Bounty Killer is giving Najeeriii his flowers for his clever lyrics in “Panton” amidst backlash.
Dancehall star Najeeriii is one of the biggest young acts in the genre today, already securing bragging rights for numerous dancehall hits, including his mega-hit single “Panton,” which exploded onto the scene this summer. The fast-rapping deejay carved out a lane for himself with an unconventional rhyme scheme that kept fans abuzz.
Earlier this month, Bounty Killer made reference to Najeeriii’s track during an interview with The Real Gaza Uncle. Killer spoke about feeling protective over dancehall music and wanting to preserve it for generations to come. Speaking on dancehall being an economic salvation for many of the youth growing up in impoverished neighborhoods, Bounty explained that skill and talent are no longer paramount in the craft. Having an ear for what is sonically sublime proves much more important.
According to the dancehall veteran, dancehall can save anyone. His case in point saw him reference Najeeriii’s track, which is one replete with cryptic lyrics and fast-spitting flows and is a hit regardless of many people’s ability to understand what the artist is saying. Bounty revealed that he even laughed when he learned that the young deejay is now driving a Mercedes Benz.
“All now mi nuh know wah di man song a say (mimics tone of song) and it a lock the whole place… A Benz mi see the man buy wah day. So how yuh fi fight da resource ya? How yuh fi mash up this? A it a go save we,” Killer jested.
The video was making the rounds online, with fans and critics weighing in on Bounty’s insinuation. However, The Grung Gad has now come forward to clarify that he meant no offense. In a post on Instagram, Bounty shared a clip from TikTok with an excerpt from a YouTube video Najeeriii recently did with Infront the Barz, where he broke down his lyrics line by line. The TikTok video had a caption of its own, which read, “Once yuh understand e man lyrics yuh notice him smart yf.”
In the full video, Najeeriii actually gave a comprehensive breakdown of the lyrics from top to bottom and uncovered some hidden gems, including an inconspicuous double entendre in the first verse. In the Instagram caption of Bounty Killer’s post, the dancehall star gave a nod to the clever lyrics and wordplay while also acknowledging that a lot of it flew over his head.
“For all who that couldn’t figured out what he’s saying here he breaks it down for us pure [sittin] him a chat still things were flying over our heads,” he wrote.
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The post should effectively quell the whispers about Bounty’s alleged covert diss towards the young artist. Fans enjoyed some playful banter in the comment section, with many expressing that they are still unable to keep up regardless of Najeeriii offering a blueprint to the song lyrics. Meanwhile, Killer continues to champion dancehall as “the best escape” for the youth.
Najeeriii’s track “Panton” has amassed over 6 million views on YouTube since its June 25 debut.