Colvin Scott, known to the world as Cocoa Tea, sadly passed away at the age of 65 after suffering a heart attack in a Fort Lauderdale hospital.
His wife, Malvia Scott, shared with The Gleaner that Cocoa Tea had been battling lymphoma since 2019 and was also recently struggling with pneumonia. She said he faced everything bravely and stayed positive until the end.
Born in Rocky Point, Jamaica, Colvin began his musical journey early on; by 14, he was already recording singles under the name Calvin Scott. But it wasn’t until the ’80s and ’90s that he made waves as Cocoa Tea with hits like “Rocking Dolly” and “I Lost My Sonia.”
As time went on into the ’90s, his music reached even more ears with tracks such as “Rikers Island,” which Nardo Ranks later transformed into a dancehall version called “Me No Like Rikers Island.”
Fans often find inspiration in how artists evolve over time.
By 1997, Cocoa Tea had taken another bold step by starting his record label called Roaring Lion. This allowed him to release not only his music but also songs from other big names like Buju Banton and Sizzla.
A memorable moment came in March 2008 when he released “Barack Obama,” a song featuring just Obama’s name repeated six times—a simple yet powerful endorsement during that election season.
Reflecting on this track in an interview back then, Cocoa Tea described Obama as an “exception to all politicians all over the world.” He expressed hope for changes concerning global warming and rising food prices, emphasizing how decisions made far away can impact everyone globally.
