Bounty Killer has been dubbed the greatest A&R in artist development in Jamaica for the sheer amount of talent he has discovered and nurtured. Some of the biggest names in music, like Vybz Kartel and Mavado, to contemporaries like Dexta Daps and others, have been discovered or mentored by Bounty Killer.
In a sit down on I Never Knew TV, the artist revealed that he helped Vybz Kartel, Baby Cham, Mavado, Busy Signal, and others, but his attitude towards those artists came from the help he received early in his career.
The artist spoke about his falling out with Jammy’s recording label because he wanted to ensure his friends from the Scare Dem crew, like Elephant Man, also got the opportunity to taste success.
“I find success and when I got in I felt like I owe it to them (Netty Cochie, Harry Toddler, Angel Doolas, Wong Don)…Scare Dem Crew have to burst. So I kept telling Jammy’s and the engineer and everybody they have to burst, and record them but they are not paying attention so I end up having to make Prycless Records/ Scare Dem Productions and make a riddim called ‘The Valley of Death’ and record everybody,” he said.
Bounty Killer said his label caused him to fall out with Jammys, but he didn’t care because he wanted his friends to be successful.
“Because I made the label and putting out riddims it caused a problem. That was what I had to tell Jammys and I insist my friends had to burst so I took them to Sly & Robbie right here- Dixon Labs, Sly, Robbie and Bulby, that’s where I ended up when I leave Jammys.”
The artist said that at the time, Jammys did not understand or accept the way dancehall was unfolding because it was “unorthodox,” but Sly & Robbie, who are now regarded as among the pioneers who helped to develop Jamaican music, understood.
“Sly dem have different vision in music is they allowed them and who to tell? They buss,” Bounty says, which led to the Crew getting their “buss” in 1996, and they were booked for Sumfest and a series of events that started history.
Bounty Killer says he worked with Baby Cham, Bling Dawg, and Vybz Kartel following the Scare Dem Crew’s success, and that later morphed into the Alliance Crew.
Bounty also revealed the story behind Alliance forming- he didn’t pick a name, but rather others referred to him linking with other artists as an alliance, and the name stuck.
“We never planned to have another crew but it was because we used the word Alliance freely and loosely, people start to call us Alliance and when you think about it it’s a good thing. One for all, all for one,” he said.
The artist went on to share that he later linked with Busy Signal, and then Vybz Kartel brought in Mavado and Aidonia, which expanded the Crew.
“When I go to show, everybody, coming with me,” he said, adding that he also allowed the artists to perform during his set, which allowed them to hone their craft. Bounty does not take credit for the artist’s success, though.
“That’s how they really started to master their craft, just come to a show with Killer. Nobody never really get any specialty treatment from the promoter or producer and then I start carrying them around to the producers I work with…because I always encourage the producers to work with the younger artists… just like when I carried Kartel to the producers first he was not polished but he was creative and talented and he just wanted some time and some nurturing and look at him now, they are all giants,” he said.
Bounty Killer revealed that he regarded the people in his “entourage,” but all of the people with him were artists in the making, producers, and people who were working in music.
