Baby Rasta Makes “Miraculous” Recovery from Shooting
Mar 20th, 2010 - www.laht.com
GUAYNABO, Puerto Rico – Puerto Rican singer Baby Rasta, one of the pioneers of reggaeton, is back in his home after spending almost a month in hospital being treated for wounds he received in a shooting.“I feel super-good. To be standing on my feet again is a God-given miracle. What happened that night, it’s like I shouldn’t still be alive. I’m more than thankful to God that I’m still standing,” he said Tuesday in an interview with Efe at his home in Guaynabo, near San Juan.
The reggaeton star, whose real name is Wilmer Alicea Curras, recounted the events of March 3, when he was shot outside producer DJ Memo’s recording studio in the San Juan suburb of Carolina.
The artist said he didn’t know if the bullets were aimed specifically at him, but that he knew he was wounded when he saw his right arm “covered in blood” and when he felt a bullet slam into his abdomen, so that he ran scared to the car looking for help.
Just then, he recalls, a neighbor grabbed him and took him to the hospital.
Baby Rasta, 33, suffered bullet wounds in the abdomen, arm and right thigh, and in the back.
“As far as I know I have no beef with anyone because I always go around alone and spend time in my house. Now I want to get well because I can’t stand seeing myself like this,” he said.
Doctors advised Baby Rasta as part of his recovery process to try and sing at night so his lungs can redevelop.
“If I want to make progress, these exercises will do me good. That’s the best exercise I can give my body to give it stamina,” he said.
Baby Rasta began his singing career performing with Gringo on “MC Non Stop Reggae” and “The Noise,” which were the creation of veteran Puerto Rican producers Playero and DJ Negro.
“Gringo is more than a brother. He has always been there. I thank God to have such a good friend,” he said.
For his part, Gringo told Efe that when he heard the news of the shooting, he thought his career with Baby Rasta was going to end after 18 years of friendship and as a duo.
“We knew each other since we ran around on bicycles together. We started doing music and we have traveled around the world thanks to music,” Samuel “Gringo” Gerena said.