Bounty Killer
(born Rodney Basil Price
June 12, 1972 in Kingston, Jamaica) is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall deejay. He is the founder of a dancehall collective, known as The Alliance.
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BOUNTY KILLER TICKETS
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Career
1990s
During the early 1990s, Bounty Killer was encouraged by his friend and deejay
Boom Dandymite to hang around the studio of producer
King Jammy in Kingston. This lead to Bounty Killer getting the chance to record for King Jammy. One of Bounty Killer's first tunes was the "Coppershot." Coppershot was heard by New York-based
Johnny Wonder, a pivotal figure in North American Dancehall Reggae, instantly recognising the potential of its hardcore appeal to the urban markets Stateside. Ironically Coppershot became an underground hit in New York before taking off in Jamaica.
Beginning in 1993, Bounty Killer became a household name in Jamaica due to his well received performance at the annual hardcore festival
Sting held in the days after
Christmas. . Bounty Killer has tried to protect his individuality and this has caused many problems both on and off stage with various singers. Bounty Killer and Merciless got into a fist fight on stage during the Sting festival in 1997, and has made headlines throughout Jamaica for the rivalry with
Beenie Man as both claim that the other has stolen each others act.
In 1998, contributed the song "Deadly Zone" to the album "
Blade: Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture". Although on the soundtrack album, the song did not feature in the film "
Blade".
Bounty Killer, while updating the sound of the reggae
riddim, for example, using electric guitars and no piano
riff, he has expressed disdain for popular rap, which he called "embarrassing to reggae," even while collaborating with
Wu Tang Clan,
Mobb Deep and others he considers hardcore.
[1]
During the 1990s, Bounty Killer has voiced for producers and labels in Jamaica releasing songs such as "Defend the Poor", "Mama", "Book, Book, Book", "Babylon System" and "Down in the Ghetto". The 1990s was also the decade in which Bounty Killer became known in USA and in Europe and ended up with several combinations with big artists like
Busta Rhymes,
Masta Killa,
The Fugees,
Wyclef Jean,
Mobb Deep,
Capone-N-Noreaga,
No Doubt,
Swizz Beatz and
AZ. The decade of many albums released, the new millennium seems to be the decade of many singles released. While working with producers in Jamaica and abroad, Bounty Killer insists on releasing singles almost on a daily basis.
2000s
In 2006, Bounty Killer signed with
VP Records and the compilation album
Nah No Mercy - The Warlord Scrolls
was released on November 7, 2006. He has been credited with having inspired many young artists such as
Vybz Kartel,
Mavado &
Elephant Man and several other members of The Alliance.
Personal life
In 2003, Bounty Killer canceled two of his concerts in
Britain because he feared arrest for his inciting of
homophobia and hatred of homosexuals. His use of words calling for murder to the
LGBT community raised fears among the community and
OutRage! magazine complained to the police.
[2]
He was arrested twice at the annual
Reggae Sumfest: he was arrested but not charged in a 2001 altercation with another performer and arrested and charged in 2008 for using profanity during his performance. He was also arrested in February 3, 2009 after allegedly running seven
traffic lights in
Kingston, Jamaica and charged with refusal to take a
breathalyzer test and disobeying red lights.
[3]
Bounty Killer was arrested by police In June 2006 and charged with assaulting the mother of his child.
Allegations were made that he was passing by when he saw the mother of his child, 33-year- old Julie Rambally, on her way with friends to a popular Monday night session along Constant Spring Road.
Bounty allegedly accosted Rambally and an argument began. It was reported that the altercation became physical and she was punched in the face several times. She was dragged some distance away, and her head slammed into a wall, and she was kicked to the ground
[4]
Discography
Albums
- Roots, Reality & Culture
(VP Records) (1994)
- Jamaica’s Most Wanted
(Greensleeves Records) (1994)
- Guns Out
(Greensleeves Records) (1994)
- Face To Face
(VP Records) (1994)
- Down In The Ghetto
(Greensleeves Records) (1994)
- No Argument
(Greensleeves Records) (1995)
- My Xperience
(VP Records/TVT Records) (1996)
- Ghetto Gramma
(Greensleeves Records) (1997)
- Next Millennium
(VP Records/TVT Records) (1998)
- 5th Element
(VP Records) (1999)
- Ghetto Dictionary – The Mystery
(VP Records) (2002)
- Ghetto Dictionary – The Art of War
(VP Records) (2002)
- Nah No Mercy - The Warlord Scrolls
(VP Records) (2006)
Singles
US singles
| Year
| Title
| Chart Positions
| Album
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| Hot 100
| US R&B/Hip-Hop
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| 2005
| "P.S.A. B.K. 2004" (feat. Jay-Z)
| –
| #75
| –
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| 2002
| "Guilty" (Swizz Beatz feat. Bounty Killer)
| –
| –
| Presents G.H.E.T.T.O. Stories
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| 2001
| "Hey Baby" (No Doubt feat. Bounty Killer)
| #5
| –
| Rock Steady
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| 1997
| "Hip Hopera" (feat. Fugees)
| #81
| –
| My Xperience
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References
- The Vibe History of Hip Hop
- Peter Tatchell
- Bounty Killer Accused of Running Red Lights Yahoo News, February 3, 2009
- http://www.jamaica-star.com/thestar/20060605/news/news1.html