Bounty Killer has responded to Trinidad and Tobago fans regarding the premature end to his performance at Guinness Fully Loaded Music Festival held at the Jean Pierre Complex in Mucurapo, on Saturday night.He took to social media platform, Instagram, yesterday to give his side of what transpired when he was performing alongside fellow dancehall kingpin, Beenie Man.
“Let me state this clearly. The promoters of Guinness Fully Loaded had never booked me to perform along with Beenie Man. They booked both me and Beenie as solo acts,” he said.
“(They) think that’s how it works, as long as both artiste on the show then we gonna work together. Nope.”
Bounty Killer, whose real name is Rodney Price, said he informed the promoters that they would have to pay separately for that type of performance, and they did not.
“So in my head I was gonna do what I was paid to do —which was my solo set. I told one of the promoters I will do my set then call up Beenie at the end and do a few and he said ‘fine’.”
“I was told I were next after Aidonia; only to hear they calling Bounty and Beenie together on stage. If the people noticed it took like five minutes for me to came out as I wasn’t gonna bother perform, since the promoter thinks that they can put me on the spot. But for the love of my Trini fans I just do a short set with Beenie and leave,” he continued, in his inimitable fashion.
By yesterday, reports out of Trinidad were awash with stories of Bounty Killer’s exit.
One media outlet noted that Bounty Killer was in the middle of a high-intensity, song-for-song segment with Beenie (Moses Davis) when he turned, walked off the stage and left the venue.
The controversial DJ, who has been arrested in the past for using obscene language on stage in Trinidad, was seen pacing backstage as his co-star asked for his return. “Where Bounty gone? Bounty, he gone?” asked a confused Beenie Man. When Beenie declared to the audience the show would go on in his absence, Bounty was seen making his final exit,” The Trinidad Express reported.
It was further reported that Bounty Killer’s premature end did not stop Beenie Man from delivering.
“They say Bounty gone, but I came here to work,” Beenie Man is quoted as saying. He is then said to have given of his extensive catalogue, which was well received by his Trinidadian fans.
He would call on local talent, soca star Bunji Garlin and West Indies cricketer-turned-artiste Dwayne Bravo to add spice to his set.
Beenie Man, however, had no answers when asked about the reason for Bounty’s hasty exit.
“Nothing nuh happen, the show nice and Bounty Killer walk off stage. You haffi ask him that, but I finish my performance, as you can see. Blessings, Rastafari,” an affable Beenie told the Express.
Event promoter Kwesi “Hoppy” Hopkinson said despite their efforts, some things remain out of their control.
“I think they (the crowd) got a great show, despite everything. Beenie went for an hour after — I didn’t expect him to go that long. But I do apologise to the people who didn’t get to hear more of him (Bounty Killer). I really thought he went off to come back, but we can’t control everything,” Hopkinson told the newspaper.
“They still competing at the end of the day and what I hearing is he (Bounty) has done this before so I doh know. It shows it still have that rivalry between them,” he added.
Earlier, fellow Jamaicans Wayne Wonder and Aidonia were said to have given entertaining sets.
Gweh n lef di General! !unscrupulous promoters..after killa nuh do anything wrong! !
Stand firm mi general, dem bwoy dey teck people fi fool
Another reason why I can never rate Beenie Man. He is such a sell out. This fish have no loyalty or back bone!