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In what is almost
unprecedented coverage for Dancehall albums, especially those of
the hardcore nature, the latest edition of Rolling Stone magazine
reviewed, very favourably, Bounty Killer's new albums. It was all
kudos for GHETTO DICTIONARY VOLUME I THE MYSTERY which received
a coveted 4 STAR rating.
Rodney"Bounty Killer"
Price's first break was when musical peers and friends Nitty Kutchie
and BoomDandimite introduced him to UncleT, a producer at the legendary
King Jammy's studio in Waterhouse. After recording a few songs for
Uncle T, Bounty Killer was inducted into the King Jammy's recording
family and joined the superstar deejay roster which includes Shabba
Ranks, Admiral Bailey, and Chaka Demus. There Bounty recorded his
first big tune in 1992, "Coppershot," whose lyrics were
inspired by his being shot in a cross-fire at the age of 12 during
a spat of political violence which plagued the community. After
"Coppershot" took off not only in Jamaica but also in
the US, the UK and Canada, every dancehall fan knew the name Bounty
Killer. Bounty followed up that hit with "New Gun", "Gal
say yes", and "Spy fi die." With this success under
his belt Bounty Killer headlined "Sting" the fiercest
battleground to test an artist. This show became internationally
famous when the show ended with a clash between Bounty and his nemesis,
Beenie Man. During his tenure at Jammy's, Bounty recorded three
albums ROOTS, REALITY & CULTURE (1992), DOWN IN THE GHETTO (1994)
and FACE TO FACE (1995). Singles like "Cellular Phone"
"Down In The Ghetto" and "Miss Ivy's Last Son"
topped reggae charts in the US, England and Japan. Bounty Killer
is currently the most favored Reggae artist in the hip-hop community.
It has became clear that Bounty's audience has far surpassed the
confines of the Caribbean and its expatriates.
Controversy has shadowed
Bounty Killer’s career since he first fired ‘Coppershot’
back in 92, and has intensified over the years. His lyrical content
has often been too-close-to-the-bone for those “polluticians”
trying to conceal truths and rights from those they’re supposed
to serve, prompting them to ban such songs of freedom as ‘Fed
Up,’ ‘Can’t Believe Mi Eyes,’ ‘Look’
and ‘Anytime.’ The last three of those songs were penned
in conjunction with Dancehall producer Dave Kelly - a singer/songwriter
partnership permanently etched into the annals of music history,
not just Reggae. Newspapers and talkshows were flooded with debate
over those song’s contents, particularly over lines that made
reference to ‘nines.’ It fuelled the decisions to ban
them, but only served to increase their popularity and poignancy.
Renowned as a sagacious and intensely perceptive orator, Bounty
Killer can just as easily hold an audience with his reasonings as
he can with his musical performances. Whenever televised interviews
are aired - somewhat rare as Bounty has often spurned the media
- they grip the nation. One Jamaican TV station had to recently
repeat an in-depth interview with him, due to unprecedented public
demand.
Wherever Bounty Killer
sets foot, whether ‘Yard’ or abroad, he is mobbed by his
legion of fans, and has always been a firm favourite with the females.
Classic Dancehall ‘gal tunes’ - such as ‘Maniac,’
‘Request,’ ‘Cellular Phone,’ ‘Living Dangerously,’
‘Cry For Lie For,’ ‘Benz and Bimmer’ and the
current hit ‘Follow Mi Arrow,’ have kept the ladies vociferously
happy throughout Bounty Killer’s career. Fiercely private,
Bounty Killer is a devoted Father, though he is as yet unmarried.
“Some men are all about the leg and the thigh,” he illustrates.
“But I’m not just looking for a beautiful woman, I want
a beautiful lady. When I find someone with the qualities of Miss
Ivy I might consider it, but I’m a thug youth and that ain’t
gonna be easy to happen.”
2001 saw Bounty Killer
still getting stronger, almost a decade after he burst onto the
scene. After recording in Jamaica with American rock/punk/pop/ska
band No Doubt for their album, the Sly & Robbie-produced Hey
Baby was released as the first single from Rocksteady, No Doubt’s
now double-platinum set. The Hey Baby single soared into the Billboard
Top 10, peaking at number 5, as well as high chart positions on
the British Top 40 (debuted at number 2), in Germany, Australia
and many other countries around the globe. As well as the success
of the Hey Baby single, which reached number one on the radio play
chart in the States, the video clip also enjoyed heavy rotation
on the planet’s music channels. It reached number 3 on MTV’s
daily TRL countdown and remained at the top slot on the VH1 Top
20 videos for three straight weeks. Performing alongside No Doubt
at events such as the Super Bowl and on UK TV show Top of the Pops
have taken Bounty into new markets and rank highly amongst the many
highlights of his career. “I’m glad that we are getting
the recognition and the success,” says Bounty. “But I’m
much happier that we are doing it with undiluted Dancehall. We didn’t
have to try and rap or change the beat to get this success and I
hope we can continue to get Dancehall music on the Billboard and
beyond, where it deserves to be.” The success of Hey Baby has
paved the way for interest from most of the major record labels
on the planet, as well as countless requests for Bounty to record
collabos with other artists. A combination he rocked recently with
Swizz Beats (the producer responsible for DMX’s biggest hits)
is currently attracting much attention from radio executives and
music industry heads, and looks set to take urban America by storm
this summer.
With the Spring 2002
release of ‘Ghetto Dictionary,’ which will come in two
volumes containing over 40 high-calibre tracks, the Warlord stands
firm on his Reggae foundation. To be released simultaneously, Volume
1 – The Art of War – will showcase Bounty’s skill
at musically destroying his rivals, whilst Volume 2 – The Mystery
– will demonstrate his versatility and will include tracks
such as Life to Live, featuring Richie Stephens and the Bakardi
Slang remix, featuring Canadian rap star Kardinal Offishall. Allying
himself with VP Records is a clear signal that Bounty is 100% devoted
to the promotion of pure, unadulterated Reggae and Dancehall music.
“I’m going as hard as ever,” he thunders. “When
people hear this album they will hear the sun, the sand, the people,
everything that is Jamaica.”
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