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.
big or small
Bounty Killer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
After all... wrong sumaddy name yu call
A pop off mi gun weh name rain stop fall
Sumaddy head roll like ball...
Yeah
Now yu dead yu madda bawl
Loose argument peter or long story paul
Gweh...
Yu si mi gun and pose up like wall
And dead ova deh suh frazzle out like maul
Yu coulda big or small, coulda long or tall
From yu dis me and mi gun realize yu head a guh fall
And yu madda wi cry and yu daddy wi bawl
Wi nuh tek hostage might as well kill all
Coulda five cent peter coulda five cent paul
Coulda tough like iron coulda thick like wall
Mi pop off mi gun weh name rain start fall
Weh a pop thru iron and it a tear thru wall
Well smaddy haffi dead from dem dis after all...
Dead yu madda bawl spranglaz name yu call
Loose argument peter or long story paul gweh...
Yu si mi gun and pose up like wall
And dead ova deh suh frazzle out like maul
Ol big head stooge coulda weh yu a prove
Si mi glock 19 yu mussi bullet proof
Copper shot weh yu get dash outta yu shoes
Leff yu head ova deh suh we shot out yu fuse
Man a big bad man nuh get mi gun confuse
Copper shot inna mi gun dem nuh mark excuse
Anything inna di way junglist dat haffi move
Dead yu madda bawl t-g name yu call
Loose argument peter or long story paul a suh...
Yu si mi gun and pose up like wall
And dead ova deh suh frazzle out like maul
Mi nuh pop off and gyow sumaddy dead anyhow
Spit fire like a dragon and a buck like cow
Mi nuh care di consequences well sumaddy dead now
Man a big bad man and dem gun naw bow
We nuh pop out and talk from killin fi start
Mi a wicked man who nuh mess wid ass
Wi a murder people all wid out a cause
Well some boy haffi dead from dem a nyam outta drawz
Dead yu madda bawl wrong man name yu call
Loose argument peter or long story paul a suh...
Who si mi gun and pose up like wall
And dead ova deh suh powda out like maul
Yu coulda fat or slim coulda thick or thin
Like bird have wing a copper shot mi a fling
All yu hair yu a loose like a barber a trim
A inna di miggle a di street mi 45 mi a bring
Anything purplex dat dead like chi ching
Wen mi claut mi mack-11 and all di street light dim
Dead yu madda bawl junglist name yu call
Loose argument peter or long story paul gweh...
Yu si mi man gun and pose up like wall
And die ova deh suh powda out like maul
Yu coulda big or small, coulda long or tall
From yu dis me and mi gun realize yu head a guh fall
And yu madda wi cry and yu daddy wi bawl
Wi nuh tek hostage might as well kill all
Coulda five cent peter coulda five cent paul
Mi pop out mi gun weh name rain start fall
Well sumaddy haffi dead from dem dis after all
Dead yu madda bawl wrong man name yu call
Loose argument peter or long story paul mi seh...
Him si mi gun and pose up like wall
And dead ova deh suh powda out like maul
The lyrics to the song "Big or Small" by Bounty Killer portray a violent and confrontational narrative. The singer of the song utilizes gun violence to avenge his name being called wrongly. The lyrics suggest that anyone who crosses the singer will face violent retribution. The repetition of the line "wrong man name yu call" reinforces the idea that the singer is not one to be trifled with.
The song's lyrics also depict a disregard for human life and an embrace of violent tendencies. The line "We nuh pop out and talk from killin fi start" suggests that the singer is quick to resort to violence instead of attempting to find a peaceful resolution. The singer revels in the power dynamic where he is in control and his gun is the ultimate instrument of power.
Overall, the lyrics of "Big or Small" convey a message of retaliation and the idea that violence can solve personal grievances. The song reinforces the dangerous but all too common idea that violence is a justified response to perceived slights.
Line by Line Meaning
After all... wrong sumaddy name yu call
You called the wrong person, and now there will be consequences.
A pop off mi gun weh name rain stop fall
I fired my gun which is called rain, and the rain stopped falling.
Sumaddy head roll like ball...
Someone's head rolled like a ball after being shot.
Now yu dead yu madda bawl
Now you're dead, and your mother is crying.
