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.
Spy Fi Die
Bounty Killer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Unno mek wi nuh hot, murderation! everytime
People life left behind and big crime bounty killer
Pon di frontline with KG 9 seh! yeah!
A guy a spy dat fi die coppa shot inna dem
Heart or inna dem eye wicked man seh!
From you a spy yuh fi die
With no explanation don't ask me why it's like
Buss wi gun now it's just shot multiply
A guy a informa and we know bonify
I can tell you! you tell di whole world bye bye
When we a kill bwoy we kill ants and fly
Jangcrow a come already copta a fly
Wicked man nah run we just wave wi gun high
Boyaka boyaka we shoot to bullseye and seh
A guy a spy dat fi die coppa shot inna dem
Heart or inna dem eye wicked man seh!
From you a spy yuh fi die
Fi murder some now mi gonna plea and a cry it's like
Heartless murderer cold blooded and dry eye
Feel seh that yuh wicked don't talk well just try
Si mi wid mi gun and come style mi like guy
Nuff shot a go buss a pure shot multiply
People a go moan and wholeheap a bwoy die
Murder informa and all gay guy
From yuh love chat well yuh get yuh bone fry
Ask mi no question mi tell you no lie
Informa chat a gunshot mi reply
Fi murder some now wi gonna plea and a cry and seh
A guy a spy dat fi die coppa shot inna dem
Heart or inna dem eye seaview seh!
From you a spy yuh fi die
Wi suspect seh yuh work fi FBI tru ah
Weh wi si wi nuh talk and weh wi hear wi nuh seh
From a guy a informa that must dead today
Shot in a him face a weh junglist seh
Wi nuh inna carry go bring come and hear seh
Nuh waan nuh password yuh nuh have to set it
Shot that inna station or any weh
From a guy a informa that must dead today yeah!
A guy a spy dat fi die coppa shot inna dem
Heart or inna dem eye TG seh!
From you a spy you fi die
Wi suspect seh yuh work fi FBI once more
Inform pon wicked man you left di whole world a cry
Buss wi gun now it's just shot multiply
A guy a informa and we know bonify
I can tell you! you tell di whole world bye bye
Murder informa and all gay guy
We a kill bwoy we kill ants and fly
Jangcrow a come already copta a fly
Wicked man nah run we just wave wi gun high
Boyaka boyaka we shoot to bullseye and sing
A guy a spy dat fi die coppa shot inna yuh
Heart or in a yuh eye dunkirk seh!
From you a spy yuh fi die
Suspect seh yuh work fi FBI tru a
Heartless murderer cold blooded and dry eye
Feel seh that yuh wicked don't talk well just try
Si mi wid mi gun and come style mi like guy
Nuff shot a go buss a pure shot multiply
One world a moan and a nuff bwoy die
Ask mi no question mi tell you no lie
A guy a informa him bone a go fry
A guy still a chat a coppa shot wi reply
Fi murder some now wi gonna plea and a cry and seh
A guy a spy dat fi die coppa shot inna dem
Heart or inna dem eye wicked man seh!
From you a spy yuh fi die
Suspect seh yuh work fi FBI tru a
From wi sight an informa nuh friend wi nah mek
Try left di town or left di district
Shot inna face and nuh morrow nah left
Fi shot informa wi trained and practice
Standing target! moving object! how wi do
Shot out dem windpipe from outta dem neck
And shot out dem maw from behind dem desk
In Bounty Killerβs song, βSpy Fi Die,β the lyrics express a message of violence against spies and informants. The song is set in a violent environment, and the artist implements violent imagery to emphasize his attitude towards spies, whom he believes must die by being shot in the heart or the eyes. Through the lyrics βFrom you a spy yuh fi die with no explanation,β the artist is insinuating that there is no justification for spying or informing, and the punishment is death. Although the song advocates violence, it is important to acknowledge its context. This song is a representation of the violence in Jamaica, where the Police force and selected βdon-menβ are engaged in a war against one another.
Furthermore, the lyrics express that spies and informants are leaving the world in distress and causing chaos within. Bounty Killer has chosen to take the law into his own hands, enforcing a message that snitches get what they deserve. He views himself as a protector of the people, a vigilante fighting for justice. It is through songs like βSpy Fi Die that the artist educates his listeners who the real enemies of Jamaica are, and that they need to be eliminated by any means necessary.
