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SATURDAY

Bounty Killer may be best known for his guest vocal on No Doubt’s pop-funk hit “Hey Baby,” but most of his repertoire is hard-core dancehall minus those crossover elements. Since the early ’90s, the Kingston-ghetto-raised performer (born Rodney Price) has wowed Jamaica with his deep baritone, rapid-fire slang, and

working-class politics. Toasting over programmed loops, Killer has pushed his bad-boy image with such provocatively titled songs as “Gun Mouth,” engaged in lyrical battles with Beenie Man, and worked on occasion with rappers and roots-reggae performers. Such collaborations give 2002’s Ghetto Dictionary: The Mystery a broader chromatic palette than its purists-only companion effort, Ghetto Dictionary: The Art of War. Though his monotone drawl and steady-tempo backing can wear on nonfanatics, Killer has continued to deliver Trenchtown missives that reach out without crying “sellout.” Bounty Killer plays with Wayne Marshall and Angel Doolas at 10 p.m. at Crossroads, 4103 Baltimore Ave., Bladensburg. $25. (301) 927-1056. (Steve Kiviat)