Mad Cobra | |
|---|---|
 Mad Cobra performing in 2010 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Ewart Everton Brown |
| Born | (1968-03-31)31 March 1968 (age 56) Kingston, Jamaica |
| Genres | Dancehall,reggae fusion |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Years active | 1989-present |
Ewart Everton Brown (born 31 March 1968), better known by his stage nameMad Cobra or simplyCobra, is aJamaicandancehall musician.[1][2]
He was born inKingston, Jamaica, raised in the parish ofSt. Mary, in Islington a settlement in the hills, north of the parish capital Port Maria. He then relocated back to the place of his birth during his teenage years.[1] He began performing under his stage name, taken from acharacter in theG.I. Joe comic books, while still in his teens.[2] He honed his talents on several localsound systems before entering the studio.[2]
His first single, 1989's "Respect Woman", was produced by his uncle,Tuff Gong engineer Delroy "Spiderman" Thompson.[1][3] His next single, "Na Go Work", featured Tricia McKay, giving him his first hit,[2] and bringing him to the attention of producersCaptain Sinbad andCarl Nelson. Together they released a string of hitdancehall 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.[2]
In 1990, Cobra began working with producerDonovan Germain and songwriterDave Kelly on thePenthouse Records label.[1] This partnership spawned a series of major hits in Jamaica, including "Yush", "Gundelero", "Bad Boy Talk", and "Feeling Lonely" (withBeres Hammond). He released his first full-length album in 1991, entitledBad Boy Talk,[2] and over the next year worked with several different producers on yet more hit tracks ("O.P.P" withKing Jammy, "Tek Him" withBobby Digital, "Be Patient" withSly & Robbie). In 1991 and 1992, Mad Cobra broke into the UK Reggae charts with five number one hits,[2] bringing with it a backlash over concerns about theanti-gay sentiments of tracks such as "Crucifixion".[1]
In the wake of his British success, Mad Cobra signed a deal in America withColumbia Records.[1] His nextLP was entitledHard to Wet, Easy to Dry, and featured "Flex", a single thatinterpolated elements ofThe Temptations' "Just My Imagination".[1] It was a smash hit, topping the US Rap Singles chart, hitting #7 on the R&B chart, and peaking at #13 on theBillboard Hot 100. The success of the single propelled the album to #125 on theBillboard Top 200, but the follow-up, "Legacy", failed to chart, and for the next several years Cobra's hitmaking remained primarily in Jamaica with songs such as 1993's "Mek Noise" and "Matti Haffie Move". Around this time, Cobra became involved in rivalries with fellow reggae artistsNinjaman andBuju Banton. He also made a guest appearance onrap groupRun-D.M.C.'s "What's Next" on their albumDown with the King.
In 1994, Cobra returned withVenom, again recording with King Jammy. Jamaican hit singles from the 1994-1995 period included "Length and Bend", "Fat and Buff", and "Selassie I Rules", now adopting "conscious" lyrics.[2] In 1996,Columbia Records releasedMilkman in the US market. The album peaked at #12 onBillboard's Top Reggae Albums chart and featured a minor hit, "Big Long John", which charted briefly on the US Dance and R&B Singles charts. In 1997, he participated in the albumGuatauba, produced by Tony Touch and Nico Canada, in the early reggaeton scene, which also featured KRS One and Mad Lion. In 1998, a track withMr. Vegas entitled "Guns High" charted in some countries in Europe, and a number of re-releases of his Jamaican material were issued on VP. Further albums were issued in 2001 (Cobra) and 2004 (Words of Warning). Most recently, Cobra was heard on "Cobrastyle", fromTeddybears' 2004 album,Fresh and reissued in 2006 on their albumSoft Machine.
On the night of 11 May 2010, Mad Cobra was shot three times in the upper body near his home in Braeton, only a day after another dancehall artist, Oneil Edwards of the groupVoice Mail, was also shot in Duhaney Park. He was carried to the Spanish Town Hospital for treatment.[4]
[5]It was later ascertained that the vehicle Mad Cobra was traveling in had shone its light on a group of men and this had angered them. When Mad Cobra came out to appease the men, he was shot.[6] He was released from hospital later that week. On the following Monday night, his house was shot up by unknown assailants but no one was injured during the incident.[7]
Only 25 July 2023, Mad Cobra was arrested during a traffic stop in Florence County, South Carolina after police found two kilos of cocaine and a 9mmBeretta pistol in his vehicle.[8]
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