Line by Line Meaning
Murderation! people a blast without a cause
People are committing senseless acts of violence
Unno mek wi nuh hot, murderation! everytime
Stop provoking us, we are always ready to act violently
People life left behind and big crime bounty killer
People lose their lives and there is a lot of crime happening, and the artist Bounty Killer is speaking out against it
Pon di frontline with KG 9 seh! yeah!
The artist is ready to fight back against violent acts with his weapon of choice, the KG 9 gun
A guy a spy dat fi die coppa shot inna dem
Heart or inna dem eye wicked man seh!
If someone is spying, they deserve to be killed by a bullet to their chest or eye, according to the violent person speaking.
From you a spy yuh fi die
Anyone who is a spy deserves to die
With no explanation don't ask me why it's like
The singer is not going to provide any justification for his violent actions
Inform pon murderer you left di whole world a cry
If you inform on a murderer, you will make the entire world upset
Buss wi gun now it's just shot multiply
Once the gun is fired, more and more shots will follow
A guy a informa and we know bonify
A man is a snitch and it is well-known and verified
I can tell you! you tell di whole world bye bye
The person being addressed is going to die, and it will be known across the world
When we a kill bwoy we kill ants and fly
When they kill someone, it doesn't matter who they are - it's like killing an ant or a fly
Jangcrow a come already copta a fly
A helicopter has already arrived and is circling above
Wicked man nah run we just wave wi gun high
The violent person is confident and not scared, they flaunt their gun
Boyaka boyaka we shoot to bullseye and seh
They shoot with precision and are proud of it
Fi murder some now mi gonna plea and a cry it's like
The artist is remorseful and upset that they have to kill again
Heartless murderer cold blooded and dry eye
The artist is unaffected emotionally and is just a ruthless killer
Feel seh that yuh wicked don't talk well just try
If you're feeling brave enough to confront the singer, you'll see how wicked he is
Si mi wid mi gun and come style mi like guy
If you see the singer with his gun, you'll know he's not someone to mess with
Nuff shot a go buss a pure shot multiply
There will be a lot of shots fired in quick succession
People a go moan and wholeheap a bwoy die
There will be a lot of casualties and people will be grieving
Wi suspect seh yuh work fi FBI tru ah
They suspect that the person they are speaking to is working for the FBI
Weh wi si wi nuh talk and weh wi hear wi nuh seh
They don't talk about what they see or hear
From a guy a informa that must dead today
If someone snitches, they will be killed today
Shot in a him face a weh junglist seh
The person will be shot in the face, as commanded by the violent speaker
Wi nuh inna carry go bring come and hear seh
They don't want to hear rumors and gossip from others
Nuh waan nuh password yuh nuh have to set it
They don't want to hear explanations, it's obvious what happened
Shot that inna station or any weh
The person can be shot anywhere, including in a police station
Wi suspect seh yuh work fi FBI once more
They still suspect that the person is working for the FBI
Si mi wid mi gun and come style mi like guy
The singer is very confident and intimidating with his weapon
One world a moan and a nuff bwoy die
Many people will die and the world will be grieving
A guy a informa him bone a go fry
The snitch will pay for what he's done
A guy still a chat a coppa shot wi reply
If someone keeps talking, they will be shot by the police
Writer(s): Lloyd Woodrowe James, Lloyd James, Rodney Price Copyright: Jam One Music, Dub Plate Music Publishers Ltd., Water House Music Ltd.
Contributed by Vivian V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
John
Legendary π₯
Swizzle
big ups nuff respect to bounty killer
π―π²Seaview gardens
Lorna Vasquez
Wicked sound!
Cocous Stunner
Classic πΆ
AINT NO AFRICA AMERICA ON GOOGLE MAPS
I WAS 11 N 12 YRS OLD LISTENING TO DIS
Brian Doherty
Bounty taking off on this one...definitely better than Beenie Wicked man Tune
Rick
Big Bounty BOom BooM!!!!!
MrHwil RRR
Bombooooclaaaaaatt!!!! Yow!!
Actor chambers
brap brap brap!!!
Shaf Gagon
Bounty Killed the ANSWER ... WAR GENERAL HANDS DOWN