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".
In the wake of his British success, Mad Cobra signed a deal in America with Columbia Records. His next LP was entitled Hard to Wet, Easy to Dry, and featured "Flex", a single which interpolated elements of The Temptations' "Just My Imagination". It was a smash hit, topping the US Rap Singles chart, hitting #7 on the R&B chart, and peaking at #13 on the Billboard Hot 100. The success of the single propelled the album to #125 on the Billboard Top 200, but the follow-up, "Legacy", failed to chart, and for the next several years Cobra's hit-making 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 artists Ninjaman and Buju Banton. He also made a guest appearance on rap group Run-D.M.C.'s "What's Next" on their album Down with the King.
In 1994, Cobra returned with Venom, 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. In 1996, Columbia Records released Milkman in the US market. The album peaked at #12 on Billboard'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 1998, a track with Mr. 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", a single from Teddybears' 2006 album, Soft Machine.
On the night of May 11, 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 group Voice Mail, was also shot in Duhaney Park. He was carried to the Spanish Town Hospital for treatment. 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. 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.
live your life
Mad Cobra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
don't give up they say
get 1 life to live so just go on live it, live it
don't give up they say
repeat once
whats the deal oh
me a suffer ever since from the day me born
watching by me back now de all a gone
knowing there coming back tomorrow to put me on
but thats how it go
when you nah gone
everyday I pray papa give me some
live without no breddrin
said they had enough
only thing teach me is oh be tough
religiously im in when da wether tough
soaking clothes so a take it off
like when de take me through deep fog
and that I did not make it up
I said live your life oh you see your life, life
don't give up they say
get 1 life to live
so just go on live, live it
don't give up they say
#sorry breddrins but I really couldn't be fuckin arsed for this ha lol
As someone who has been through hardships and struggles, Mad Cobra advises listeners to live their lives without giving up. He acknowledges the challenges that come with life, but urges people to keep going and make the most of their time. Mad Cobra speaks from his personal experience of suffering since he was born and constantly watching his back, waiting for people to harm him. However, he remains resilient and relies on prayer to get him through tough times. He acknowledges that he has been betrayed by people he once considered friends, but he has learned to toughen up and rely on his faith. Mad Cobra emphasizes that life is short and people should make the most of the time they have.
Line by Line Meaning
l said live your life oh you see your life, life
I urge you to live your life because it is the one you have been given
don't give up they say
They advise you not to surrender, to persevere no matter what happens
get 1 life to live so just go on live it, live it
You only have one life to live. Therefore, you should enjoy and make the most of it
whats the deal oh
What's happening?
whats going on
What is the situation like?
me a suffer ever since from the day me born
I have experienced hardship since the day I was born
watching by me back now de all a gone
Everybody I trusted is now gone, leaving me alone and vulnerable
knowing there coming back tomorrow to put me on
I am aware that they will return tomorrow to harm me
but thats how it go when you nah gone
That is how things are when you are absent or not around
everyday I pray papa give me some
Everyday, I pray to God to give me strength and guidance
live without no breddrin
I have learned to live without close friends or companions
said they had enough
My former friends claimed that they had enough of me
only thing teach me is oh be tough
The only lesson I learned is to be strong and resilient
religiously im in when da wether tough
I firmly believe and trust in my faith even during challenging times
soaking clothes so a take it off
When I'm soaked through by rain, I take off my clothes
like when de take me through deep fog
Similar to when I am travelling in deep fog
and that I did not make it up
This experience is not something that I fabricated or invented
Contributed by Levi O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Linley Lezama
I've been waiting for the full length of this song for years give thanks still good things come to those who wait indeed
Linley Lezama
Long anticipated
yasmin Salina
😎😎😎