Bounty Killer, aka Rodney Basil Price, was born 12.06.1972 in the Trenchtown area of downtown Kingston, Jamaica, with his family moving to a next ghetto area of Riverton City (formerly known as Dungle), and finally Seaview Gardens, Kingston, as a young child. One of nine children to his mother "Miss Ivy" and father, owner of a small sound system, Rodney first picked up the mic as a deejay at nine years old.
He nearly lost his life to gun violence at 14, but thankfully fully recovered from the bystander assault and soon began his music career as Bounty Hunter. He joined neighborhood friends Nitty Kutchie and Boom Dandemite in seeking out opportunities in country as well as town, performing for Metromedia and Bodyguard, as well as other local area sound systems. It was during a chance meeting with brother of King Jammy, Uncle T, which would change his career forever.
Bounty's initial recordings were done by Uncle T, after Jammy himself was skeptical due to the violent nature of the tracks. Jammy eventually relented upon witnessing the rising popularity of the deejay.
His first hit record on the sound system circuit was Dub Fi Dub and other recordings with the King Jammys label were compiled into 1993's Jamaica's Most Wanted, later released as Roots, Reality and Culture. By 1993, now known internationally as Bounty Killer, Rodney was quickly becoming regarded as one of the fiercest and most lyrically gifted of the next generation of deejays. Hits such as Coppershot, Lodge, and Spy Fi Die quickly propelled Bounty to an upper-echelon deejay, and sound system dubplate favorite. "Coppershot" was actually a hit in New York before Jamaica, which left Bounty as personally indebted to the American city as much as his native Kingston. 1993 also brought the beginning of a long, on-and-off rivalry with Beenie Man, which culminated in a battle at Sting 1993, extended through the mid-90s and flared up again in the latter half of the following decade.
Bounty won the war at Sting 1993 and his legacy as dancehall superstar was cemented as a result. The mid-1990s brought hit after hit, such as Cellular Phone, Not Another Word, and Mama. The heated war-of-words with Beenie Man gave the world many popular tunes from each side, including Ask Fi War, Suspense, and War Beyond The Stars.
The mid-90s era culminated in the release of My Xperience in 1996. The most comercially successful album of Bounty's career, and widely considered one of the best dancehall albums of the decade, it mixed popular dancehall tracks, such as Living Dangerously featuring Barrington Levy and Fed Up, with hip-hop crossover duets featuring Jeru The Damaja, Raekwon and, most popularly, The Fugees.
The decade closed out with two more albums, Next Millenium, which featued more hip-hop guest combinations, and 5th Element, which returned to a more hardcore-dancehall style.
By the year 2000, Bounty Killer, along with Capleton, was still considered the top deejay in the business, particularly with the waning popularity (at the time) of Beenie Man, and refocused career path of Buju Banton. This was due as much to being the most in-demand artist for dubplate recordings by sound systems as to actual studio material.
In 2001, he was featured with No Doubt on their international hit Hey Baby, and appeared with the band for a pre-game performance at the 2002 NFL Super Bowl.
In 2002, Bounty released his most ambitious project since My Xperience, a double CD (released seperately), titled Ghetto Dictionary: The Mystery and Ghetto Dictionary: The Art of War. While not nearly the commercial success of My Xperience, underground sales were strong, and it featured the smash dancehall hit Sufferah.
Since the Ghetto Dictionary project, Bounty Killer's influence has mostly been behind-the-scenes, working with young talent and bringing new dancehall reggae stars to the forefront. He has been credited with bolstering the careers of, among others, Elephant Man, Busy Signal, Wayne Marshall, Baby Cham, and Vybz Kartel.
He currently oversees a stable of artists known alternately as The Alliance and Gully, which includes Mavado and Aidonia.
Coppershot
Bounty Killer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pull out! Oh God guns out me a tell you bad bwoy dont fret and frown de original Bounty Killer all informer fi dead.
We dont fret and frown de wi nu ramp fi shot bwoy inna dem face suh dead.
A weh me look an tell de bwoy dem seh know bad bwoys?
From we pop out we gun blood ago run
Like a river Jordan a come down
From we pop out we gun
X amount a people life ago done
Wen me say
Copper shot member me tell una trust dat, hear deh!
