Ghetto Dictionary: The Art of War [PA]

Performer: Bounty Killer
Artist: DJ Kalid; T.O.K.
Distributor: Fontana Distribution

Notes: Personnel includes: Bounty Killer, DJ Kalid, T.O.K. Producers include: Wycliff "Steelie" Johnson, Cleveland "Clevie" Browne, Peter Jackson, DJ Nasty, C. Lawrence. Editor: Joel Chin. Photographer: Anderson Ballentyne. Released in conjunction with the similarly packaged Ghetto Dictionary: The Mystery, Ghetto Dictionary: The Art of War is a 20-track compilation of Bounty Killer tracks organized around a single theme: his supremacy over other DJs. The practice of DJ battling is a long-standing and venerable one in the dancehall reggae world, and Bounty Killer is one of its most respected practitioners. But as impressive as his lyrical flow and powerful delivery are, he is hobbled on this collection by the sameness of the rhythms provided him by a shifting array of producers. His credibility is also somewhat undermined by the relentless and violent homophobia of his lyrics, which run to lines like, "Wipe out the faggot with a pure laser beam," and so on. There are a few highlights, such as the soca-flavored "Man Ah Bad Man the Sequel" and the refreshingly funky "All out War." But overall, you'll do better starting off with the more varied and artful The Mystery and then picking this one up if you absolutely must have more. ~ Rick Anderson

Rolling Stone (6/20/02, p.84) - 3.5 stars out of 5 - "...A fearsome, and funky, prophet of doom....Rife with all the woofer-tearing sonic terrorism that used to make jungle so exciting... Spin (7/02, p.114) - 8 out of 10 - "...Trapped between uplift and beatdown. If [THE ART OF WAR] fights it out at the top of the reggae charts, it's only fitting." Entertainment Weekly (6/21/02, p.84) - "...A compelling survey of the breadth of BK's talent..." - Rating: B

The Trenchtown, Jamaica-born Bounty Killer (n� Rodney Price) spent time in dancehalls as a child, where his father ran a popular reggae sound system. Inevitably, Bounty Killer became an MC himself, recording his first songs (under the name "Bounty Hunter") in the mid 1990s with influential dancehall producer King Jammy. Influenced by American hip-hop as much as reggae, his "ragga" style is streetwise and aggressive, with lyrics about guns, more guns, political corruption, and his war with the police and other MCs (Beenie Man being his biggest rival). Throughout the '90s and 2000s, Bounty Killer has hit the mainstream as a guest singer on tracks by artists such as No Doubt, the Fugees, and Mobb Deep, and continues to tour and record prolifically.

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