“…18 years ago, I dropped my last album then launched Alliance to run dancehall. I never ever needed the hype. This album isn’t to compete with the younger folks or anybody. It’s more of a template to guide who doesn’t understand fully about dancehall culture. I hope y’all appreciate it…”
During an Instagram live in August, Bounty revealed that the project would be ready in time for Christmas.
The album is Executive produced by Damian “Junior Gong” Marley. Bounty Killer’s last album Art of War was released in 2002 by VP Records and was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Reggae Album category.
The deejay whose given name is Rodney Price emerged on the scene in the 90s after recording “Coppershot” which producer King Jammy was unwilling to release, due to its lyrics glorifying gun culture. Jammy’s brother Uncle T disagreed and released the single himself, which went on to become an underground hit in both Jamaica and New York.
By mid-1990s, he began releasing albums, with four released in 1994. His 1996 album “My Xperience” was hugely successful, spending six months on the Billboard reggae chart. He followed up with Next Millennium in 1998 which featured the new generation of hardcore New York hi hop stars, including Noreaga, Mobb Deep, Killah Priest, and the Cocoa Brovaz.
The hit “Deadly Zone” made the soundtrack for the movie Blade and made the Top Ten on the rap singles chart in America. The follow-up, 1999’s The 5th Element, marked his return to the original dancehall style.
In 2014, Bounty Killer and long-term rival Beenie Man put aside their differences and recorded a single together, Legendary. The two performed a well-received Verzuz together on Instagram during the COVID-19 pandemic quarantine on May 23, 2020.
Vibe Magazine wrote that their battle was “Arguably the most exciting and spontaneous edition of Verzuz yet”.
