Bounty Killer gets recognized as a social entrepreneur.
Bounty Killer was the toast of academics at the University of Technology (UTech) last week Wednesday when he was cited as the consummate social entrepreneur, for, among other things, his work as a dubplate specialist. According to researchers Bounty, whose real name is Rodney Pryce, provided “more opportunities or a more professional consideration with respect to how dubplates were treated within the music industry of Jamaica.”
“Well I never even know I was a social entrepreneur,” Bounty told Onstage’s Winford Williams during an interview at the event.
“When they came to me and told me about Social Entrepreneur, I said: ‘what kinda words are dat?’ I neva know there was such ting. So when I was doing all of these social tings, I never know you become ‘Social Entrepreneur,” he said laughing.
Researchers said Bounty was not only an entrepreneur but was a philanthropist in his community, factors which led to the overwhelming request from students for his work to be researched.
For the Killer, he was all too happy to oblige, as although he dropped out of school at an early age and still managed to become successful, he understands how limited education can be a barrier in life.
“So when they came and said they want to do interview and all these things because they see me as a social entrepreneur, I said OK, it’s cool, because social thing is just a part of mi life… and they said they want me to be at the launch. I was an entrepreneur and never know,” he said.
Bounty’s 1994 hit Book Book Book was also celebrated at the event. According to the warlord, he never envisioned that it would become a hit song much less a Dancehall classic.
“It was something that we saw coming up in the ghetto where lot of people got the opportunity and never make use of it and some people make it without education and feel like OK, you never need education. But education is just your direction of the world. It is your instruction of what take place in life. So I just wanted to put my two cents on the topic of importance education that time,” he said.
“I never think it would be such a classic… because nobaddy no want hear bout school when dem a big people. So Dancehall never seem like a place weh embrace dat type a song. But just because we came from the ghetto and we know how important education is to we as strugglers, I did the song. And 25 years later, many of my ardent fans come up and say dat song was such a motivation to dem and I realize it really touch a lot of people life…” he added.
Bounty said participation in the University’s program was a special occasion for him and a significant recognition and achievement.
“I think education is that vehicle that can take you any part of the world as long as you put the key in that ignition,” he said.