Man a bus so much magnum and glock, come mek we splurt!
Guh fi we gun den come back, well den
We will murder all hundred pon spot
Wicked act TG men pop out gat, you a fool!
Over deh suh all a talk and chat
Dats why you dead!
Pon de ground you head drop, look deh!
Dem all a prepare you funeral box
Copper shot junglist nuh bus lead, from wen
A you mumma and you puppa ago dead, tink we fled?
Wen we a run we gun red
Early mornin we guh tek you bredda outta him bed, inna de family
Shot him an bus him head, him dead!
You nuh hear weh seaview man dem said
From a man back dem gun yu fi run
Nuh wen you kill dem lick off shot you a run
From a man back dem gun, ah you nah fi you own
Pick up yuh put inna yu hand splurt an run
Fire house eliminate
Dem bwoy dem fi lose dem face, from far
Distance, mi seh way cross de street, dem fi dead!
Ah we gun dem a penetrate
Murder de bwoy dem fast and dont wait
Ay nuh look(?), tek a fence or tek bush
Ay bwoy, tonight tonight you dead like a rampuss(?), Yuh never hear!
seh we back it if a george bush
Its pure artillery dem man deh a push, we nah inquire
From gunshot fi fire, see deh
Mi back de matic or de streetsweeper
Your mumma dead, friend dem or your neighbour
Your dog or your puss underneath your cellar
Dats why
Copper shot member me tell una trust dat, hear deh
Man a bus so much magnum and glock, come mek we splurt
Guh fi we gun den come back, well den
Waterhouse wi kill hundred pon spot
Wicked eck seaview men pop out glock, you a fool
Over deh suh all a talk an chat, dats why you dead
Pon de ground you head drop, look deh
Dem all a prepare you funeral spot
Copper shot back to man nuh bus lead, from when
All you mumma and yuh puppa ago dead, tink dem play
Wen dem a run dem gun red
Early mornin mi guh tek you bredda outta him bed, inna de public
Shot him an bus him head, him dead
You nuh hear weh junglist dem said
From a man back dem gun yu fi run
Nuh wen you kill dem lick off shot you a run
From a man back dem gun, ah you nah fi you own
Pick up yuh put inna yuh hand splurt ah run
Dats why
Deh g'yuh dead, you stare deh bawl and beg, hey bwoy
Tek six bullet inna yuh head, you never hear
'Bout de bwoy Mikey and Fred
And de two weh dem find round suh, without no head
Copper shot member me tell una trust dat, hear deh
Man a bus so much magnum and glock, junglist splurt
Guh fi de gun den come back, well den
Spangle as wi kill hundred pon spot
Wicked eck seaview men pop out gat, you a fool
Over deh suh all a talk and chat, dats why yuh dead
Pon de ground you head drop, look deh
Dem all a prepare yuh funeral box
Copper shot waterhouse nuh bus lead, from weh...
Bounty Killer's "Coppershot" is a dancehall classic that was released in 1992. The song begins with the lines, "Pull out! Oh God guns out me a tell you bad bwoy don't fret and frown de original Bounty Killer all informer fi dead." Bounty Killer is warning others not to cross him and bragging about his bad-boy reputation. He's not afraid to use his gun and kill anyone who tries to mess with him. The chorus of the song talks about how much blood will flow when his gang pulls out their guns. They are unstoppable, and no one can stand in their way. The song talks about the violence and gangster lifestyle in Jamaica, and it is a reflection of the prevalence of violence in the country during that time.
The verses of the song are filled with vivid descriptions of violence, murder, and revenge. Bounty Killer talks about killing his enemies, taking revenge on those who have wronged him, and how his gang is not afraid to use their guns. He mentions different gangs and areas of Jamaica, painting a picture of the gang activity that is prevalent in the country. The song speaks to the harsh reality of life in Jamaica and the reality of gang life.
Line by Line Meaning
One, two, three, four...
Counting the gunshots
Pull out! Oh God guns out me a tell you bad bwoy dont fret and frown de original Bounty Killer all informer fi dead.
We are not afraid to use our guns to kill informants, and we are the original Bounty Killer.
