INTERMITTENT rain throughout Sunday evening did little to dampen the party vibes for the hundreds of patrons who turned out to celebrate Bounty Killer’s 50th birthday party — dubbed Made In JamRoc — held at Digicel headquarters’ parking lot in downtown Kingston.

The event, scheduled to begin a 7:00 pm, did not kick off until an hour and 45 minutes later due to a major downpour which sent many patrons scurrying for cover to protect hairstyles and outfits. The covered VIP booths became refuge for both patrons and staff who frantically tried to avoid getting drenched.

By 9:00 pm, however, the venue was fully packed. DJs Escobar and Sparks kept the crowd entertained with songs including Bounty Killer’s and Cham’s Another Level, Bounty Killer’s It’s A Party, and Ding Dong’s Bounce.

The evening’s headliner Bounty Killer said he was elated reaching his 50th milestone.

“This means life to me! Ah evolution of life! I never expected to live to see 50 years. I come from the ghetto and when I was 16 years old I got shot. So sometimes I reminisce and say to myself that my life could have ended. After I got shot, God bless me and eight years after I became a world renowned superstar. From that unfortunate incident, I have never fall short or got into any serious problems. This is like new life all over again. From one to 50, and now we are looking for 50 to 100,” he told the Jamaica Observer after his performance.

Shaggy, who was also one of the surprise guests on the show, had glowing praises for Bounty Killer, whose given name is Rodney Price.

“Me and ‘Killer’ have an amazing relationship. Ah mi bredren from longtime and he is an advocate to dancehall and he has given dancehall his all, so I had to support the party,” Shaggy told the Observer.

In addition to Shaggy, other acts who graced the stage included Busy Signal, Nesbeth, Konshens, Spice, Shane O, Ghost, Dexta Daps, Jahshii, and Popcaan.

Digiel’s Chief Marketing Officer Nasha-Monique Douglas said the objectives of the event were achieved.

“Made in JamRoc delivered exactly what we set out to achieve: knowing that this is our 60th year of Independence, we came together with our customers to celebrate another significant milestone — Bounty’s 50th. The show was energetic and interactive, ending on a high with the launch of our $21-million Golden SIM summer promotion. It is also significant that the celebration took place as we commemorate 21 years of keeping Jamaica connected through technology that brings people together and delivers amazing digital experiences. We especially want to thank Bounty’s friends in the music business who took to the stage to shower him with musical tributes. We also want to thank our customers who waited out the rain to have a great time with us,” said Douglas.