BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE shooting death of Laustin Jamie ‘Big Ship’ Williams has caused an outpour of grief not only from family members, but also his close friends in the entertainment industry.
SKNVibes spoke with a number of individuals in the entertainment industry who knew the 26-year-old for several years as a DJ and also as a friend. This media house also spoke with his girlfriend with whom he shared some happy times.
Local promoter and businessman Romeo Parris was the first to express “my sincerest condolences to the young DJ’s parents, children and other family members”.
He stated that the incident is indeed a sad one and, as a promoter and club manager, he had known Williams for over five years.
“I would see him sometimes two and three times per week. He was amicable and very easy to get along with. I don’t know what the shooter was thinking, but this was a bad choice of target. A lost of life anywhere in the world is difficult, but for someone you know so personal like Jamie, makes it more difficult,” Parris said.
Parris made a special appeal to everyone in the entertainment industry to ‘roll out’ and support all efforts made to end violence and crime.
The promoter indicated that this is a fitting moment for all DJs and artistes to be more aware of the type of music they play in clubs and by digital circulation. He said just as it is accepted that television has an effect on the way youths behave, it is the same with the type of music people hear constantly.
“Anything that is deliverable to your senses automatically affects your consciousness,” Parris stressed.
Williams was a member of the Evolution Sound for just over one year, after joining in 2009. He and Labo Prentice left Evolution in 2011 and formed their own sound called the Unstoppable Sound.
The duo performed their first gig in February, which created a buzz about the newly-formed force.
When contacted, Prentice was still distraught over the death of his partner and said he could not really find words to speak at the time, as he was extremely hurting.
Meanwhile, CEO Evolution Sounds Yusef ‘Ubal’ Connor said the best memories he could recall of Williams is his funny personality. He said many times when they stayed at guest houses, Williams would always be the one to start ‘freaking’ and make them laugh.
“He would get up and start to make jokes and does his Michael Jackson dance,” he added.
Connor said he is still in disbelief over the situation and noted that on hearing the news he was hoping that people were talking about the wrong person, or it was just a rumour.
“I was at work when I heard the news. After that I could not function…it was just a sad moment,” he stated.
St. Kitts’ lone female DJ Sweet Sister Sensia also lent her views on the incident. She said she has basically lost a brother, a friend and a selector.
“Jamie used to BB me at least every other day to ask if am okay. He was the type of person who won't make a move unless he asks for advice. If me, you and Jamie are in a party and the dance floor is empty, Jamie would make you feel like it’s full and it’s ‘jiggy’ cause he will just have fun and make sure other people do too. He was fun, sweet and the type of person I could proudly say, ‘Yes he was my friend.’ This one hits home and Jamie will be missed, but he won't be forgotten…ever, she added.”
Speaking with his girlfriend Zemone Morton, she said their relationship was a ‘fresh’ one and they had only been together for a few months, no longer than a year. She however indicated that she had known him for some years before but they were partial friends.
Morton said although the relationship was a short one, they had shared many good times and Williams was a nice, caring person who showed love to everyone.
“He loved music. Almost every day he would call me telling me to burn some kind of CD. The last time I spoke to him was after 5:00 p.m. the day he died. He called me and said he felt happy, so he going go lime,” she told this media.
Morton said Williams often hanged out at Buckley’s Village with two of his co-workers and that he and everybody were friends, adding that he would often go to a bar in that village and say, “Everybody call for what you want.” And he would pay.
Morton said that someone called a few hours after their last conversation and informed her about his death, but she did not believe until she went to Buckley’s and saw a large gathering of people at the area where he normally hanged out.
Morton said she then peeped through a gap in the fence and saw his lifeless body on the ground.
She said Williams had many plans and the biggest of them was the first Unstoppable Sound party scheduled for April 30 at Ma Pau, in an effort to raise funds for a new sound system.
Now that he has gone to the great beyond, the party will still be held as planned. However, it will be dubbed ‘Tribute to Jamie Williams’ and the proceeds will go to his two children.
Many other individuals have shared their views on the loss of Williams’ life. They claimed that he was known as “a cool guy who got along well with everyone”.
A candle light vigil in his memory was held on Sunday night (Apr. 10) and it was attended by many people including local artistes Nicha B, Infamus and Footsy, who all sang the songs they wrote as tributes to the DJ who would have celebrated his 27th birthday on May 24.
The funeral service of the late Laustin Jamie ‘Big Ship’ Williams will be held on Tomorrow (Apr.14) at the Co-Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on East Independence Square Street, Basseterre.
