Dancehall Artiste Rygin King Reportedly Detained by ICE in the U.S.

The “Tuff” deejay faces legal issues again after being taken into ICE custody on Monday, following his arrest last year in New York City on weapons-related charges

Dancehall artiste Rygin King

Dancehall artiste Rygin King has reportedly been taken into custody by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The entertainer, whose real name is Matthew Smith, was detained on Monday, March 23, with his name now listed in the agency’s online records. Details surrounding the circumstances of his detention have not yet been disclosed.

Rygin King now joins fellow dancehall artistes Squash and Chronic Law, who are also currently in ICE custody.

This is not the first time the deejay has faced legal issues. In 2025, he was arrested and charged with weapons-related offences in New York City.

On June 2020, he was seriously injured during a gun attack in the Struie district of Westmoreland while traveling with his entourage. The incident claimed the life of a woman identified as his girlfriend, leaving the deejay with lasting injuries and partially disabled.

The Montego Bay native deejay rose to prominence in dancehall in 2018 with tracks such as “Learn,” “How Mi Grow,” “Tuff,” and “Things Go Change.”