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.
Mystery Is The Man
Bounty Killer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Snowcone I hear some fools have mi voice a swallow,
They never lead they only follow,
They never heard about blue steel and the tips so hallow,
Yallo well!
The Mystery is the mystery and the man is just the man,
So don't you try to dis mi little fool because you wrong,
You want to be the stop light in front of mi van.
The Mystery is the mystery and the man is just the man,
So don't you try to dis mi little fool because you wrong,
You want to dis the Warlord in front a him gang,
A deh so dem a go know di Warlord a mad man.
Teflon fi dem wannabees,
They all wanna live inna mi style like fleas,
Borrow mi pattern and a make some Gs,
Waa confront the Killa but the trigger will squeeze.
Crush them out like some figurines,
Hallow tips and blue steel make dem mother start wheeze,
Fassy hole don't you beg me please,
Cause Madden a you father and tonight yuh a go freeze.
Boy start war yah,
Body left pon tar yah,
Boy see top of top and come a offer man scar yah,
A say them have them glock and have them big SLR yah,
Copper shot a juck them inna rum bar yah
Them nuh scare we,
Them a dis and them a mock and waa come jeer we,
If mi get mad up in here it can be scary,
Or get leery,
Teflon a pitch them down like Pichiery,
How them come dare we,
Never know we have the glocks and them dear eeh,
Time fi the practical done with the theory,
Them contrary,
No fools out a road them nuh scary
No pain, no gain, some boy waa take mi crown
Them can't maintain, them lipping and them flipping,
Them can't sustain,
Mi got them with mi Magnun, bun them up with the black rain,
The Killer insane,
Pon the street and the main, Them say them a run the place
Them a do it in vain,
A buy the people them from Clarendon to Spain,
And want fi get mi out, but the Fassy them haffi
Bounty Killer's song "Mystery Is The Man" is a warning to those who would try to imitate or challenge the Warlord's unique style and identity. He begins by addressing Snowcone, his producer, and mentioning rumors that his voice has been stolen and used by others. But he quickly dismisses these copycats as mere followers who do not understand the lethal power of his blue steel gun and his hollow-tipped bullets. Bounty Killer asserts that there is a difference between the mystery of his character and the reality of himself as a man, and he warns those who would try to diss him or stand in his way that they will face his wrath. The Warlord describes himself as a mad man who will crush his enemies like figurines and freeze them in their tracks. He also mentions Teflon, one of his proteges, who shares his disdain for wannabes and fools who dare to mock them. Bounty Killer emphasizes that there is no gain without pain and that those who try to take his crown will fail miserably. He ends the song by boasting about his fame and influence, which span from Clarendon to Spain, and by asserting his invincibility in the face of all challengers.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey yow Yallo,
Beginning of the song, greeting to Yallo.
Snowcone I hear some fools have mi voice a swallow,
Rumors that some people are imitating his style and voice.
They never lead they only follow,
These people lack creativity and only imitate others.
They never heard about blue steel and the tips so hallow,
These people are ignorant of real power and weaponry.
Yallo well!
Expression of agreement or confirmation.
The Mystery is the mystery and the man is just the man,
The true power lies in the unknown, not just in physical strength.
So don't you try to dis mi little fool because you wrong,
Do not underestimate or disrespect him, as it will lead to your downfall.
You want to be the stop light in front of mi van.
Some people want to block his progress or success.
A deh so dem a go know seh Warlord a mad man.
Those who try to oppose him will realize how powerful and crazy he can be.
Teflon fi dem wannabees,
He is resistant to those who try to imitate or copy his style.
They all wanna live inna mi style like fleas,
They want to live off his success and attention like parasites.
Borrow mi pattern and a make some Gs,
They use his style to make money for themselves.
Waa confront the Killa but the trigger will squeeze.
They want to challenge him, but he is ready to retaliate with violence.
Crush them out like some figurines,
He will destroy those who oppose him like crushing fragile objects.
Hallow tips and blue steel make dem mother start wheeze,
His weapons are so powerful that they cause fear and panic.
Fassy hole don't you beg me please,
He does not want to hear any pleas or apologies from his enemies.
Cause Madden a you father and tonight yuh a go freeze.
An insult to his enemies, saying they will suffer a fate worse than death.
Boy start war yah,
Someone has started a conflict with him.
Body left pon tar yah,
The result of the conflict may be death.
Boy see top of top and come a offer man scar yah,
His enemies see his success and want to bring him down.
A say them have them glock and have them big SLR yah,
His enemies claim to have weapons, but it does not scare him.
Copper shot a juck them inna rum bar yah
He will attack his enemies with no hesitation or remorse.
Them nuh scare we,
He is not afraid of his enemies.
Them a dis and them a mock and waa come jeer we,
His enemies disrespect him and want to ridicule him.
If mi get mad up in here it can be scary,
If he gets angry, it will be a frightening situation for his enemies.
Or get leery,
His enemies should be cautious and careful around him.
Teflon a pitch them down like Pichiery,
He will eliminate his opposition with ease like a game of Pitch and Putt.
How them come dare we,
He questions why his enemies are bold enough to challenge him.
Never know we have the glocks and them dear eeh,
His enemies are unaware of his true power and capability.
Time fi the practical done with the theory,
It is time for action, not just talk.
Them contrary,
His enemies are the opposite of him and his values.
