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.
Warlord
Bounty Killer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Generally speaking, could neva war dem forsaking
Yuh know its Warlord di 5 star general
Di ghetto gladiator, I came for the paper
Passa passa don't stay for later
Marchin in to war, people dead
Wah happen to dem bwoy a nuh McCoy Cross
Fool caan chart when di Warlord talk
Place lock dun when di Warlord rock
Bomb juss when Warlord waan shot
Tough like a stone that a Warlord heart
Shot bwoy dome dat a Warlord knack
Copper plus chrome dat Warlord pack
Tell mi, gunshot when Warlord want
Bare big machine di general buss
Million dollar work when wid di general crush
Millions a anybody general flush
An a bare hot gyal waan di general touch
Diss badman yuh mussi unconscious
Tink weh mi fire mek batty tun dust
Weapon a mass destruction an such juss
One button press an a city dem bucks
Gangsta weh nah tek drape up an lush
No apology, no sorry no hush
Bwoy violate mi nah hitty nah crush
Weh mi bun dem, dem caan touch
Nuh bwoy can chat when di Warlord walk
Fool caan chart when di Warlord talk
Place lock dun when di Warlord rock
Bomb juss when Warlord waan shot
Tough like a stone that a Warlord heart
Shot bwoy dome dat a Warlord knack
Copper plus chrome dat Warlord pack
Tell mi, gunshot when Warlord want
Face nyam dirt, pon di ground
Mi gun see inna concert den come di dumb
Man a badman from mi a million young
War mi nuh chase shit dutty hand tongue
Two things mi trust well a God an mi gun
Dem try fi tame but could not overcome
One try fi run but him couldnt escape it too late
Sink now a pussy it cum
Di war juss begun, mi nah spare none
When gun fire mi nuh care who get bun
Bun dem up, Dexton stand up an run from di marshall
Leave, dem letta fi gun
Nuh bwoy can chat when di Warlord walk
Fool caan chart when di Warlord talk
Place lock dun when di Warlord rock
Bomb juss when Warlord waan shot
Tough like a stone that a Warlord heart
Shot bwoy dome dat a Warlord knack
Copper plus chrome dat Warlord pack
Tell mi, gunshot when Warlord want
Yuh know it's Warlord di head of state
Yo, all a tek a bait an elevate
Hey yo yallow, can yuh relate
Its di 5 star general, marchin' in to di war
These fools, walk in too far
Yuh know it's Warlord, I got di metal
Cross, Angry, well
Nuh bwoy can chat when di Warlord walk
Fool caan chart when di Warlord talk
Place lock dun when di Warlord rock
Bomb juss when Warlord waan shot
Tough like a stone that a Warlord heart
Shot bwoy dome dat a Warlord knack
Copper plus chrome dat Warlord pack
Tell mi, gunshot when Warlord want
Cross, they angry, it's Rodney, huh
People dead
In "Warlord Walk," Bounty Killer asserts his dominance as a five-star general in the world of dancehall music. He claims to be the "ghetto gladiator" who has come for money, and he tells his enemies that they cannot chat when he walks or talks. He warns them that he is dangerous and will use his weapons to attack them. Bounty Killer takes pride in his tough demeanor, explaining that his heart is like a stone and he can shoot a man in the head without hesitation. He also brags about his weapons, saying that he carries both copper and chrome guns.
Bounty Killer's message in this song is clear: he is the top dog in the dancehall world, and he will not hesitate to use violence to protect his dominance. He revels in the fear he instills in his enemies and describes himself as a warrior who is always marching to war. The final lines of the song affirm his position: he is the "head of state" and anyone who tries to compete with him is "angry" and "dead." Bounty Killer is a street poet who uses his lyrics to both reflect and shape the culture that surrounds him.
