Mad Cobra | |
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Mad Cobra performing in 2010
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Background information | |
Birth name | Ewart Everton Brown |
Born |
Kingston, Jamaica |
31 March 1968
Genres | Dancehall, reggae fusion |
Instruments | Vocals |
Years active | 1989-present |
Associated acts | Teddybears, Run–D.M.C. |
Ewart Everton Brown (born 31 March 1968), better known by his stage name of Mad Cobra or simply Cobra is a Jamaican reggae musician.
He was born in Kingston, Jamaica, raised in the parish of St. Mary and relocated back to the place of his birth during his teenage years. He began performing under his stage name, taken from a character in the G.I. Joe comic books, while still in his teens. He honed his talents on several local sound systems before entering the studio.
His first single, 1989's "Respect Woman", was produced by his uncle, Tuff Gong engineer Delroy "Spiderman" Thompson. His next single, "Na Go Work", featured Tricia McKay, giving him his first hit, and bringing him to the attention of producers Captain Sinbad and Carl Nelson. Together they released a string of hit dancehall singles, including "Shoot to Kill", "Merciless Bad Boy", and "Ze Taurus", which featured tough, gangsta rap-style lyrics in keeping with the current trends of that time.
In 1990, Cobra began working with producer Donovan Germain and songwriter Dave Kelly on the Penthouse Records label. This partnership spawned a series of major hits in Jamaica, including "Yush", "Gundelero", "Bad Boy Talk", and "Feeling Lonely" (with Beres Hammond). He released his first full-length album in 1991, entitled Bad Boy Talk, and over the next year worked with several different producers on yet more hit tracks ("O.P.P" with King Jammy, "Tek Him" with Bobby Digital, "Be Patient" with Sly & Robbie). In 1991 and 1992, Mad Cobra broke into the UK Reggae charts with five number one hits, bringing with it a backlash over concerns about the anti-gay sentiments of tracks such as "Crucifixion".