No fools out a road them nuh scary
He is not intimidated by his enemies, who he sees as foolish.
No pain, no gain, some boy waa take mi crown
His enemies want to take his success and power without going through the struggles that he has.
Them can't maintain, them lipping and them flipping,
His enemies lack the skill, talent, and discipline to sustain his level of success.
Them can't sustain,
His enemies are unable to last long in a challenging situation.
Mi got them with mi Magnun, bun them up with the black rain,
He will use his weapons to make his enemies suffer a painful fate.
The Killer insane,
His enemies perceive him to be mad, wild, or uncontrollable.
Pon the street and the main, Them say them a run the place
His enemies think they have control, but he knows the truth.
Them a do it in vain,
His enemies' efforts will be fruitless and a waste of time.
A buy the people them from Clarendon to Spain,
His enemies try to win over people (from different areas) to gain support or power.
And want fi get mi out, but the Fassy them haffi
His enemies want to oust him, but they will not succeed and they will pay for trying.
Writer(s): Price Rodney Basil, Edmund Paul, Fuller Rohan
Contributed by Olivia A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@KingAtha121
Ay yo! Yallo! Snowcone I hear some fools have mi voice a swallow
Ay yo! Yallo! They never lead they only follow
They never heard about blue steel and the tips so hallow, Yallo! well!
Chorus:
Da mystery is da mystery and da man is just da man
So don't yuh try to diss mi likkle fool because yuh wrong
Yuh waan to be di stop light in front of mi van
A deh so dem a go know seh Warlord a mad man
Da mystery is da mystery and da man is just da man
So don't yuh try to diss mi likkle fool because yuh wrong
You waan to diss di Warlord in front a him gang
A deh so dem a go know di Warlord a mad man
Verse 1:
Nuff teflon fi dem wannabees
They all wanna live inna mi style like fleas
Borrow mi pattern and a make some G's
Waan confront di Killa but di trigga will squeeze
Crush dem out like some figurines
Hallow tips and blue steel make dem modda start, wheeze
Fassyhole don't yuh beg mi please
Cause Madden a yuh father and tonight yuh a go freeze
Bwoy start war yah, body left pon tar yah
Bwoy see toppa top and come a off a man scar yah
A seh dem have dem glock and have dem big SLR yah
Coppa shot a juck dem inna rum bar yah, well!!!
Chorus:
Da mystery is da mystery and da man is just da man
So don't yuh try to diss mi likkle fool because yuh wrong
Yuh waan to be di stop light in front of mi van
A deh so dem a go know seh Warlord a mad man
Da mystery is da mystery and da man is just da man
So don't you try to diss mi likkle fool because yuh wrong
Yuh waan to diss di Warlord in front a him gang
A deh so dem a go know di Warlord a mad man
Verse 2:
Dem nuh scare we, dem a diss and dem a mock and waan come jeer we
If mi get mad up in here it can be scary, or get leery
Teflon a pitch dem down like picked cherry
How them come dare we, never know we have di glocks and them dare we
Time fi di practical dun wit di theory, dem contrary
Nuh fools out a road them nuh scary, well!
Chorus:
Di Mystery is da mystery and da man is just da man
So don't yuh try to diss mi likkle fool because yuh wrong
Yuh waan to be di stop light in front of mi van
A deh so dem a go know seh Warlord a mad man
Da Mystery is da mystery and da man is just da man
So don't you try to diss mi likkle fool because yuh wrong
Yuh waan to diss di Warlord in front a him gang
A deh so dem a go know di Warlord a mad man
Verse 3:
No pain, no gain, some boy waan take mi crown
Dem caan maintain, dem lippin and dem flippin
Dem caan sustain, Mi got dem wid mi Magnum,
Bun them up with the black reign, di killa insane
Pon di street and di main, dem seh dem a run di place
Dem a do it in vain, a buy the people them from Clarendon to Spain
And waan fi get mi out but di fassy dem haffi go use a crane, WELL!!!
Chorus:
Da mystery is da mystery and da man is just da man
So don't yuh try to diss mi likkle fool because yuh wrong
Yuh waan to be di stop light in front of mi van
A deh so dem a go know seh Warlord a mad man
Mystery is da mystery and da man is just da man
So don't yuh try to diss mi likkle fool because yuh wrong
Yuh waan to diss di Warlord in front a him gang
A deh so dem a go know di Warlord a mad man
Repeat Verse 1 till end
@daqueen99
To my fellow Jamaicans... This is one of our anthems by Bounty... Such a big tune
@oneilamore2846
daqueen99
@divinee.155
Mi a Tell yuh
@sosoj7313
I was waiting for him to sing this at the VERSUZ clash wiv Beenie Man but it was still an EPIC clash otherwise!! #BigTune! 🔥🔥🔥🔥👍🏾
@Gyhnad00d00
Girl me too. Had he sung that, he wuda pop beenie belly and blow him away, fete tunova, and party done🤣🤣🤣
@kpbashment9820
This song was done about 20 years ago n still hot none stop, killer ur d best,
@jayhenlon4892
Kartel wrote it
@dmcdonald3574
The best thing ever to happen to dancehall
@dmcdonald3574
💯💥💯💥😎💯💥💥💥💥alliance
@kem3703
Straight outta Vincy from day one until death nah change bounty killer forever