Bounty Killer

This article is about the musician. For someone who captures or kills fugitives for a reward, see bounty hunter. For the spaghetti western film, see The Bounty Killer. For the action film, see Bounty Killer (film).
Bounty Killer

Bounty Killer performing in December 2006
Background information
Birth name Rodney Basil Price
Also known as Warlord, Five Star General, Ghetto Gladiator, Poor People's Governor
Born (1972-06-12) 12 June 1972
Origin Kingston, Jamaica
Genres Reggae, dancehall
Years active 1992–present
Labels VP Records
TVT Records
Associated acts The Alliance, Angel Doolas, Nitty Kutchie, Beenie Man, Junior Reid, No Doubt, Baby Cham, Elephant Man, Vybz Kartel, Tommy Lee Sparta, Mavado, Kardinal Offishall, I-Octane
Website BountyKiller.com

Bounty Killer (born Rodney Price; 12 June 1972; Kingston, Jamaica)[1] is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall deejay. Allmusic describes him as having been "one of the most aggressive dancehall stars of the '90s, a street-tough rude boy with an unrepentant flair for gun talk".[1] He is the founder of a dancehall collective known as The Alliance with deejay Mavado.

Biography

Early life and career

Price moved to Kingston at an early age, along with his mother and siblings.[2] His father owned and ran the Black Scorpio sound system and Price started his musical career as a sound system deejay in his early teens.[2] At the age of 14, Price was shot by a stray bullet during a gunfight between rival political factions, and while convalescing in hospital decided on the name Bounty Killer.[2] After recovering, he increased his performances on a greater number of sound systems, and turned his attention towards recording. [2]

1990s

Prior to his entry into the dancehall industry, Rodney worked in the assets management branch of Bank of Ireland. This role involved dealing with self-employed, and wealthy, individuals. He was then encouraged to record at King Jammy's studio in Kingston. Price eventually recorded with King Jammy, the first session being in Spring 1992.[3] One of his first tunes was the "Coppershot", which Jammy was unwilling to release due to its lyrics glorifying gun culture.[2] Jammy's brother Uncle T disagreed and released the single himself.

In 1993, Price performed at the annual hardcore festival Sting, held in Portmore, Jamaica every year on Boxing Day, whereupon he had a high-profile clash with fellow deejay Beenie Man.[4] The rivalry continued through the 1990s, with both accusing the other of a stolen act. They settled their differences after both realized the negative effect their feud was having on the industry.[2] He has also had heated rivalries with several other top deejays, including Merciless and Vybz Kartel, throughout his career.

He increased control over his output in 1995 by leaving Jammy and setting up his own Scare Dem Productions company and Priceless Records label.[2]

During the 1990s, Price voiced for several producers and labels in Jamaica, releasing songs such as "Defend the Poor", "Mama", "Book, Book, Book", "Babylon System" and "Down in the Ghetto". At about this time, he became known in USA and in Europe, recording with such artists as Busta Rhymes, No Doubt, Masta Killa, The Fugees, Wyclef Jean, Mobb Deep, Capone-N-Noreaga, Swizz Beatz and AZ.[2]

In the mid-1990s, he began releasing albums, with four released in 1994. His 1996 album My Xperience was hugely successful, spending six months on the Billboard reggae chart.[2]

In 1997 Bounty Killer decided to make a cover version of Rose Royce hit single Love Don't Live Here Anymore and invited Swedish superstar Robyn. The song made a huge success in the Caribbean and the US. It was also featured in She's So Lovely (Sean Penn film).

In 1998, contributed the song "Deadly Zone" to the album Blade: Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture.

Price 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.[5]

2000s

In 2001, Price collaborated with No Doubt on their single "Hey Baby".[2] Further success followed with albums such as Ghetto Dictionary Volume I: Art of War and Ghetto Dictionary Volume II: Mystery, the latter receiving a Grammy nomination, which he lost to veteran Reggae producer Lee Scratch Perry, Bounty Killer later admitting that he felt he should have won the award, as Lee Scratch should have won that category during his glory days.[2] In 2006, he signed with VP Records and released the compilation album Nah No Mercy – The Warlord Scrolls on 7 November 2006. He has been credited with having inspired many young artists such as Vybz Kartel, Mavado and Elephant Man and several other members of The Alliance.

