Rodney
Basil Price began his deejay career in Riverton City in 1980 where he always
emerged victorious over his competition. By the time he moved to Seaview
Gardens in 1986 he was performing at community dances alongside Shabba Ranks,
who Bounty cites as an inspiration.
Bounty Killer's first big break
occurred when musical peers and friends Nitty Kutchie and Boom Dandimite
introduced him to Uncle T, a producer at the legendary King Jammy's studio in
Waterhouse. After recording a few songs for Uncle T. Bounty Killer was
introduced 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", "Not Another
Word" 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. The audience enjoyed for a brief ten minutes one of the best confrontations
between two top artistes in dancehall reggae. Bounty Killer is currently
the most favored Reggae artist in the hip-hop community. It has become
clear that Bounty's audience has far surpassed the confines of the Caribbean and
its expatriates.
