Dancehall artist Bounty Killer says the reason his visa was taken away is because of his perceived connection to Tivoli Gardens criminal Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke and the fact that he doesn’t associate with or accept the LGBT community.
While speaking at The Fix’s 10th anniversary, the artist addressed several things, including why he cannot travel to the United States. Bounty Killer was among several artists named by the United States embassy who were barred from traveling to the United States between 2010 and 2013. Among those whose visas were revoked or whose names were on a blocked list were Bounty, Beenie Man, Sizzla, and others.
The United States never gave the reason, but Bounty Killer, who recently received his visa to travel to the United Kingdom, has been very vocal about the United States, basically blocking him from traveling to the country because of his anti-LGBT stance.
Bounty, like many other artists, has called out the US government for allegedly having a foreign policy that seeks to entrench LGBT values in foreign nations like Jamaica.
Jamaica has been actively working to reduce and rebuff its reputation as being homophobic and dangerous to members of the LGBT community. In recent times, the people of Jamaica, while not accepting the lifestyle, don’t seem to have a problem with community members.
However, Bounty says he’s being punished for his stance as he refuses to compromise.
“When mi buss, everybody think mi ah laborite enuh, true Dudus like me cause him see me as a rebel weh stand for the people. That’s one thing why America took my visa, too, and they don’t want to admit it. It’s all about LGBT and Dudus, that’s why they took my visa. I done nothing,” the dynamic artist claimed.
He continued, “Me is a straight man and mi nah like no ben’ up man! No lean bwoy! Ah send this to the world. LGBT don’t like me, and I don’t like them. What’s the problem? Is it hypocrisy or democracy?”
The artist also questioned why the US wants to remove his own beliefs and choices by forcing people who want to go to America to comply with their values.
“Me nah have no right? Wam to my pride? Wam to my dignity? Wam to my sovereignty? Mi like weh mi like and me nuh like weh mi nuh like and who nuh like go fight. Everywhere dem go and try fi tie you up and jook you fi visa, nuh bwoy can treat me like tweezer,” the artist said.
The United States has never responded to Bounty Killer’s critique.
In the meantime, his fans supported his comments on social media.
“Well, he said what he said,” one person commented. “Boi can’t squeeze me like tweeza,” another fan wrote.
