Bounty Killer Claims He Was Taken Off Crime Stop Campaign, JCF Says “Nothing Personal”
Senior superintendent Stephanie Lindsay, Head of the Corporate Communications Unit, the information arm of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), was surprised at the tenor and timing of Bounty Killer‘s recent allegations that the Commissioner of Police, Major General Antony had him taken off Crime Stop’s Take a Stand ad campaign.
On Thursday, the Warlord expressed outrage after, according to him, the Commissioner deemed him unfit and threw him off the campaign which includes fellow artists Agent Sasco and Sevana.
“Di big idiot lunatic commissioner took me off that crime stop ads saying that I’m not fit enough to help fight or denounce crime. Since he is why is crime so high (then)… IS EITHER WE GONNA LOVE AND CHERISH EACH OTHER WE ALL GONNA PERISH WITH EACH OTEHR🤜🏿🤛🏿,” Bounty wrote.
However, Superintendent Lindsay told DancehallMag that it was nothing personal against Bounty.
“A pool of talents were recommended for the campaign and in the end, a selection committee met and selected talents whose message was consistent with the theme of the campaign; there were a number of persons to choose from,” she explained.
“There was nothing personal against Bounty Killer, and I am not even sure why this is coming up now because there is no new campaign and the last campaign ended in April 2021,” she added.
Bounty’s post evoked a barrage of criticisms and insults from followers, aimed at the Major General. But on Friday morning, there was nothing more to be seen, as the Living Dangerously artist’s “grunggaadzilla” Instagram page had been disabled.
The Take A Stand campaign had been rolled out in March last year, amid claims by Prime Minister Andrew Holness that violent music has contributed to Jamaica’s rising crime rate, and, as a consequence artists had been used as the chief proponents of the campaign’s message.
The ad saw each person, including Bounty Killer expressing concern about the state of crime in the country and giving suggestions as to what needs to be done to curtail it.
Bounty has been one of the most vociferous Dancehall artists as it relates to fearlessly denouncing killings and other heinous crimes in Jamaica, and promoting peace as well as punishment for perpetrators, in his public utterances.
Paradoxically, however, he has been criticized by many for diluting his anti-violence messages by continuing to record songs with extremely violent lyrics.
In March last year, Bounty had been embroiled in a skirmish with some of his fans who took exception to his murder-laced tune Gun Ready, a collaboration with upcoming deejay Machine Lawd, the artwork for which bore caricatures of the Coppershot artist and Machine Lawd with rifles positioned beside them.
The followers had accused him of being duplicitous, as the song was not in keeping with his anti-violence utterances, his age nor his stature as an international Dancehall veteran. They had also said that due to his age, they expected him to make a difference instead of joining in the shenanigans.
Some told the Seaview Gardens native that he was setting double standards by continuing to sing gun songs, even whilst denouncing murders being committed by others, and, as a consequence, was engaging in the glorification of guns, which was already contributing to the wanton murders in Jamaica.
Some fans pleaded with Bounty to refrain from promoting violence in his lyrics, arguing that he had an obligation to “keep the music at a positive level”, as promoting violence then condemning it, made no sense.
In February this year, Bounty was also criticized as being two-faced, for recording the violence-laced When We a Step with Jahshii, even in the face of the heinous murders taking place on the island over the years while at the same time speaking out against murders.