Loose argument peter or long story paul
Whether it's a small argument or a long story, it doesn't matter - there will be consequences for crossing me.
Gweh...
Get out of here, leave.
Yu si mi gun and pose up like wall
You see my gun and stand there as if you're invincible.
And dead ova deh suh frazzle out like maul
You'll die over there, and your body will be disfigured.
Yu coulda big or small, coulda long or tall
You could be any size, but if you cross me, you'll face consequences.
From yu dis me and mi gun realize yu head a guh fall
If you cross me, I'll use my gun, and your head will roll.
And yu madda wi cry and yu daddy wi bawl
Your mother will cry, and your father will mourn if you mess with me.
Wi nuh tek hostage might as well kill all
I don't take hostages; I may as well kill everyone.
Coulda five cent peter coulda five cent paul
I don't care who you are or what you're worth.
Mi pop off mi gun weh name rain start fall
I fired my gun, which is called rain, and the rain started falling hard.
Weh a pop thru iron and it a tear thru wall
My gun can penetrate iron and tear through a wall.
Dead yu madda bawl spranglaz name yu call
Your mom will cry when you're dead, and people will remember you by the name Spranglaz.
Ol big head stooge coulda weh yu a prove
I don't care how big-headed and arrogant you are.
Si mi glock 19 yu mussi bullet proof
You might think you're bulletproof, but my glock 19 can still kill you.
Copper shot weh yu get dash outta yu shoes
My copper bullet hit you so hard that it knocked your shoes off.
Leff yu head ova deh suh we shot out yu fuse
Your head will be left over there because we shot out your fuse, and you're done.
Man a big bad man nuh get mi gun confuse
I'm a tough guy, and my gun is always ready.
Copper shot inna mi gun dem nuh mark excuse
My guns are loaded with bullets that don't discriminate.
Anything inna di way junglist dat haffi move
Anything in my path must move, or it will be taken down.
T-g name yu call
You called T-G's name, and there will be a consequence.
Yu coulda fat or slim coulda thick or thin
Your size doesn't matter; you're still vulnerable.
Like bird have wing a copper shot mi a fling
I'm shooting copper bullets like birds flap their wings.
All yu hair yu a loose like a barber a trim
You'll lose more than just a few hairs; I'll cut you down to size.
A inna di miggle a di street mi 45 mi a bring
I'm carrying my .45 in the middle of the road for all to see.
Anything purplex dat dead like chi ching
Anything that poses a threat is as good as dead.
Wen mi claut mi mack-11 and all di street light dim
When I fire my Mack-11, the street lights will dim because of its power.
Yu coulda big or small, coulda long or tall
You could be any size, but if you cross me, you'll face consequences.
And yu madda wi cry and yu daddy wi bawl
Your mother will cry, and your father will mourn if you mess with me.
Coulda five cent peter coulda five cent paul
I don't care who you are or how much you're worth.
Mi pop out mi gun weh name rain start fall
I fired my gun, which is called rain, and the rain started falling hard.
Well sumaddy haffi dead from dem dis after all
If someone disrespects me, there will be bloodshed.
Dead yu madda bawl wrong man name yu call
If you call the wrong person's name, your mother will cry when you're dead.
Loose argument peter or long story paul mi seh...
It doesn't matter if it's a small argument or a long story; there will be consequences.
Him si mi gun and pose up like wall
He saw my gun and acted as if he was invincible.
And dead ova deh suh powda out like maul
He died over there, and his body was disfigured.
Writer(s): Rodney Basil Price, Bobby Dixon
Contributed by Adeline N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Benjamin Ofori
We call this music, good riddim, strong voice and strong lyrics... Killer is a killer
Da Royal General
BIG TUNE!!!
Omar Williams
I wish this era could come back and I could go back to 1995 and age 16! 🥺 Life back then was so easy!
TEK LIFE
KING 👑
Da Royal General
when rodney killa was a very dominant force within the music...bless.
Da Royal General
@Darwin Charles
okay.
Darwin Charles
Still
TERRY GANZIE
When bounty was bounty.
Marvia Johnson
The original voice of the general
Pedro Rivas
lyrics pleaaaase!!!