Trinidadian artist Kalonji Arthur has been criticized by some for what they perceive as his insensitive comments following the violent death of his girlfriend, 25-year-old Bridget James.
The 25-year-old artist from Delaford, Tobago, appears to have recovered from the shooting incident and, according to a post he made on Instagram, is now focusing on new music. The message, which apparently came from his team, acknowledged the young woman’s death but also said he was already looking to get back to music. For many, it seemed that his period of mourning was too short.
“Grateful for all the continued support, condolences and prayers, I also want to send my condolences on behalf of Bri’s family and my sincerest apologies at the end, but not least, I want to thank God for another opportunity @ Life and keeping my mental status stable I can’t wait to B get back to being able to do things I love especially my music @bri_xo1 love you always bbg. On behalf of myself and the entire team @fully8recordz_ Thanks again.”
The shooting happened at the beginning of September while he and his girlfriend were celebrating their birthday. According to police reports, the couple were in the car park of the Brix Hotel in Port-of-Spain Trinidad, sitting in a silver-grey Toyota Carolla at around 2.16pm when another car approached them.
Two gunmen came out and fired at them, hitting them both. They were rushed to Port of Spain General Hospital, where Bridget sadly passed away.
The “Run Up” artist, who has over six million views for various songs on YouTube, was booked and said to be fighting for his life at the time.
One Twitter user expressed her displeasure with the message.
“The bullet that killed his gf was meant for him and his whole caption is saying ‘Okay.. I’m sorry it happened but I’m glad it wasn’t me’,” she said, which drew comments of many from other Twitter users who supported her stance.
In a more recent post, Kalonji appeared to acknowledge the backlash. In a post made earlier today, September 21, he had a more simple and heartfelt caption that read: “Until my last breath b.
Violence has consistently plagued the Trinidadian genre and in the past two years, several artists have fallen victim to gun violence. In May, Trinidadian dancehall artist Fari Dan, who joined the Squash 6ix camp, was shot and killed.
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That shooting took place in Tobago and he was killed while at a bar on the island on May 15. In 2020, popular artist Kyle ‘Rebel Sixx’ George was brutally shot inside his home in Viceroy Crescent, Bon Air Gardens, Arouca. He also claimed to be a member of 6ix.
In one of the latest incidents of violence, unconfirmed reports indicate that the home of another popular Trinidadian artist, Prince Swanny, was shot at.
A car is believed to have pulled up and three people got out and fired at the house, some using automatic weapons. Initial reports said over 100 spent shells were recovered from the scene by police, but local media later reported that there were around 31.
The “Watch Your Friends” artist is currently in the US, where he continues his tour. He is currently focusing on dropping his next album, Swanology, from his ZTEKK imprint.
