Jamaican DJ Bounty Killer Says ‘Afrobeats Has No Lyrics’

Popular Jamaican disc jockey, Rodney Basil Price, who is better known as Bounty Killer, has made a controversial claim about Afrobeats.

He says “Afrobeats is melodious but has no lyrics.”

In a recent interview with INeverKnew TV, the DJ said Afrobeats is “like a baby” compared to Dancehall.

He, however, said the genre is enjoying global recognition because it has “groove and style.”

Bounty Killer also taunted Burna Boy’s hit track ‘Ye’, describing it as a one-word song with “a lot of melodies and nice beat.”

When asked if he believes Dancehall still has a place in the international market, Bounty Killer said the music genre is no longer as creative as it used to be.

The 50-year-old also described Jamaican music as “technically technical” with so many metaphors.

He said the technicality of his country’s music makes it difficult for people in the diaspora to enjoy.

“Afrobeat has nothing to do with Dancehall, Afrobeat is another genre. Afrobeat never comes in competition with Dancehall,” he said.

“Afrobeat is like a baby from Dancehall, it’s irrelative. Afrobeat and Jamaican music are similar and Afro is taking nothing from Dancehall, Afro compliments Dancehall.

“Afro is leading because Afro has a topic, Afro doesn’t have lyrics, Afrobeat doesn’t even have no lyrics. They have a lot of melody and groove and topic.

“Ye Ye Ye, we know what Ye Ye Ye means… just a topic and a melody. Style, melody, topic, simple. One word with a lot of melodies and the beat is nice and full of groove and style.

“Jamaican music is technical with metaphors. Why are you singing to us in metaphor? Make it simply technical, not technically technical. This is all Dancehall music is today – technically technical.

“They’re making the songs like a test. Nobody wants no puzzle music, people want music to relieve stress but we’re giving music to stress.

“Dancehall use to be creative but they’re not creative anymore. That’s Dancehall’s problem. The topics are limited.”