Ragga dancehall deejay Risto Benji was murdered on Monday night in St. Catherine parish, Jamaica. Website dancehall.mobi.com reported that Benji was sitting outside a house at around 10pm, when a man walked up and shot him multiple times. He later died in hospital. The police have not yet established a motive for his murder though he appears to have been targeted. Risto Benji rose to predominance at the Jammys camp as a youth during the mid-1980s with his Punanny version Gimme The Money and continued to record and entertain until recently. He was best known for his early-mid 90s hits Passport Buddy (Mad Mad) and Gun John Crow (Punanny). Success in that time was not built upon and the deejay later struggled for exposure, releasing only a hand full of singles in subsequent years. He struggled financially as well, hitting the news in 2009 and 2010 for attempted robberies. He attacked and tried to steal a phone and money from a female resident in St. Catherine, being charged with attempted robbery by aggravation, and was in court again in 2010 for trying to steal a motorbike. Both charges were ongoing at the time of his death. He had reportedly also been mobbed in New Kingston for robbing a bicycle.
Various Jammys stars have paid tribute to Risto and King Jammy is quoted by the Jamaica Star as saying "long time mi know him. From him a likkle bwoy him a tour with us go England and dem place deh. Mi miss him but we neva do any work for a long time. Mi try fi get him back inna di studio but him keep wide''. Dancehall producer Breadback left his tribute: "mi neva have no bad time wid him fi tell yuh di truth. Once yuh time come yuh caan go round dat. Mi just hope dem give him a good send-off. To me is a good bredda and him neva do mi no harm. Mi sorry fi hear but a just life. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away'' (Jamaica Star 18/5). He promises to release his recent work with Benji in the near future. Expect a heap a tribute tunes a Yard in the coming weeks too.
