Cobra

• Genre: Dancehall
• Hometown: Kingston

About

Cobra (aka Mad Cobra) has earned a place among the top Ragga artists, DJing with an authoritative presence. His tuned rhymes cover everything from cultural issues to gangster topics and his very detailed sex life. His classic album Bad Boy Talk established him as one of the toughest Jamaican characters, and you can typically hear him rattling off the problems of a gunslinger's life (for example, the rising cost of ammunition). Digitized tracks are the norm, but it's not surprising to hear a bit of Roots Reggae or Dub thrown in with his harder, bass-thumping club rockers. He was the first Dancehall artist to score a No. 1 hit on Billboard's charts, and shows no signs of slowing down.

- Jessy Terry