(Jamaica Gleaner) – Classifying ‘Shottas’ as “waste sperm”, the man tagged the ‘Five Star General’, Rodney ‘Bounty Killer’ Pryce, said it was time for the government to replace dons, commence the fight against poverty, and leave the police to carry out the job of crime fighting.
A seemingly new and mature Pryce, in a militant and philosophical performance, surprised the thousands who turned out for Dancehall Night at Reggae Sumfest on Thursday when he openly supported the security forces and called on the government to act now, with the state of emergency out of the way.
“We now need a ‘state of urgency’,” he asserted, adding that it should be geared towards correcting the ills that had been meted out to the people of Jamaica by successive governments.
“Poor people fed up,” he stated, making reference to his 1999 hit song of the same name, while using his 45-minute stint to call on the other artistes at the Catherine Hall, Montego Bay, complex to collaborate in restoring peace to the country.
The DJ, dubbed ‘Warlord’, is known for belting out unbridled gun lyrics.
But as he preached and taught from his pulpit – the stage – Pryce, who says he is now being managed by his mother, encouraged the people in the audience to show love by holding the hand of the person next to them. His words of encouragement were met with loud cheers.
Pryce was later honoured by Summerfest Productions, organisers of the event, for his outstanding contribution to reggae music and in particular, Reggae Sumfest.
Meanwhile, Thursday night’s quadruple killing in the rural district of Pleasant Hill in Bog Walk, St Catherine moved the country’s murder toll closer to the 900 mark. The gunmen struck about two hours before the state of emergency imposed on the parish and the Corporate Area came to an end.
Dead are 40-year-old Raymond Williams, Audrey Thomas, 41, Kaneil Parks, 19, and Shereka Clarke, 21, who was visiting the family. Reports are that the fifth person has been hospitalised in a critical condition.
While police investigators are yet to establish a motive for the quadruple killing, The Gleaner has learnt that it could be a community conflict involving money.
