BOUNTY KILLER. it's not the benefit of the money, its the principle

The Warlord speaks frankly with Observer staff reporter Karyl Walker about the unsavoury events of Sting 2003 and the much talked about "Alliance".

Bounty Killer, whose non-appearance triggered a prolonged bottle-throwing incident at last Boxing Day's Sting concert is charging that the promoters, Supreme Promotions, were the ones behind the clash between Ninja Man and Vybz Kartel, which ended in a stinging on-stage fistfight.

"They set up the clash. If not so, then who gave Macka Diamond mic to run up on Queen Paula?" the DJ asked referring to a lyrical cat fight between both female DJ's at Sting. "How Ninja Man get mic? They also wanted to set up a clash between me and Ninja Man".

Bounty, a leading dancehall personality since his phenomenal rise a decade ago, has been at loggerheads with the Sting promoters on more than one occasion and according to him, "Bounty career value more than one Sting night".

And clashes he says, he can do without.
"We are trying to be a better person for society. A clash can't help my career."

The promoters of Sting, the longest running event in local stage show history, put the blame squarely at the feet of the DJ, charging that he left the venue fuming because the running order was re-scheduled to allow Elephant Man to perform before him and triggered the stoning incident in which 23 persons were injured inside the Jamworld Entertainment Centre.

Supreme Promotions director, Howard McIntosh, recently hinted that the entertainer and his manager, Sharon Burke of Solid Agency, could be slapped with a lawsuit.

"We have no options but to rebuke Rodney Price and his manager," McIntosh said at a press conference earlier this week, "We are looking at our options."

But, according to the DJ - who sports 'the moniker' - the Warlord, he had honoured his contract and was present at the venue at the time agreed on between his agent and Supreme Promotions.

"I honoured my contract. I was scheduled to work at 3:00 am and I was at the venue up to 5.30 am," Bounty Killer told Splash.

"I told them from they approached me to work on the show that I wanted to work early. They agreed."
Bounty Killer, whose real name is Rodney Price, had been paid an advance to perform at Sting and has since returned the money to Supreme Promotions.
"It's not the benefit of the money, its the principle," Bounty Killer said frankly.

The DJ, although bitter the Sting promoters were blaming him was equally prepared to commend the show as assisting his career.

"It is not a matter of being ungrateful because Sting do a lot for my career in the past," said the Warlord.

It is no secret that Bounty Killer and Vybz Kartel are friends and in the days following the Sting concert, rumours swirled around that Bounty Killer had assisted in planning an attack on Ninja Man. The DJ flatly refuted any such allegations.
"If it was planned then I don't know. I am sorry that this thing happened," he told Splash.

Ninja Man, the other half of the fighting Sting duo, also came in for harsh criticism from the Warlord.

"One way or another somebody was going knock over Ninja Man," he remarked. "These youths take things serious and is not everybody going see him as a joker."

According to Bounty Killer, Ninja Man enjoyed a revival in his fledgling career by piggybacking on his popularity and should be grateful instead of trying to make an enemy of him.
"Me build back him career after him charge fi gun, murder and all type of things. I take him to church and save him when him under drugs. Him shouldn't want clash with me," Killer remarked.

Earlier this year, Bounty Killer was instrumental in the forming of a group of dancehall artistes who took on the name "The Alliance". The move has been harshly criticised by some in the dancehall fraternity, who see it as clannish behaviour by the artistes, who wanted the whole dancehall pie.

But Price, whose first hit was Coppershot in 1992, denied that 'The Alliance' harboured any such intention.

"People see us moving as a team and get worried. Everybody who in the Alliance, Bounty have something to do with them success."

The members of the feared Alliance are Bounty Killer, Elephant Man, Wayne Marshall, Vybz Kartel, Angel Doolas, Bling Dawg, Predator, Jagwa and Kibarky.

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