In the '90s,
Bounty Killer was a prime example of someone who illustrated reggae's generation gap. Many 35-and-over Jamaicans expressed their disdain for his controversial gun talk and wondered why their kids didn't embrace "real" reggae like
Desmond Dekker or
Jimmy Cliff (just as many African-American baby boomers didn't understand why their kids would choose
Ice Cube and
Snoop Doggy Dogg over
Smokey Robinson). But among younger Jamaicans (as well as post-baby boomers in the U.S. and Europe), he became an icon. Not as consistently hardcore as some of
Bounty's previous releases,
Next Millennium finds him liberally incorporating urban contemporary elements while continuing to bring a passion for hip-hop to his dancehall reggae foundation. Slick, urban contemporary-flavored tunes like "Reggae Party" (which features
Third World and
Shaggy), "It's a Party" and "A Love That's Real" are fairly commercial by
Bounty's standards, but grittier, more hardcore offerings such as "Scare Dem Way," "Can't Believe Mi Eyes" and "Deadly Zone" (which features Queens rappers
Mobb Deep) should dispel any notions that
Bounty was trying to become a pop star. A varied and decent CD,
Next Millennium allows
Bounty to branch out without forgetting his dancehall roots. [The CD was also released with a bonus track.]