It has been eight years since Bounty Killer’s United States visa was revoked, and the entertainer said it has put a damper on his career.

The dancehall superstar, however, is longing for the day when Uncle Sam would free him up so he can travel to the United States and entertain his eager fans.

“When an artiste cannot go to and fro to spread the word, earn a money, and greet his fans, it naturally a guh slow up his career. A star cannot shine in his house, and Jamaica is like my house, and I need to go outside in the world,” he said.

Bounty Killer’s US visa was cancelled in 2010. At the time, an email advisory was sent to airlines not to board the artiste as well as three other deejays, as their visas were being revoked.

The United States Embassy in Kingston has not said why the Warlord’s visa was revoked. In 2016, Joshua Polacheck, then public affairs officer at the US Embassy, said Jamaican entertainers have “never” been denied visas or had them taken away over matters such as anti-gay lyrics.

“No artiste has ever been refused a visa for artistic reasons, and that includes promoting views that are either loving or repelling. The market may not choose to employ them,” Polacheck said.

U.S. Visa

In an interview with THE STAR on Monday, Bounty Killer said he can see no reason he is still being denied the opportunity to travel to the United States.

“A long time eno man, it’s almost a decade. I have never been convicted of a crime so I think it’s a personal fight against me. I see people with severe case who get convicted and get a visa. So it’s just a personal attack on me. Dem just don’t want Bounty, but I am who I am and me can’t change. I can’t go tell the fada who make me say him have to make me over, me nah change,” Bounty Killer said.

The deejay, whose given name is Rodney Pryce, yesterday donated 60 beds to the Kingston Public and Victoria Jubilee hospitals. He said the donation was just a tiny fraction of what he really wants to contribute to the country. However, he said the fact that he does not have a US visa is restricting his ability to do more.

“This really affects the way he would want to help people, but in reality it is a privilege that the embassy gives and not a right so me nah guh get harsh. While everybody gone get married to get a green card, me nah sell out Jamaica. A di blue book me a work with and me nah sell out my nationality fi nutten,” he saidSeveral other dancehall acts are without a US visa, among them being Popcaan, Beenie Man and Tommy Lee Sparta.