Bounty Killer Opens Up About How U.S. Visa Denial Affected His Life, Dancehall Career

Dancehall star Bounty Killer recently opened up about his prolonged inability to travel to the United States, a situation the 51-year-old has described as “devastating” to his music career and family.

“It’s life. Life is life and yuh affi jus live. I don’t know what I did to not have a visa for 13 years, but up until this day, di embassy nuh even have a good explanation for me,” Bounty told Gaza Uncle and DJ Everlina in a YouTube interview.

The Warlord described the challenges he’s faced due to this restriction.

“I don’t even know how I survive,” he explained. “Most of my fans are in the US, and that’s where the music market is biggest, and I can’t even get to go promote my songs or greet my fans or even my family, my kids. I got several kids in the US, so this affected me devastatingly.”

While the visa restrictions have undoubtedly affected him, Killer acknowledged the role of social media in bridging the gap. His Verzuz battle against Beenie Man, for example, allowed him to engage with his North American audience, even if only temporarily.

“Well, the greatest thing is we inna di era of social media. That’s the most presence I have with my fans in America,” he told Gaza Uncle. “As you can see, the Verzuz was the closest connection I got with the fans. So, these likkle panels, and social media and we online concerts – that’s the closest I can get to my fans in America.”

However, he admitted that these digital interactions are no substitute for in-person connections. “It’s really a rough period for me the last 13 years with me and my fans and my music and my earnings and everything but… as mi seh, life is life. Wa me fi do?” he reasoned.

Interestingly, last year, while penning a birthday message to former Tivoli Gardens strongman Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke, Bounty Killer speculated that his association with the convicted drug lord might have played a role in his visa revocation. He had explained then: “Mi naah sell out either. Dem said mi and Dudus a friend, so dem canceled mi visa. Well, what more can they do me?  That’s all they could’ve done still standing man tuff.”

During the interview on Saturday, Killer touched upon a minor marijuana charge he faced in the U.S., emphasizing its insignificance as a reason for the restriction.

“Mi cyaa guh tell dem wa fi do wid dem visa but as I said, they have no proper explanation because I got one weed charge in America, which was a misdemeanor. It was less than five grams. I never went before a judge. I paid a custom 500 USD in the airport where they found the weed in my pants in my luggage.”

While his fame grew, as well as the demand for his presence, Killer noted that he has had to settle for traveling on waivers. “I’ve been traveling on waivers from 1997 up until 2010. 13 years they kept giving me waivers. That mean they pardon you to travel. So, they’ve been pardoning me to travel up until weed became decriminalized. Then, all of a sudden, my weed charge became a problem in the era of weed being decriminalized.”

Now, over a decade since the US Embassy first issued the directive that Bounty, Beenie, and Sizzla, among others, were “barred from boarding any US-bound craft,” Bounty insisted that he was being punished because of who he was, but that he would be fine.

“This is no buck-up. It’s because of who I am and the things that I stand for and I accept it and I’m living my life. And I ain’t complicating or compromising nothing. I am who I am. Nuh gyal or bwoy cyaa change. Nuh gyal or bwoy cyaa change. Money cyaa change mi. Only God can change mi. Whatever life throws at me, mi ago mek lemonade wid anything.”

Doubling down, the star likened himself to Mandela and Bob Marley – rebels with a cause – and asserted that life would go on well for him.

“Mi nuh business,” he said. “Mek America do wa dem a do, and mi do wa mi a do. Mi nuh care bout no visa. Mi good. Mi neva born wid no visa, so visa cyaa stop my life, it can only sabotage my life… it cyaa do mi nothing. When yuh see mi, yuh see Peter Tosh, yuh see Paul Bogle and yuh see a likkle bit of Bob Marley and yuh see a whole lot a Mandela. Mi a rebel.”

Bounty Claims Broader Agenda: ‘That’s Why Afrobeats Looks Like It’s Better Than Dancehall’

Bounty believes that the U.S. has an agenda against him and other artists like him – one which has affected Dancehall music significantly.

“Mi nuh know wa di benefit of trying to stifle mi innuh, but hear wa now – we know wa dem a do. A di forefront a di music dem waa kill innuh. Dem glad fi have out Bounty, Buju and Beenie. Dem nuh waa di waa all a di lion dem inna di den one time,” he noted.

“A di cubbie dem dem a let out – di likkle [artist] dem weh cyaa manage di forefront and di big stage. Dats why Afrobeats look like it betta dan we because we nuh have our giants dem out deh. A di likkle lion dem out deh a gwaan.”

He continued: “It’s an agenda and we understand dat. When you stand for certain tings, whole heap a tings ago reach yuh. Especially when yuh stand fi righteousness, yuh jus affi guh bear di cross.”

The Grammy-nominated artist also referenced Popcaan’s visa woes, as well as highlighting that Busy Signal’s ‘redemption’ is a good sign for all Dancehall artists facing similar woes.

“Popcaan only have like waa weed charge…. Popcaan neva been no criminal from him a likkle bwoy and him being a memba of Gaza nuh have nutn fi do wid him career or him record. So dem jus’ a sabotage di music. They know what they are doing. Dem trying to keep di full force out. It’s only fi a time. You know fi Busy situation? God work miracles cause see him back in a ‘Merica deh.” 

In 2017, Popcaan was expected to perform at the Red Bull Culture Clash in Atlanta, Georgia, but encountered issues relating to travel documents that would prevent him from going. Ever since Popcaan has been unable to travel to the US.

Similarly, though with a more favorable resolution, Busy Signal – who was arrested at the Norman Manley International Airport in May of 2012 on an extradition warrant – had been without his for some time. In 2017, the Nah Go A Jail Again singer had his travel documents reinstated.

Beenie Man, who refrained from answering a question about his US Visa status last week on Ebro In The Morning, hasn’t been to the United States for a performance since late 2015. The entertainer had been billed for several appearances in the country over the last 12 months, including the Afro Nation Music Festival in Miami in May, but he did not appear.

Shawn Baptiste, Beenie Man’s manager, remains optimistic about resolving the visa issues.

“He’s already out the door and it’s through the roof [at a high level] in getting this sorted soon. I guarantee it, and this is our goal. When I researched everything, it’s really as I said, a no-brainer,” he said earlier this year.

“The visa legalities are just a matter of putting the right people, specifically the right attorneys who know what they do … in the right place. US fans will see him soon.”