Bounty Killer and Baby Cham say that their latest collaboration, “Blood Clxxt,” is a social commentary through the lens of dancehall as the artists address various issues that are troubling Jamaican society, and they hope to use the song to change the law criminalizing the use of the cuss word.
The name of the song is provocative as it is a Jamaican bad word that is also illegal, but the artists say that the use of the work is meant to generate conversation around issues people are facing.
“This song is reigniting that form of music speaking for the people. So much things [are] happening and take place and no conversation about them so we’re having a conversation about the people of Jamaica and the world at large,” Bounty Killer said as Cham added that the word is powerful in an interview with Winford Williams’s OnStage.
“That’s the national word, the biggest word out of Jamaica,” Cham said.
Bounty Killer also shared that dancehall music nowadays does not speak for the people anymore as the lyrics are caught up in other things which aren’t the status quo.
“All these stupid thing that’s happening and taking place in the county, in and ‘foolinish’ me hear pan record nowadays particularly dancehall artists not speaking on the people’s behalf anymore, they rather sing about them and them friend, what we doing and what he likes. We’re talking about what the people doing and what we’re going through,” Bounty Killer added.
Baby Cham also said that the people need a voice and someone to speak up for them.
In the meantime, “Bloodcl***” is produced by legendary dancehall beatmaker Dave Kelly whom Bounty says is out of retirement momentarily to make good music.
The dancehall veteran also said that he has been listening to dancehall fans talk about their dissatisfaction with the type of music being released and decided to head back to authentic beats.
“We’ve been hearing the cry and we needed it cause there’s mostly trap beats these young producers producing and me nuh make riddim so mi ago end up have to sing pon dem riddim deh and we know that’s not the direction we want to go with our career. We’re fine with the type of music but it’s not our direction. The type of deejaying that we do is to match with the authentic style of dancehall,” Bounty says as he added that he already has a wide fanbase who prefer authentic dancehall.
Baby Cham added, “don’t get it twisted, we’re not going against trap music, we embrace the whole of the music,” Cham added, noting that they support the trap dancehall artists and producers as they do engage trap but not as a replacement for authentic dancehall beats.
Bounty Killer also shared his own opinion on the movement of music today versus when he was an artist in the 1990s.
“the music is in search. It’s just like in the 80s when we had the ‘Punany’ in the mid-80s and then Dave and Steely come and switch it up with the “jiggy” and the “showtime,” so right now the younger generation [is] searching for a groove because we have to evolve but we haven’t found it yet,” the artist said.
The artist added that “Sleng Teng,” Dave’s “Bug Riddim,” and Daseca’s “Anger management Riddim” are all examples of the grooves that the genre has passed through.
Meanwhile, Bounty Killer revealed that he and Cham are collaborating on a new EP called Time Bomb to come soon. They are set to release a few songs leading up to the EP.
Meanwhile, Baby Cham also spoke about the state of things in Jamaica and the world where he said the song highlights.
“Too much killing bredda, too much innocent killing, too much hatred and badmind,” Cham says as Bounty Killer pointed out that many younger artists are feuding with each other but have never met or interacted.
“Jamaicans have more courage to fight each other than to fight for each other,” Bounty Killer said.
Artists want “Bloodcl***” to be legalized.
Meanwhile, Baby Cham said the song is starting a public discourse on the issues facing Jamaicans, and he also says that along with that is the hope that the word “Bloodcl***” can be released and legalized for everyday use.
“When you think about it, when did Jamaica get into kidnapping kids, when did Jamaica get into slashing kids’ throats and these things? Bare things a happen but nobody nah talk inna real life,” the “Ghetto Story” artist said.
“Nobody not even the Prime Minister nah talk. All the Prime Minister talk bout is what they are doing financial wise and if them open some new road. Mi nuh hear the Prime Minister come out one day yet and just say bere tings and just talk about the real things that going on, the crime that’s plaguing Jamaica,” he added as he qualified that his statement still respected whatever work the PM and his team was doing.
He added that it’s time for the word “Bloodcl***” to no longer be a ‘bad word.’
“You have to speak about it [crime situation] and this [song] start it and now we start the conversation and this conversation is going to lead to a next conversation, is [Bloodcl***] really a criminalized word or is it from our ancestors, the slaves that used to use it when they were frustrated? That bc word we use it for every single emotion, joy, happiness, frustration, anger…that expression Jamaican uses for every emotion,” he said.
Baby Cham added that the police enforcement of the “Bloodcl***” as a bad word is also not fairly implemented as the word’s meaning has evolved.
