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.
War Face
Bounty Killer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well ain't I a risin' star, lord have mercy
(Yo let me get that Dutch master)
Wit Bounty Killer and Raekwon
(This goes for the Jamaican niggas)
Lord have mercy, violent, violent, violent
(New York to Jamaica yo)
Never stop until I sing, me sing, me sing, huh
[Chorus: Bounty Killer]
War! and no type of thing is sky pagin', rappers are preachin'
And them girl know, there is nobody in this world, til I step it
Raekwon, done skill 'em, and then serve on
Gun shot at my car, and he boy, scared, well
[Bounty Killer]
New York, say I, wonder if one day that
So many of them say that, they want war
Me offer five to five skills, and then I submit
So penalty now, give in, they want the lucky charms
Gun shotter, park on them, me, boy
Scared, jungle this, them haunts the war, but not them get this
Then they wonder why, so them count the penny
Party by must skill and pop all the Henny
War you can't storm me like him Louis bent it
Gun shotter drop the nine hard, and he hold it
Lick off the pants fall down, we need wallets
There's only one, rapper behind a nine, watch it
War, them can't hold the Wu-Tang, we dones ratchet
Watch it, hey me gun gon' lock like the rocket
Be fly, up in me, gun spark, like the market
You tuba in your boat, and then you like to hold it
[Chorus]
[Raekwon]
Relax your soul like Clarks from England
These terrorists is back, gun cocked, wit their jury swingin'
Collabo on, we get laced in the Avalon
Runnin' the Dutch, my marathon, done carried on
These scandalous brothers, we trample this
They can get lamped wit this, Bounty and Chef, don't even sample this
A loner, a shark tie your brother up on a
Pass the Corona, what's the science Bounty?
All they knew, he was wit Shaolin now
Police be wildin', you know, so we was splurgin' it, Virgin Islands
It's Mediterrean, lady try to play me in
Came wit a man, he had a ruger, he's Arabian
He had an accent, plus his back was bent
I'm on the corner as he pressured up wit black tints
[Chorus]
[Bounty Killer]
I, wonder if one day that
So many of them say that, they want war
Me offer five to five skills, and then I submit
So penalty now, give in, they want the lucky charms
Gun shotter, park on them, me, boy
Scared, welcome
[Raekwon]
Diamonds, come and walk wit me, gun point emotionally
Playin' me close like he suppose to be
He looked at 18, word to my son
He was a paid fiend, gettin' money in Jamaica, Queens
Lex' keys fell out my pocket, yo, dun, he cocked it
Ready to blaze me like a sky rocket
Suddenly stunned, dunn dropped the gun
So now it's over, now I'm slidin' in a Rover wit one
We stay trifler, rude boys buildin' in the ghetto cypher
A year from now I buy my bitch a tiger
[Outro: Raekwon (Bounty Killer)]
Word up, no infeltrators, only Wally gators
Gun shotter, park on them, me, boy..
The lyrics to Bounty Killer's song "War Face" use aggressive and violent language to express the artist's dominance over others in a conflict. The chorus describes "rappers preaching" while "them girl know there's nobody in this world, til I step it." The verses describe various scenarios where Bounty Killer and Raekwon feel threatened but ultimately come out on top, with lines like "gun shotter drop the nine hard, and he hold it" and "ready to blaze me like a sky rocket, suddenly stunned". Throughout the song, there is an underlying theme of power and control, with the artists asserting themselves as the ultimate authority.
The lyrics also contain a number of cultural references, such as the use of Jamaican slang and the mention of Wu-Tang Clan ("War, them can't hold the Wu-Tang, we dones ratchet"). Additionally, there are references to drinking Henny and smoking Dutch masters, which are both associated with hip-hop culture. Overall, the song is a testament to Bounty Killer and Raekwon's prowess in battle and their unwavering confidence in themselves.
