There were many acts on this year’s Sumfest dancehall night worth commending, in fact most artists performed exceptionally well with much international appeal. But arguable the night belongs to veteran dancehall deejay Bounty Killer.
Bounty Killer aka Rodney Pryce was presented with a special award by Sumfest producers Johnny Gourzong and Robert Russell for his outstanding contribution to Jamaica’s music.
Bounty Killer became a dancehall heavy weight in the 1990ies with numerous hits and is especially known for his stinging rivalry with fellow dancehall veteran Beenie Man. Bounty has since introduced many dancehall artists to the business including superstar Mavado and Busy Signal where he help their careers to flourish internationally.
A rather humble Bounty Killer openly discussed his recent troubles with the law, which included being jailed and losing his United States visa.
The veteran DJ also used the opportunity to call on the government to show some urgency in the fight against poverty, especially in the wake of the recent state of emergency and the displacement of high-profile dons.
Outside of his social commentary, which included a tongue lashing of ‘shottas’, whom he labelled, “wasted sperm” and “society’s germs”, Bounty Killer also demonstrated his lyrical sharpness, exciting the crowd with songs like, Bad Man a Bad Man, Just Mek a Duppy, Can’t Believe Me Eye, Poor People Fed Up, Riding West and This Is How We Do It, in combination with Elephant Man.
Keep up the good work Killer… Urban Islandz salute you.
