta the ditch, two of my ni*** run out of the bush but dem get shot inna dem foot. Mi say help me, but dem get shot too, mi look bad down inna the drain and mi hold up mi hand and tell mi baby mother to come for me and she just tried to help me but she couldn’t manage, and is a stranger help her tek me out of the ditch,” he recollected.
“Mi tell her say mi alright but mi know mi no alright cause mi feel sitten ah run up and down inna me . My manager couldn’t get a car to assist, his car engine nah tun over and the other car, the driver ran away and must have lost the keys in the bushes. Ramsay sat down in the middle of the road, and a man from Mobay stopped and helped us, mi don’t know him, but him keep saying ‘hold it deejay’,” he said.
Meanwhile, the artist is set to release a 10-track album ‘Therapy’ on September 9 with anticipated singles “Wake Me Up,” “Circumstances,” “Broken,” and the self-titled track “Therapy.”
The artist appealed for support for his upcoming album as he spoke about continuing his music journey despite not getting to tour or travel since the shooting and the pandemic.
