Cobra
b. Ewart Everton Brown, 1968, Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies. Brown grew up in St. Mary's and was nicknamed Cobra after a character in the G.I. Joe comic books. Early experience on the Mighty Ruler, Climax, Stereo One and Inner City sound systems led to his first record, Respect Woman, in 1989. The producer was his uncle, Delroy Spiderman Thompson, then engineer at Tuff Gong. His first local hit was Nah Go Work, a duet with Tricia McKay, produced by Carl Mitchell in 1990. Carl Banton Nelson and Captain Sinbad were quick to follow their example in early 1991, encouraging him to voice titles like Ze Taurus and Merciless Bad Boy as a wave of gun lyrics—influenced by the Gulf War and championed by the DJ Ninjaman—began to gain popularity in the Jamaican dancehalls. 
Next stop was Donovan Germain's Penthouse studio, where he immediately struck up a successful partnership with resident engineer Dave Kelly. Singles like Yush, Bad Boy Talk and Gundelero sealed his burgeoning reputation as an uncompromising lyricist, and were crowned by the best-selling BAD BOY TALK album. 1991 was his most prolific and rewarding year, with a glut of releases from King Jammys, Bobby Digital (Tek Him almost attained crossover status), Sly & Robbie, John John and Penthouse controlling the reggae charts, especially in the UK where he scored no less than five number 1 hits. UK producers played their part in helping widen his appeal, so too Montego Bay label Top Rank who'd followed the SPOTLIGHT album with Cobra's haunting Love Forever. It was evidence of his shift towards romantic lyrics and softer, more R&B orientated rhythms as exemplified by Flex, which he'd voiced for Shang. It was this song which persuaded Columbia to sign him and by the end of 1992 he was number 1 on the US Billboard Chart. In 1993, after an impressive major label album debut with EASY TO WET HARD TO DRY—complete with guest US rappers—he unexpectedly returned to the dancehall market, working with several of his former producers, including King Jammy.