Line by Line Meaning
Cross, Gladiator, huh
Bounty Killer is referencing two symbols of strength and fighting prowess, a cross and a gladiator, to explain the type of warrior he is
Generally speaking, could neva war dem forsaking
In general, no one can go to war with him and expect to win
Yuh know its Warlord di 5 star general
Bounty Killer is referring to himself as the Warlord, the highest-ranking official in his gang and a person of unbelievable power
Di ghetto gladiator, I came for the paper
Bounty Killer is letting people know he is a fighter from the ghetto who is motivated by money
Passa passa don't stay for later
He knows that some people think he's just talking smack, so he needs to show up and make good on his words
Marchin in to war, people dead
When the Warlord marches into battle, people will die
Wah happen to dem bwoy a nuh McCoy Cross
These men are not McCoy Cross, a reference to a notorious killer who was known for his brutality
Nuh bwoy can chat when di Warlord walk
When the Warlord is walking around, no one will dare to talk to him disrespectfully
Fool caan chart when di Warlord talk
If the Warlord speaks up, foolish people will not stand in his way
Place lock dun when di Warlord rock
When the Warlord is present, everyone stops what they're doing and pays attention
Bomb juss when Warlord waan shot
The Warlord has the power to order violence at any time
Tough like a stone that a Warlord heart
The Warlord is tough and unbreakable
Shot bwoy dome dat a Warlord knack
The Warlord is capable of killing with one shot
Copper plus chrome dat Warlord pack
The Warlord carries both copper and chrome guns, which are both symbols of power and intimidation
Tell mi, gunshot when Warlord want
When the Warlord decides to shoot, he will shoot
Bare big machine di general buss
The Warlord is powerful and has access to many weapons
Million dollar work when wid di general crush
When the Warlord is involved, there is a lot of money to be gained by his gang
Millions a anybody general flush
The Warlord and his crew have lots of money, and they'll spend it on anyone they want
An a bare hot gyal waan di general touch
Lots of attractive women want to be with the Warlord and his men
Diss badman yuh mussi unconscious
If you disrespect the Warlord, you must be crazy or out of your mind
Tink weh mi fire mek batty tun dust
The Warlord's gun is powerful enough to cause destruction
Weapon a mass destruction an such juss
The Warlord's weapon is like a weapon of mass destruction
One button press an a city dem bucks
The Warlord has the power to press a button and make a city fall
Gangsta weh nah tek drape up an lush
The Warlord and his crew are not the kind of people who will get beat up and pushed around
No apology, no sorry no hush
The Warlord is never going to apologize or say sorry for anything he does
Bwoy violate mi nah hitty nah crush
Anyone who disrespects the Warlord will have to face his wrath
Weh mi bun dem, dem caan touch
The Warlord has done things that no one has ever touched
Its di 5 star general, marchin' in to di war
Bounty Killer is reminding everyone that he is not just a Warlord, he is a 5-star General
These fools, walk in too far
His enemies have underestimated him and will soon pay for it
Yuh know it's Warlord, I got di metal
Bounty Killer is a Warlord with a gun
Cross, Angry, well
Again mentioning McCoy Cross, a notorious killer known for his brutality
Face nyam dirt, pon di ground
When the Warlord is done with his enemy, their face will be in the dirt
Mi gun see inna concert den come di dumb
The Warlord's gun is always with him, even at concerts and other events
Man a badman from mi a million young
The Warlord has been a bad man since he was young
War mi nuh chase shit dutty hand tongue
The Warlord doesn't retreat from fights, even when they get ugly
Two things mi trust well a God an mi gun
The only two things the Warlord trusts are God and his gun
Dem try fi tame but could not overcome
People have tried to control the Warlord, but have failed
One try fi run but him couldnt escape it too late
Someone tried to run away from the Warlord, but it was too late to escape
Sink now a pussy it cum
Now that he's been caught, he's speaking like a coward
Di war juss begun, mi nah spare none
The battle has only just begun and the Warlord will take no prisoners
When gun fire mi nuh care who get bun
The Warlord will shoot his gun without caring who gets hurt
Bun dem up, Dexton stand up an run from di marshall
Even people as notorious as Dexton have run away from the Warlord
Leave, dem letta fi gun
The Warlord's enemies have no choice but to leave in order to avoid getting hurt
Lyrics © Royalty Network, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: CHRISTOPHER BIRCH, RODNEY PRICE, CHRISTOPHER S BIRCH, RODNEY BASIL PRICE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind