Bounty Killer, born Rodney Price in Trenchtown, Kingston on June 12, 1972, emerged as a dominant dancehall star in the ’90s, known for his aggressive style and gun-themed lyrics. Starting his career as a DJ at nine years old, he first recorded under the name Bounty Hunter in 1990 and quickly became known for his confrontational lyrics. His breakthrough year was 1992, with hits like “Copper Shot” and “Spy Fi Die,” leading to his debut album Jamaica’s Most Wanted. His first of six releases with VP Records – and five with Greensleeves – was the album Roots, Reality & Culture, which helped establish him as a genre mainstay.
A notable aspect of his career was his lyrical feud with Beenie Man, beginning in 1993 and leading to a rivalry that lasted for years. Bounty Killer’s music evolved to include more social commentary, as seen in his 1995 album Down In The Ghetto which addressed issues like drug trade and violence. His 1996 album My Xperience was a milestone, featuring collaborations with American hip-hop and reggae artists, and became one of the best-selling reggae albums in the U.S. that year.
Bounty Killer continued to blend dancehall with hip-hop in albums like Next
Millennium in 1998 and returned to dancehall with The 5th Element in 1999. In 2014, Bounty Killer reconciled with Beenie Man, leading to the collaborative single “Legendary” and a joint performance in a Verzuz battle on Instagram during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.