Cocoa Tea — Sweet Voice, Conscious Soul
Introduction:
Calvin George Scott (3 September 1959 – 11 March 2025), known to the world as Cocoa Tea, was one of the most beloved and musically consistent voices in Jamaican reggae music — an artist whose smooth, easy-going delivery, acute social conscience and remarkable longevity made him a cornerstone of the genre from the mid-1980s until his passing. Born in the fishing village of Rocky Point, Clarendon Parish, Jamaica, he earned his stage name for the simplest and most endearing of reasons: his deep love for hot cocoa, known in rural Jamaica as "cocoa tea". His voice matched the warmth of that drink — smooth, comforting, and deeply Jamaican.
From Jockey to Reggae Star:
Cocoa Tea's path to music was anything but straightforward. He first recorded at just fourteen years old in 1974, but when the single "Searching in the Hills" failed to take off, he put music aside and spent several years working as a racehorse jockey and a fisherman. It was during those years on the water that he began structuring his songs, testing his lyrics on local sound systems and training his voice. The birth of his first child was the final push — the need for steady income drove him fully into music.
In December 1983 he made the journey to Kingston and met producer Henry "Junjo" Lawes of the legendary Volcano label. The chemistry was immediate. His first Volcano singles "Rocking Dolly" and "I Lost My Sonia" became hits across Jamaica, and his debut album I Lost My Sonia followed. In 1985 he converted to Rastafarianism, a shift that deepened and enriched his music permanently.
Cocoa Tea The Best Of - Track Listing:
- 01 Chinchilla Choons Intro - (Georgge Nooks).mp3
- 02 18 And Over - Cocoa Tea.mp3
- 03 She Loves Me Now - Coco Tea.mp3
- 04 Good Life - Cocoa Tea.mp3
- 05 Tune In - Cocoa Tea.mp3
- 06 Rikers Island - Coco Tea.mp3
- 07 Sonia (Come Home) - Cocoa Tea.mp3
- 08 We Do the Killing - Coco Tea.mp3
- 09 No Treat - Cocoa Tea.mp3
- 10 Come Again - Cocoa Tea.mp3
- 11 One Away Woman - Cocoa Tea.mp3
- 12 Who She Love - Cocoa Tea, Home T, Shabba Ranks.mp3
- 13 Pirate's Anthem - Shabba Ft. Home T & Cocoa Tea.mp3
- 14 Rip & Run Off Cutty Ranks Ft Cocoa Tea.mp3
- 15 Mount Zion - Cocoa Tea.mp3
- 16 Israel King - Cocoa Tea.mp3
- 17 Joe Lickshot (Chinchilla Skit).mp3
- 18 Possy - Coco Tea.mp3
- 19 Cocoa Tea - Dub Possy.mp3
- 20 Rocking Dolly - Cocoa Tea.mp3
- 21 Children Of The Ghetto - Cocoa Tea.mp3
- 22 Informer - Cocoa Tea.mp3
- 23 Chinchilla Choons - Intro (Half-Pint).mp3
- 24 Reggae Man - Cocoa Tea.mp3
- 25 Form A Line - Coco Tea - .The Best Of.mp3
* Play Tracks Directly On Your Mobile Phone.
* All Tracks Are Individual.
* Full Tracks. *
* All Tracks Are Mp3 (320kbps) Quality.
* No Jingles Over The Tracks*
Conscious Fire & Big Hits:
Working with King Jammy throughout the late 1980s, Cocoa Tea scored his biggest commercial hit with "Rikers Island" — a track referencing the notorious New York prison that reached number one in both the United States and the UK. His social commentary sharpened further with the Gulf War-era singles "No Blood for Oil" and "Oil Ting" — both banned from radio in Jamaica and the UK for their political content, which only increased their notoriety. His trio work with Shabba Ranks and Home-T on "Pirates Anthem" and "Holding On" became massive international hits.
In 1997 he launched his own Roaring Lion Records label, releasing music by Buju Banton, Capleton, Cutty Ranks and Sizzla alongside his own recordings. Two major-label Motown albums followed — a rare achievement for a reggae artist. He performed at Reggae Sunsplash every year from 1987, and toured the US, Canada, Japan and the Caribbean extensively throughout his career.
Key Albums:
- I Lost My Sonia (1984) — debut
- Settle Down (1986)
- Rikers Island (1991)
- Can't Stop Cocoa Tea (1993)
- Feel the Power (2001)
- Can't Live (2001)
Cocoa Tea on Reggae On A Stick: 
Cocoa Tea is one of the featured artists on our Reggae On A Stick USB — 100 of the greatest reggae albums compiled onto a single plug-and-play USB drive. Experience his smooth conscious sound alongside 99 other legends of Jamaican music.
👉 Shop Reggae On A Stick — 100 Reggae Albums On 1 USB