In 2002, a collaboration with No Doubt, the song Hey Baby, won Bounty Killer his first Grammy Award, for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a duo or group. The win made Bounty Killer one of the few hardcore Dancehall artists to win a Grammy Award. Hey Baby also sold over a million copies making it Bounty Killer's first single to go platinum. The deejay was also voted 'Guinness greatest Dancehall icon' in 2012 and later won deejay of the year in 2013, in The STAR People's Choice Award presented by The Jamaica Gleaner.

In 2003, Price canceled two of his concerts after the LGBT magazine Outrage! petitioned Scotland Yard for his arrest, claiming songs about bashing gays[6] would incite harassment against the gay community. He returned in 2006 after a three-year hiatus, performing uncensored lyrics at several venues without recrimination. He has since directed his focus to social commentary and party lyrics, admitting that he will not pay attention to nor attack the gay community in his music.[7]

In 2008, Bounty Killer collaborated with Daddy Yankee in the song "Controlando El Area" for the album "Caribbean Connection".

In 2014 Bounty Killer and long-term rival Beenie Man put aside their differences and recorded a single together, "Legendary".[8]

Personal life

Price 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 on 3 February 2009 after allegedly running seven traffic lights in Kingston, Jamaica and charged with refusal to take a breathalyzer test and disobeying red lights.[9]

Price was arrested by police in June 2006 and charged with assaulting the mother of his child. According to the Jamaica Star, "The complainant was allegedly punched in the face several times, dragged some distance away and her head slammed into a wall."[10]

Discography

Albums

EPs

US singles

Year Title Chart Positions Album
Billboard Hot 100 US R&B/Hip-Hop
1994 "You Don't Love Me (No, No, No) (World of Respect '94 Mix)" (featuring Dawn Penn, Dennis Brown and Ken Boothe) 58 42 Come Again
1997 "Hip-Hopera" (feat. Fugees) 81 54 My Xperience
1998 "Deadly Zone" (feat. Mobb Deep and Rappin' Noyd) 79 48 Next Millennium and Blade soundtrack
2001 "Hey Baby" (No Doubt feat. Bounty Killer) 5 – Rock Steady
2002 "Guilty" (Swizz Beatz feat. Bounty Killer) – 104 Presents G.H.E.T.T.O. Stories
2005 "P.S.A. B.K. 2004" (feat. Jay-Z) – 75 N/A
2015 "Bitch Better Have My Money (Don Corleon Dancehall Remix)" (with Rihanna and Beenie Man) – - N/A

References

  1. 1 2 Bounty Killer at AllMusic
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Moskowitz, David V. (2006) Caribbean Popular Music: an Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Dancehall, Greenwood Press, ISBN 0-313-33158-8, p. 39-40
  3. ↑ Larkin, Colin (1998) The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae, Virgin Books, ISBN 0-7535-0242-9, p. 35
  4. ↑ Max, James. Beenie Man and Bounty Killer Tune for Tune on Sting 2010 Video. 20 December 2010.
  5. ↑ Kenner, Rob (1999). The Vibe History of Hip Hop. New York: Three Rivers Press. pp. 350–7.
  6. ↑ Peter Tatchell
  7. ↑ Further On IN The News #22. Reggae Cyrus. March 2006. Retrieved 30 January 2011.
  8. ↑ Morgan, Simone (2014) "Legendary Collab", Jamaica Observer, 4 November 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2014
  9. ↑ Bounty Killer Accused of Running Red Lights Yahoo News, 3 February 2009
  10. ↑ "News :: Bounty Killer's assault trial postponed :: July 25, 2006". The Jamaica Star. 2006-07-25. Retrieved 2011-03-08.

External links

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