Another Trinibad Dancehall artist has been killed reportedly after releasing a diss track directed at a reputed local gangster.
Dead is artiste “Wacko Dan,” whose real name is Antonio Reyes, is known for songs like “Guns & Drugs” and “Nuh Play”. He was reportedly killed while at his family home in St. Ann, Trinidad and Tobago, on Thursday morning.
According to local reports, the 22-year-old artist was killed days after he released a diss track threatening a local gangster. Local police have linked his death to gang involvement, although his friends and family think that he was killed over the diss track posted a week ago.
The artist had been visiting his sister and hanging out with two friends when two gunmen drove up and shot at the trio.
The gunmen were armed and wore bullet-proof vests, masks, and military-style boots as they fired shots at the group of men. His friends escaped unharmed, but wacko Dan, their target, was shot several times “at close range” to the face and died on the scene.
The newspaper also spoke to several residents, who all shared that they believed his choice to create Trinibad music- a spin-off from dancehall music in Trinidad & Tobago, was the reason for his killing.
Wacko Dan’s death follows that of many other Trinibad artists who have been killed in recent years. Among those killed reportedly over their lyrics is N’Kosi Bovell, called “Fari Dan”, Carlton Campbell, called “CJ Dan”, Daniel Hamilton called “Mad Dog”, who were all killed in 2022 while Keenan Craig, called “Craigman”, Kalonji Arthur, Josiah Mc Clatchie called “Siah Boss”, Jaheim Joseph called “Chucky Blanco” were all killed in 2021, and in 2020, Kyle George called “Rebel Sixx” was killed.
One artist, Kalonji Arthur, narrowly escaped being killed, but his girlfriend, Bridget James, was not so lucky and was killed while out celebrating her birthday last September.
The music made by Wacko Dan and many of the artists killed, as well as those who continue to make “Trinibad” music, is characterized as “gunman tunes” and speaks to “badness.” The sub-genre copies a subset of Jamaican music by dancehall artists who often make music about gun violence.