Line by Line Meaning
Well ain't I a risin' star, lord have mercy
Bounty Killer is a rising star and seeks mercy
Wit Bounty Killer and Raekwon
Bounty Killer and Raekwon are performing together
Lord have mercy, violent, violent, violent
Violence is imminent and prayer is requested
Never stop until I sing, me sing, me sing, huh
Bounty Killer will not stop until he sings his song
War! and no type of thing is sky pagin', rappers are preachin'
A war is ongoing and rappers are discussing it
And them girl know, there is nobody in this world, til I step it
No one matters until Bounty Killer enters the picture
Raekwon, done skill 'em, and then serve on
Raekwon defeated his opponent with his skills
Gun shot at my car, and he boy, scared, well
Someone shot at Bounty Killer's car and scared off the perpetrator
New York, say I, wonder if one day that
Bounty Killer ponders if New York will ever be at peace
So many of them say that, they want war
Many people claim to want war
Me offer five to five skills, and then I submit
Bounty Killer offers his skills and surrenders for peace
So penalty now, give in, they want the lucky charms
Those who want war are punished by surrendering for peace
Gun shotter, park on them, me, boy
Bounty Killer confronts someone with a gun
Scared, jungle this, them haunts the war, but not them get this
Those who want war are scared and cannot handle it
Then they wonder why, so them count the penny
People wonder why there is war and count their losses
Party by must skill and pop all the Henny
Bounty Killer parties with his skill and drinks Hennessy
War you can't storm me like him Louis bent it
No one can beat Bounty Killer in war
Gun shotter drop the nine hard, and he hold it
Someone drops their gun and holds it for dear life
Lick off the pants fall down, we need wallets
When shot, the victim's pants fall and the attacker takes their wallet
There's only one, rapper behind a nine, watch it
There is only one rapper holding a gun and it is watched
War, them can't hold the Wu-Tang, we dones ratchet
No one can beat Wu-Tang Clan in war
Watch it, hey me gun gon' lock like the rocket
Bounty Killer's gun is ready to shoot like a rocket
Be fly, up in me, gun spark, like the market
Bounty Killer's gun is flashy and sparks like the stock market
You tuba in your boat, and then you like to hold it
Someone is armed in their boat and likes to have control
Relax your soul like Clarks from England
Relax and enjoy like wearing Clarks shoes from England
These terrorists is back, gun cocked, wit their jury swingin'
Terrorists are back with guns and their jewelry swinging
Collabo on, we get laced in the Avalon
Bounty Killer and Raekwon collaborate and party in the Avalon
Runnin' the Dutch, my marathon, done carried on
Bounty Killer is smoking Dutch weed and carrying on with his marathon
These scandalous brothers, we trample this
Scandalous brothers are dealt with and trampled
They can get lamped wit this, Bounty and Chef, don't even sample this
They will be hit with violence and should not even think about it
A loner, a shark tie your brother up on a
A loner is dangerous and will tie up their brother
Pass the Corona, what's the science Bounty?
Pass the beer and ask Bounty about the situation
All they knew, he was wit Shaolin now
All they knew was that he was with Shaolin now
Police be wildin', you know, so we was splurgin' it, Virgin Islands
Police are wild and Bounty Killer spends his money in the Virgin Islands
It's Mediterrean, lady try to play me in
A lady tries to deceive Bounty around the Mediterranean
Came wit a man, he had a ruger, he's Arabian
An Arabian man came with a gun
He had an accent, plus his back was bent
The man had an accent and a hunched back
I'm on the corner as he pressured up wit black tints
Bounty is on the corner and feels the pressure with tinted windows nearby
Diamonds, come and walk wit me, gun point emotionally
Someone is emotionally attached to someone holding them at gunpoint
Playin' me close like he suppose to be
Someone is staying close like they are supposed to
He looked at 18, word to my son
The person with the gun looks young
He was a paid fiend, gettin' money in Jamaica, Queens
The person with the gun was making money in Jamaica, Queens
Lex' keys fell out my pocket, yo, dun, he cocked it
Bounty Killer's keys fall out of his pocket and the person with the gun readies themselves
Ready to blaze me like a sky rocket
The person with the gun is ready to shoot like a rocket
Suddenly stunned, dunn dropped the gun
The person with the gun was stunned and dropped their weapon
So now it's over, now I'm slidin' in a Rover wit one
The situation is calmed and Bounty is relaxing in a Rover with someone
We stay trifler, rude boys buildin' in the ghetto cypher
They stay in their lane and build in the ghetto with their crew
A year from now I buy my bitch a tiger
In a year, Raekwon will buy his girlfriend a tiger
Word up, no infeltrators, only Wally gators
No traitors, only legitimate people
Gun shotter, park on them, me, boy..
Bounty Killer confronts someone with a gun
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: RODNEY PRICE, ROBERT DIGGS, COREY WOODS, ROBERT F. DIGGS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind