An open letter to Bounty Killer
The following is an open letter to Bounty Killer.
Dear Bounty Killer,
I hope this letter finds you in the angriest of moods.
I have been reading about your recent travails i.e. your brushes with the law and I must admit I am extremely disappointed. You may remember that in my last blog I spoke of how I like Beenie Man. But my admiration of him in a purely platonic way did not stop me from pointing out his flaws.
Bounty Killer, I like you in pretty much the same manner. After all, I grew up listening to music from both of you and I think you, Bounty, have some songs that are timeless. If you and other readers of this letter disbelieve me, listen to the lyrics of Look, Anytime and Cyaan Believe Mi Eyes and you will see that they are still relevant a decade later and will be long after you have left the earth.
Anyway, enough of the adulation, time for the chastisement.
Bounty Killer, you like your nemesis Beenie Man have the opportunity to become icons and legends in dancehall history. You, like your nemesis should be elder statesmen in dancehall. You should be producing younger artistes who will take dancehall to the top of BillBoard, the BBC Top 40 and the Canadian charts regularly. I’m not talking about exposing young artistes, allowing them to produce substandard work, then becoming involved in petty squabbles, which hold both them and the music back.
What I’m talking about is putting a young artiste in the international limelight and keeping him or her there by using your experience and knowledge. After all, you have had some international success and you have boasted about giving the world Elephant Man (and Scare Dem), Vybz Kartel as well as Mavado. So, why not use that to your advantage in the form of a studio and management company? Also, why not use this experience to lobby for dancehall to be given the respect it deserves as a legitimate art form, which reflects the voice of the people instead of the noise that some people perceive it to be?
Instead, Bounty Killer you have been finding yourself before the courts too regularly for my liking. I have never looked up to you as a role model neither have I ever looked up to Beenie Man or any other dancehall act for that matter. You see I don’t idolise people. But, I’m sure people look up to you as a role model. I don’t know if you see yourself as a role model but your visits to her majesty’s courts is not something I would imagine you would not want youngsters to follow.
While I’m on the subject of youngsters, why can’t you get your sons Vybz Kartel the seemingly talented but wayward writer who left your household three years ago and your equally gifted singjay Mavado to stop going at each other’s throats. Aren’t you afraid that they may literally cause harm to each other. Why can’t you as the father intervene? Why not let them come together, sit down combine their talents and produce a memorable GLOBAL HIT – not a local one, or one that’s going to just peak at 65 on Billboard Hot 100 and then be forgotten. Instead get them to do one which will be as catchy and popular as Shaggy’s ‘It Wasn’t Me’.
So Bounty, please, I beg of you, can we at least see a new cross, angry miserable man using his bad attitude to take dancehall to the top? Please?
Thank you for reading my letter.
Yours truly,
Idi Amin
PS: Hey you could even appear in the video of the global hit song done by Vybz Kartel and Mavado. But then it wouldn’t be your first time!
Tags: artistes, Beenie Man, billboard, Bounty Killer, crime, Dancehall, fueding, international, Mavado, music, police, vbyz kartel, young acts
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20 Responses to “An open letter to Bounty Killer”
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I agree with your sentiments. As an icon in the business, Bounty Killer is now viewed as Movado’s back up man. Bounty Killer should be the leader of Alliance but it seems Movado a run things. I always thought that Bounty built his career waring with Beenie and now that Beenie gone so far, Bounty is left struggling.
If Movado and Kartel can unite, dancehall will reach mainstream. Everywhere in New York people a talk bout Kartel and Movado. For example Kartel’s Dolla Signs single is in steady rotation on a top New York Radio station. Movado’s So Blessed single is in the same position. So why don’t they stop waring and see how they can grab the international music scene and run with it.
I think Bounty’s situation is far gone for him to make a difference. Beenie Man does a major show almost every weekend across the globe. So he is in the position to bring dancehall to new heights. I have been around the music industry and I have always thought that Beenie and Shocking Vibes needed to open a mainstream distributing center in the US. Something different from VP Records. That way they can market dancehall music Internally and reap the international dollars.
Beenie you have set the trend and continue distribute great music. Thank you for being so consistent.
Idi nice try.. but u a waste u time! Killa wil av2 prove me wrong but i tink d only way he can mek d headlines is by beatn up defenseless women (including a pregnant one.. shame). dont bleev me? chek d stats 4 d last 5yrs n he has not made news 4 nothing musical.. but he does by abusing women – d’angel et al. other members of his clique has been charged for similar offences, most recently niti kuchi. wat an example he his setting! Killa also does not kno how 2 separate musical meaning from literal meaning which xplains his ignorance n y wit him tings always get violent.. jus chek out his comments made in the star bout blak ryno n selectors who plays kartel songs. bounty needs2 gro up.. 40 is not far away!
TO SIMPLE OUT IT……BOUNTY KILLA IS JUST BAD MINDED AND MOVADO WILL KNOW THIS IN TIME.REMEMBER BABY CHAM, HIM AND KILLA WERE FRIENDS UNTIL HE STARTED GETTING SOME SHINE, SAME THING WITH KARTEL. IN TERMS OF BEENIE MAN THAT’S A LEVEL THAT KILLA HAS AND NOT WILL NEVER REACH. SEEMS HE THINK HIS NAME SHOULD BE TOP OF THE FOOD CHAIN IN THE DANCEHALL BUSINESS, BUT THIS AS NEVER BEEN. NOT TO SAY HE HASN’T DONE SOME REAL MEANINGFUL AND UPLIFTING MUSIC, BUT BECAUSE HE IS NOT RIGHT IN HIMSELF HE WOULD LAST LIKE BEENIE MAN.
“BOUNTY IS LEADER OF ALLIANCE, BUT MOVADO SEEMS TO BE RUNNING THING” KILLA IS NOT GOING TO BE HAPPY ABOUT THAT. MOVADO WILL NEED A NEW CAMP SOON.
For the first time I can’t find anybody to disagree with. You all have a point. Amilli I agree with you on the stats part and for the rest of you you are all right. As I have said e Beenie Man and Bounty Killer need to stop doing what they are doing now and take the music forward. they are above petty tiffs and abusing women. But, I guess neither will do that.
Utterly rubbish, who put busy sigal,mavado,serani,elepgant man,cham on the international stage? What is alliance ent? What is payday music?this was done by bounty killa rodney price has his flaws no man is perfect some incidents get blown of paporton cause he is who he is do not bash who you do not know about
mdiddy. u a the best, some people just chat f***ry all the time and dont know s**t bout things, just know rubbish that stuck in the back of there head
BOUNTY,BEENIE HAS SURPASS YOU SOMETIME AGO SO
CALM DOWN AND MOVE ON BEENIE DOING SHOWS ALL
OVER THE GLOBE,BOUNTY THE TRAIN HAS LEFT THE
PLATFORM SORRY MATE CATCH THE RED BUS BONTY AND
STAY COOL,NO DISRESPECT YOU HAVE TO BE PACESETTER TO KEEP UP…YOU ALL MUST PUSH THE
MUSIC FORWARD WITH RESPECT GLOBAL,NO IF OR BUT
MOVE THE MUSIC FORWARD.
I resent some otf these statements as they are well misinformed. There is Alliance Music (hte record Label), Bounty part owns Solid Agency as well. He cannot be viewded as Mavado’s back up singer, when for the 2009 year alone, he is the one getting all the acclaim for the best performances at the biggest Stage Shows, Reggae Sumfest in particular, and more recently, he demolished the Hennesy Artistry show (leaving Beenie man in his wake, who gave a lackluster and uninteresting perfomance, that the crowd was thoroughly not into at all).
This man is doing what he can for the music, but he also knows that unlike Beenie-man he has to take himself away from the spotlight to allow the younger generatin to shine. he is still very relevant to the music, he is playing hi part and he will be a legend (I already regard him as a living musical Legend of dancehall who has single handedly ensured the continuation of the musci by the amount of exposure and teachings he has given to younger artist. He is the one who isshowing them not only the musical side bu also the business side of the music – this you people ned to go and research before you speak anything about)
In regards to his run ins with the law, he is only human and the reason his trials are being highlighted is due to his popularity and celebrity. beenie Man has been having his fair share of run ins, every time he goes to England he is arrested at the Airport – Every time.
My two cents….. Reggae artistes need to be more organized in general, and get educated in doing business… Straight, until that can happen, the nonsense will continue. In terms of stature, Killa is Killa and that can’t be denied. Realistically Killa and Beenie are in two different classes. Beenie is an entertainer, and Killa is an artiste. Check both of their catalogues you will see Killa with more meaningful, substantial music and beenie has more dancehall hits. Killa’s music resound more with the individual than does beenies. Also, before Killa broke unto the music scene, beenie was there. It was only after Killa broke that Beenie rode his coat-tail to international status. In conclusion, bickering about who better is non-productive. There needs to be real change in how reggae artists conduct themselves and business.
Hey all you have said i TOTALLY agree with you…
well said i hope he reads this..
There were some points in this letter that were extremely true…. I comment this author on putting the points straight out in the opening. I do agree all this pity war and fighting a so time consuming…. everybody need to step up and make Dancehall/Reggae one of the best in the world instead of all this Gaza/Gully bull crap in the media…. The music industry is a real money making business and there is room for everyone to get a piece of the pie; however this beenie man and bounty killer thing played out and is time for these men to grow up and do some more creative things in the industry..
IDI..Who are you to judge Bounty? Those who judge other will be judged twice as hard before the king. Be careful what you say. Bounty Killa ah mi favorite artist. If you don’t like him style, then move on. Bounty bows to no one. Maybe you fear his strength. He is a product of his environment and has never and will never flip the switch to conform. So move an gallang wid yu idiot talk. BOUNTY RULES FOREVER an a day!
I, too, have a very pit-bull who will be the most warm animal I have ever owned. Quickly, a new dog breed will appear together for your media to blast, because they have accomplished rotties and dobies in earlier many years. Unfortunate that media sensationalism breeds so much inaccurate data.
Another ignorant and senseless article from someone who does not follow dancehall….
you make points about what needs to b done but do not take the time out to do a little research. If u and the rest of naysayers looked past what u hear and ur own shortsightedness, u would realize that Bounty has done more than any artiste/media house/producer for the dancehall music industry.
You cannot be the judge of a situation u know nothing about so please refrain from these topics lest everyone else recognize ur ignorance.
Beenie is better quality and standard above bounty killa. Doesnt take a rocket scientist to see that. Apparently the followers of bounty killer are as dumb as he is and will never see that. Bounty killer bahaviour is like that of the cavemen. Go to youtube and watch the video of one of his many disgraceful behaviour at Capletons “Saint Mary We come from” show in St Mary a couple years ago. you would have though a man nearing age 40 would have grown to maturity and near perfection after been in the business for so long. he need anger management and badmind control. music is not about cussing and quarel and fight. his persona doesnt allow him to be entertaining. his music is just for a certain section of society and his friends. I do think he has lost any little impetus he had and will never get back to that halfway mark where he did get to. Beenie is still riding higher and higher. im no beenie or bounty fan…i jus listen to good music..an im an open minded person. some fans are jus die hard and will never call a spade a spade no matter what. just like you have some people who are pnp and their party could never do anything too bad for them.
I think the reason most posters here are saying Bounty is their favourite artiste is because of the Miniker “KILLA” Jamaicans are in love with anything that glorifies killing, sad thay have become vampires, with a blood lust for all things immoral , sad, can’t believe this is my once beautiful Country could produce such useless specimen.
Make that “Moniker”.
Hey DJ, you care to eloborate on how/what bouty has done for the dancehall/music industry? you seem like you know it all so why don’t you enlightend us…LMAO!!!!
all of you who dont like bounty killer has to have some form of mental disorder,killa is the big man
of dance hall.beenie man is no comparison right now
because i see where he is now running behind
vybes kartel when it should be the other way around,killa response for the founding of gully, gaza,alliance,scare dem and a host of other artist.what does beenie man response for…? making headlines with negativities? you people
are so biaz and ungrateful,so before you thing
of posting another coment,just take sizzla advice and clean up your heart and come.
I could not resist the opportunity to jump into this conversation with my own take on the Bounty Beenie Saga. There are some among us who are willing to walk thru life with a “skip to my luu” attitude, with no care in the world. you know these docile inviduals who stands for nothing, if we needed to come together and protest for better wages they would be the one in hiding, missing action so to speak.The music and entertainer we like reflects so much on who we are on the inside.
Bounty an artist, Beenie man an entertainer, bounty killa takes alot of flack for not having hit songs but let’s look at why many artist today have hit songs.They go into the studio with a sample of a song that was catchy back in the day, and they make a song with the same air and sound incorporated on a dancehall riddim. so at the end of the day you have a song and sound that is already popular and catchy so the people gravitate to it more, now this is what Beenie has done to be so “successful” in dancehall, if you dont believe me listen to all his hit songs, no stop! listen to all his songs.
Bounty killa on the other hand comes up with songs from the ground up, songs created from dust which are harder to crossover and become main stream hit songs.Bounty Killa single handedly as kept dancehall alive, since 1993 until present, peolpe u need to stop hiding your conscience and use the facts that are before you. scare dem crew to include elephant,harry toddler,nitty kutchie, angel doolas,baby cham , busy signal , aidonia vybz kartel, movado,flex, kibaki,savage and the list goes on and on. and for many other he is the person they have admired on their rise to fame.If you dont belive me ask in the streets who is the most influential dancehall artist of alltimes even beenie if he cares to admit would say bounty killa, and i believe beenie on his death bed one day will pay homage to the true king of dancehall.
so many guys ride this guy coat tale to success it unbelievable.
does he have flaws sure he does he is only human.but put that aside and look at his contribution to the music. beenie is a people pleaser and maybe thats why peole like him so much, personally i have nothing against him other than his lack of originality.I think ppl on a whole see killa as someone to fear because of his no non sense stand on certain issue, he is the only artist that goes on stage each and every performan and appeal to jamaicans from every walk of life or a btter jamaica, but i guess until he is dead and gone his works will not be recognized like that of Bob Marley. Bounty killa will always do songs to reflect whats going onn in society while beenie will continue to be the docile skip to my luu artist he is.