Rygin King Is Learning To Walk Again Two Years After Deadly Shooting
Tuff deejay Rygin King is learning to walk again, two years after a shooting that left one person dead and the Dancehall star bound to a wheelchair.
In an inspiring video of himself shared on Tuesday (January 10), King, while strapped to mobility devices and with the assistance of a walker, showed how much progress he’s made as he took several grueling yet determined steps during a gym session.
“God above all things,” he captioned the video on Instagram as his track Circumstances played in the background.
King followed up with a message expressing his drive to keep working hard.
“Just know seh mi believe you see me,” he said. “I’m standing firm in my circumstances. Dah one yah name road to recovery …”
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“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,” the artist, whose real name is Matthew Smith, had told the Jamaica Observer last year.
King left Jamaica in the summer of 2021 for a major consult with an orthopedic specialist in the US, and reportedly began therapy early last year, after multiple surgeries to repair damage to his lungs and spine.
“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.
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On June 27, 2020, King said he was traveling in the Struie district in Westmoreland when one of the three vehicles in his entourage encountered an accident. They had stopped at the scene of the accident for about 45 minutes to access the damage, when another car pulled up with two men, who opened fire.
His manager’s wife 28-year-old Sashalee Blackwood, who was sitting inside one of the vehicles with the two children, was shot and killed.
King, who was shot multiple times, was chased into a ditch.
A third person in the entourage, a male 25-year-old recording artist, was also left nursing gunshot wounds to his leg.
The gunmen escaped and have not been identified.
The post on Tuesday inspired several fans and industry peers, who in turn shared some words of encouragement to the 7 Fall Many Rise artist.
“Oh god bro me love this ❤️❤️❤️ keep pushing ur very strong,” said Renee6:30 and fellow deejay Jashii, added, “Believe Dj Prayers Up Killy🙏🏾💯”. Others such as Squash, Teejay, I-Octane, Charly Black, Kemar Highcon, and Usain Bolt also voiced their support.
See more support from fans below:
King’s latest body of work Therapy dropped last August featuring 12 tracks, including Broken, and the lead single Therapy, which have both racked up 4.4 million and 5.5 million YouTube views, respectively.
He is known for songs such as How me grow, Tuff, Glu, and Things go change.