Bounty Killer Says Merciless Is An Exceptional Dancehall Artist But A Crazy Person
Out of the blue, Bounty Killer took aim at fellow Dancehall artist Merciless yesterday, claiming that the “Warring Don From Clarendon”, though a stellar artist, was a foolish man.
Bounty Killer posted a snippet of a music video of himself and Merciless in performance, and expressed his feelings about the one-time rival in the caption. “Gad a di grung after sting 97 mi tek up Lenard a mentor him,” he said of the artiste, whose real name is Leonard Bartley.
“Took him to my bday celebration It’s A Party 99 where he called me his father then 2000 lost his way from then on; I guess wicked artiste but a crazy person,” he added.
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The ‘losing his way’ that Bounty mentioned was Sting 2000, when Merciless singlehandedly decimated the trio of the Warlord, Ninja Man and Beenie Man in what Bounty later admitted to the Star tabloid, was the most embarrassing clash of his career.
Years later Bounty blamed Beenie Man for making them look like “three big idiots” taking on “little” Merciless. According to him, the Gyal dem Gizzada left Jamworld claiming that he lyrically slaughtered the three Dancehall giants, simultaneously.
Bounty Killer’s issues with Merciless date back to the mid-1990s, when the Clarendonian debuted and had a sound very similar to him.
Following allegations that Merciless stole Bounty’s melodies the ‘war’ began and came to a head when Merciless recorded Mr. Houdini , which Bounty claimed was aimed at him. Over the years the two engaged in various lyrical clashes, but had later buried the hatchet.
With respect to the epic 2000 clash which left Sting patrons jeering Beenie, Ninja Man and himself, Bounty had told The Star that the audience was rooting for Merciless since he “was seen as the underdog”.
Bounty had also claimed that the problem was exacerbated when Beenie Man made the competition hugely unbalanced by not teaming up with Merciless, but instead siding with himself and Ninja Man resulting in fans rooting for Merciless, in what they deemed to be an unfair fight by the three.
Beenie Man’s actions had indeed, effectively presented a David and Goliath situation, but Merciless had risen to the occasion, striking down the ambush by extemporizing himself to victory over the three.
According to Bounty, he was very upset because Merciless was “saying he killed three of us” and so he and Ninjaman “had to rub him out at a next show”. However, despite Bounty’s protestations and attempts at redemption, Merciless is still regarded as being among the few deejays in Dancehall history to decimate three gladiators at one go.
Bounty had also explained that he was not booked for Sting 2000 and only went on stage to lyrically assist Ninja Man who was being lyrically battered by Merciless.
“A because mi see Merciless a done Ninja enuh mi a seh, ‘Merciless a guh tek weh Ninja title’. So, mi go there to defend mi father,” he said in explaining the ambush of Merciless.
According to the Star, Bounty laid the blame at the feet of Beenie Man, as just as the clash was just about to get exciting, Beenie Man decided to join, “thereby helping to form a self-destructive trio”.
“Merciless seh, ‘Beenie yuh want piece a this?’ And Beenie fi just go pan Merciless side and mek me and Ninja tek dem on, but Beenie ran and join us. Mi a seh to myself, ‘afta a nuh wi did call yuh, Beenie?’ The man come mek wi look like three big waste man a fight one likkle artiste,” Bounty Killer had told The Star.
“A him mek Merciless look bad inna the morning because he was now the underdog. But what Merciless really wanted was for Beenie Man to join him,” he had explained.
Bounty had pointed out that Beenie Man had assumed that he joined Bounty and Ninja Man, then Merciless would have been easily toppled. But that was not to be as Jamaicans, historically are not fans of uneven fights, whether lyrically or physically.
“A him (Beenie Man) mek wi look like idiot up deh and mek di bwoy look bad. Because how yuh fi a support three man a fight one?” Bounty had said.
“Yuh a guh support the one who a kill three. From that point Merciless never have to deliver no lyrics to win. All di man seh was, ‘wad up, bad man nuh tek bad up. Him nuh sing nothing, him just look badda dan wi,” he had added.
On his post on Monday, many of Bounty’s ardent fans immediately agreed with him out of sheer loyalty, but one follower, mrjahbee, gave some insight as to why Merciless’ career took a decline after Sting, pointing out that he had boxed in himself as a clash artiste.
“After STING 2000, he could not/failed to capitalize on the mass publicity he received from that show. It’s been downhill for that brother since. He was typecast as a ‘clash artist’ solely,” he explained.
A few months ago, veteran Dancehall artiste and producer, Mr G. (formerly Goofy) explained that Merciless, skyrocketed to national stardom in just one night on at the House of Leo, on a Stone Love dub with Len Out Mi Mercy.
The Mavis artist, had his first moniker Sugar Demus changed to Merciless and Winston “Wee Pow” Powell, upon hearing Merciless deejay for the first time, immediately declared him a star. Wee Pow and Bounty were not on good terms, and so Merciless having a similar voice to Bounty, was seen as a plus for the Stone Love boss.
Len out mi Mercy was a hit on the island, which started Merciless prolific streak as songwriter and deejay. He also had hit songs such as Ole Gallis, Whaddup, Mama Cookin, Gizzada, Let Dem Have it and God Alone with Little Hero and Action Fire. He also collaborated with Lady Saw for Baby Mother and Long Till It Bend. He and Bounty Killer also recorded the track No One Cares in 2000.