We dont fret and frown de wi nu ramp fi shot bwoy inna dem face suh dead.
We don't hesitate to shoot enemies in the face and kill them.
A weh me look an tell de bwoy dem seh know bad bwoys?
Where can I find the boys who claim to be bad boys?
From we pop out we gun blood ago run
Like a river Jordan a come down
From we pop out we gun
Whole heap a blood ago run
X amount a people life ago done
When we show our guns, blood will flow like a river, and many lives will be lost.
Wen me say
Copper shot member me tell una trust dat, hear deh!
Man a bus so much magnum and glock, come mek we splurt!
Guh fi we gun den come back, well den
We will murder all hundred pon spot
When I say 'Copper Shot', trust me, we have plenty of guns to use. We can use our guns to kill hundreds of people at once.
Wicked act TG men pop out gat, you a fool!
Over deh suh all a talk and chat
Dats why you dead!
Pon de ground you head drop, look deh!
Dem all a prepare you funeral box
When we see rivals with guns, we shoot them. Don't talk too much or you will end up dead like them. We are already preparing your funeral.
Copper shot junglist nuh bus lead, from wen
A you mumma and you puppa ago dead, tink we fled?
Wen we a run we gun red
Early mornin we guh tek you bredda outta him bed, inna de family
Shot him an bus him head, him dead!
You nuh hear weh seaview man dem said
Copper Shot gang always leads, and we don't run away from enemies. We will kill your family members one by one until you surrender. That's what the Seaview gang said.
From a man back dem gun yu fi run
Nuh wen you kill dem lick off shot you a run
From a man back dem gun, ah you nah fi you own
Pick up yuh put inna yu hand splurt an run
If someone points a gun at you, don't try to shoot them. Instead, drop your gun and run away to safety.
Fire house eliminate
Dem bwoy dem fi lose dem face, from far
Distance, mi seh way cross de street, dem fi dead!
Ah we gun dem a penetrate
Murder de bwoy dem fast and dont wait
We use powerful guns to kill our enemies from a distance. We shoot to kill quickly without hesitation.
Ay nuh look(?), tek a fence or tek bush
Ay bwoy, tonight tonight you dead like a rampuss(?), Yuh never hear!
seh we back it if a george bush
Its pure artillery dem man deh a push, we nah inquire
From gunshot fi fire, see deh
Mi back de matic or de streetsweeper
Your mumma dead, friend dem or your neighbour
Your dog or your puss underneath your cellar
Don't try to run or hide, you will be dead tonight. We have powerful weapons, and we will use them to kill whoever we want. We don't care if it's your family, friends, or pets.
Deh g'yuh dead, you stare deh bawl and beg, hey bwoy
Tek six bullet inna yuh head, you never hear
'Bout de bwoy Mikey and Fred
And de two weh dem find round suh, without no head
You are already dead, don't bother crying or begging. You will be shot six times in the head, just like Mikey and Fred who were found decapitated.
Copper shot waterhouse nuh bus lead, from weh...
The Copper Shot gang from Waterhouse is always leading the way.
Writer(s): Lloyd Woodrowe James, Lloyd James, Rodney Price Copyright: Jam One Music, Dub Plate Music Publishers Ltd., Water House Music Ltd.
Contributed by Carter I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
devon sewell
He has clarity,and the lyrics are well constructed, not to mention how well he is riding the rhythm. Β Well done Rodney!Β
Jonathan Fazio
The Best Of the Best R.P.
Frank Mohammed
Idk why I'm hearing these songs so late smh.... if I had only know these songs before I wpuld of never ever in my life listen to that bleacha teacha batty bwoy
Errol Johnson
Greatest dub plate artiste ever....hands down.... end of story
Big up Warlord!!
Ken Padmore
Facts
Bart Zearo
Big Tune, one of the biggest riddims from the 90's
AndreG 300
True..General riddim
Adaylton Soares
Bounty!!!! Genuine guntalk style! This version is the best for me!!!! One love, one aim, one destiny. jah bless!!!
D.Master
Man the first time I listened a 92 bounty killer, I couldnt believe how much Bounty Killer voice has changed.
007JNR
This tune blew my mind when I first heard it (no pun intended).