Cham Says Bounty Killer Has The Greatest Deejay Voice In Dancehall History
Dancehall heavyweight Cham says Bounty Killer has the greatest deejay voice in the history of Dancehall, unmatched by any of his predecessors or his contemporaries.
Speaking during an interview with Television Jamaica’s Anthony Miller, which was aired on Friday night, the Ghetto Story artist pointed out that the Warlord’s booming voice and commanding delivery, have put him in a class by himself and at the pinnacle of Dancehall deejaying.
Cham was discussing his musical relationship with legendary producer Dave Kelly, when he said that he had encouraged Bounty to voice for the Joyride producer, as he knew that whatever they came up with in the studio, would be nothing short of masterpieces.
“It was when he lost his visa and we had met up at a party at the time and I told him that ‘yow, I think you and Dave should link’. Because just him (Bounty Killer’s) deejay technique to me is rawest, purest delivery I have ever heard from anyone you see deejaying in studio,” Cham explained.
“Mi study Shabba, mi study Buju, study Beenie, study Major Worries, Yellowman – and none a dem, to me caan deejay like Bounty Killer. Mi naw guh seh Killa is the best lyricist or di best writer, but deejay,” he added.
Cham concurred with Miller that Bounty’s songs Anytime on the Brukout riddim in 1999 and Poor People Fed Up which were written by Kelly, and recorded at his Madhouse studios, were instant classics because of the Coppershot deejay’s style and vocals, and especially his “aggression”.
Cham also explained how Kelly, whom he regards as a genius, created several seminal beats, namely Showtime, Joy Ride and Bruk Out which slowed down the pace of Dancehall which was being inundated with rapid beats towards the late 1990s, at a time when Vybz Kartel and Mavado were bringing fresh energy to the scene and when fast-paced riddims such as Stephen McGregor’s Red Bull and Guinness were “running the place”.
“The music scene was a little bit different. Everything was sped up to probably 135 beats per minute, so everything was close to Soca I would say,” Cham explained.
The former national under-14 footballer also reminisced on when the prolific Kelly created the Bug riddim on which some of Dancehall’s greatest classics such as Look into My Eyes, Keep Em Coming and Naw Get no Gyal were voiced.
“And I remember when Dave made the beat, someone heard the beat and said: ‘that can’t work within the pace right now. Dave is that individual if you tell him it can’t work, that is when he is going to push for it,” the Babylon Bwoy artiste said.
“By 99 came Another Level, Look into my Eyes and Ghetto Pledge, was on the Bug riddim which again, to me Dave was just a genius. Everything was on a hundred beats per minute and he went to the Bug riddim… and he slowed us down and Killa basically sing (Look into My Eyes),” Cham said.
During the interview the fallout between Bounty Killer and Cham in 2000 was also spoken about. That rift between the two began after the Warlord questioned Cham’s loyalty and accused him of being too Americanized, this after he engaged in a series of collaborations with American rapper Foxy Brown and others.
The two called a truce in 2005 after performing together at a Hot Mondays anniversary show and in 2010 joined forces on the Dave Kelly-produced single, Stronger, which also featured Mykal Rose.
Weeks later the two released The Message which was also produced by Dave Kelly.
“Yeah, it is one a dem ting where Rodney is an individual, when him don’t get him way him just lose it, but him know me and him know that wouldn’t throw me off at the same time. I wasn’t getting distracted by that. I saw that the gate was open and we knew that we could get few number ones. We knew we could hit the Billboard the right way, so that wouldn’t distract me at the time,” Cham said in explaining the situation.