Notes & Personnel Info |  | Personnel includes: Rodney "Bounty Killer" Price, Fugees, Busta Rhymes, Raekwon, Jeru The Damaja, Dennis Brown, Barrington Levy, Junior Reid, Beenie Man, Anthony Malvo, Red Rose, Richie Stephens (vocals); Sly Dunbar, Robbie Shakespeare, Lloyd "Gitsy" Willis, Reggae Jesus (various instruments). | | Producers include: Sly & Robbie, Wyclef & Lauryn Hill, Rodney "Bounty Killer" Price. | | Engineers include: Wyclef, The RZA, 4th Disciple, Troy Hightower. | | Audio Mixers: Collin "Bulbie" York; Fatta Marshall; Banton; Fat Man; Backra; Kirk; Warren Riker; Wyclef Jean. | | Recording information: 36 Chambers Studio, Staten Island, NY; Black Scorpio Studio, Kingston, Jamaica; Booga Basement STudio, NJ; Chung King Studios, NY; Jammys Recording Studio, Kingston, Jamaica; Main Street Studios, Kingston, Jamaica; Massive B Studios, NY; Mixing Lab, Kingston, Jamaica; Music Works Studios; Stone Love Recording Studio, Kingston, Jamaica. | | Editors: Joel Chin; Johnny Wonder. | | Photographer: Tim Carter. | | Unknown Contributor Roles: Computer Paul; Dean Fraser; The Firehouse Crew; Jazzwad; Lloyd "Gitsy" Willis. | | Arrangers: Erick Sermon; Anthony Cameron; Aden "Noble" Jones; King Jammy; RZA; Anthony Malvo; Robbie Shakespeare; Sly Dunbar; Wyclef Jean; Blahzay Blahzay; Bobby Konders; Bounty Killer. | | In the 1990s, Bounty Killer became one of the top figures in dancehall reggae, a form also associated with such Jamaican stars as Lt. Stitchie, Shabba Ranks and Ninjaman. In contrast to the melodic nature of mainstream reggae, My Xperience is an abrasive, rhythmic disc that has little use for melody. Those who aren't big dancehall fans may find the hip-hop-influenced CD hard to get into; those who are heavily into it will find a lot to admire on My Xperience, which contains major dancehall hits like "Living Dangerously" and "Virgin Island." A variety of guests join Bounty -- everyone from the Fugees on "Hip-Hopera" to reggae singer Barrington Levy on "Living Dangerously" to hardcore rapper Jeru the Damaja on "Suicide or Murder." Granted, dancehall has its limitations and can wear thin after awhile, but even so, My Xperience makes for an exhilarating listen. ~ Alex Henderson | | In the rough-and-tumble '90s, Bounty Killer (along with nemesis Beenie Man) was one of the premier DJs to emerge from the hard-core dancehall scene. MY XPERIENCE is Bounty Killer's impressive 1996 compilation of hot Jamaican singles that feature him alongside a boatload of guest artists. The lines between hip-hop and reggae seem blurred as some of rap's biggest stars appear including Jeru Da Damaja ("Suicide or Murder"), Raekwon ("War Face [Ask fi War] Remix") and The Fugees (the ambitious "Hip Hopera [`Mr. Punk']"). Bounty Killer's huge appeal always stemmed from songs that combined slack lyrics and hard-core depictions of street life. The album's "Gun Down" and "Guns & Roses" (with Anthony Malvo and Red Rose) follow in that style. For MY XPERIENCE, he also includes colorful covers (Michael Sembello's "Maniac," featuring Richie Stephens) and draws from the moral underpinnings of roots reggae ("The Lord is my Light & Salvation," "Seek God"). Reid also appears with hip-hop madman Busta Rhymes on the beat-heavy "Believe it or Not," a track that is surpassed only by Bounty Killer's monumental "Revolution III," which features Beenie Man and reggae legend Dennis Brown. |
Musical Guests | | Fugees | | Busta Rhymes | | Raekwon | | Jeru The Damaja | | Dennis Brown | | Barrington Levy | | Junior Reid | | Beenie Man |
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| Spin (1/97, pp.84-86)
- 8 (out of 10)
- "...recreates the carnivalesque blare of the epic sound system 'clashes' thrown by current Jamaican DJ crews like Stone Love, Metro, or Afrique....his lyrics never gloat over anything more bloody than a brutally accurate verbal blow..."Q (4/97, p.118)
- 4 Stars (out of 5)
- "The stars turn out for the major-label debut of one of Jamaica's roughest and most respected rhymers...State of the art ragga chat." The Source (6/96, p.82)
- "...MY EXPERIENCE will further cement Bounty's growing reputation within hip-hop circles....dominated by socially conscious tunes which decry corrupt politicians, the miseducation of the poor and the unlivable conditions in the ghetto..." Village Voice (10/22/96, p.66)
- "More than any other DJ right now...Bounty is repopularizing the truth & rights mission laid down by his reggae elders. At the same time, he's keeping it real for everyone....MY XPERIENCE resolves the clash between dancehall's bluster and roots reggae's moral instruction." The Beat (V.15 #3 1996, p.65)
- 5 Stars (out of 5)
- "VP has put together 18 of the best singles Bounty Killer has released in the last year. No filler at all....This is undoubtably the best album of '96 so far." |
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