Review of Mad Cobra's Helta Skelta

Imagine, if you will, a virtual ‘time clash’ of Dancehall’s finest practitioners of the art of verbal
combat, all at their peaks, round robin style to see who is the WICKEDEST of the wicked. Spread it out, or take it to a single stage (making it the greatest ‘one night show in Reggae’) on a single night to settle it all. Like it or not, the evolution of the Dancehall clash and, thus, the evolution of the gun tune is something which has held the fascination of fans of Dancehall music ever since the genre itself was born. It almost IMMEDIATELY becomes a required part of any young DJ’s repertoire the second they proclaim themselves to be the ‘next big thing’ and even now, recently we’re starting to see singers and even females getting more and more involved in the situation as well (keep an ear out for one Lady Ali, signed to Assassin’s Boardhouse label). Who could clash who? Well, for starters, I’m sure I’m not the only one who would like to see part two of Mavado and Vybz Kartel. While the winner is STILL being questioned even now (although I favoured and still do Mavado because he kept it close when close was the last thing anyone expected), we could, as part of this miracle tournament throw it in the first round. Speaking of rematches, why not rematch Bounty Killer with a suddenly reinvigorated Merciless. There was a roughly two year period (2000, ‘01) up until the second Sting where Merciless, the famed ‘Warhead’ was definitely far in the lead of his much more popular rival. So much so that, in retrospect, had Merciless been able to maintain his status after Sting 2001, he and he alone may have essentially ended the now well TIRED Beenie Man/Bounty Killer war by taking up far more of the Killer’s attentions. Who else? Of course clash business is NO discussion without involving Ninja Man who took the art of clashing and repainted it, rechecked it’s status and went a very long way to making it an albeit very violent, but still acceptable art of performance. Provided Kartel could get past Mavado, wouldn’t we just love to see who would win this time if a Clash between Ninja and Kartel could actually play out, of course only if Kartel could keep his hands to himself this time. Throw Super Cat back in and rematch the Ninja (maybe even Junior Cat as well), Bounty Killer .vs. Kartel; Merciless .vs. Kartel; Aidonia would be free game as well representing for the new generation with the high-tech skills; Spragga Benz! The possibilities are endless even with Ninja perhaps being the odds on favourite to be the ‘last man standing’.

That is of course just the odds. For my money if any clash ready or ALMOST clash ready DJ/singer to ever hold a mic in Dancehall were to be thrown into one giant war, the ONLY ‘survivor’ would be Mad Cobra. If you aren’t necessarily the most experienced of Dancehall fans but still know a bit about the genre, chances are that if I gave you the running start lyrical lead in of “Girl flexxxxxxx”, you could, without hesitation complete it with “Time to have sexxxxxxxxx”. The Cobra was one of several artists to take full on advantage of the Reggae ‘boom’ of the early 1990’s in which major foreign labels came down to sign up nearly ALL of the talented Dancehall acts after seeing exactly how prosperous such a thing could be in light of the successes of Shabba Ranking and Patra. Cobra, along with artists like the aforementioned Spragga Benz and Super Cat (probably the most successful after Patra and Shabba) and a whole heap of others (like Louie Rankin and Terror Fabulous) made widely distributed major albums, some of which you can probably still find on shelves today. Cobra’s effort was Hard To Wet, Easy To Dry which spawned the aforementioned hit. Flex, and thus made Mad Cobra somewhat of a household name in the annals of international Dancehall and Hip-Hop to a degree as well. Meanwhile, back at home, Cobra had established his name largely on the fact that he was one of a new top notch crop of artist (along with the Spraggas, Bujus and Capletons of the world) and he was willing almost to a FLAW to take on ANY DJ in competition having infamous clashes with Ninja Man himself along the way and even Buju (in what turned out to be a one-sided ambush of Buju). On the album front, although well behind the scenes, Cobra has also remained somewhat active, releasing pieces for all the big Reggae labels (and making a major return with the AWFUL Milkman in 1996 for Capitol) with VP (Exclusive Decision, good album), Greensleeves (Venom, an okay album) and even RAS (Goldmine, one of his best, released twice, once with a dub out of most of the tunes, very good). He now returns with the second of two self-releases the HOTLY anticipated Helta Skelta. Cobra has been virtually telling anyone and everyone who would listen for the coming of this album even before he released his first, the WICKED double disc set, Snypa Way (which I believe he released with In The Streetz, back in 2006). Helta Skelta sort of continues on the same type of vibes as Snypa Way in its almost OVERLY violent approach which is one which only seems to work for someone like Cobra outside of the new artists (like Aidonia). Cobra’s method of building gun tunes has always come with a bit of humour as well as he’ll often say things which will make a listener question if he really did say what you thought you heard, or if you just didn’t hear properly to begin with. Helta Skelta is the first of several HUGE Dancehall albums in the chamber for 2009; with Mavado’s A Better Tomorrow set to come in next in early March, Sean Paul in the spring, both Beenie Man and Bounty Killer later in the year, Tanya Stephens and (as VP recently tipped their hands at) maybe even an immediate follow-up to Busy Signal’s 2008 album Loaded. Each and every one of those albums will be downright lucky as hell to approach the standards set by the Cobra on Helta Skelta, the early favourite of Dancehall album of the year for 2009.

Cobra used to (admittedly so) sound a lot like Ninja Man back in the day but after finding his own vibe and his own identity I struggle to find an artist to compare him to. He’ll rarely kind of top it off (almost to a teasingly frustrating degree) but when he does, Cobra is able to release a turbulent flow where EVERY word is calibrated and fits PERFECTLY into the vibe. After a FUCKED UP intro getting things started on Helta Skelta is the very familiar Watch Face from Big Ship’s Dark Again riddim. Were you under any delusion of grandeur that Cobra just might take it easy for picking the first tune, let all those be they are all thrown away as he dashes in on what was one of the riddim’s finest efforts altogether (incidentally, whenever Stephen McGregor rails back the tempo on his riddims, like the Dark Again, Cobra is a PERFECT choice for to voice it). Big opening. Up next, Cobra addresses something which I’ve ALWAYS felt would be something to speak on and I NEVER engage in myself. On One Lip To A Spliff, as the title would suggest, the Cobra sprays venom at the odd and FUCKED UP practice of sharing a spliff amongst multiple men! Sharing a spliff = sharing saliva = you might as well just kiss him in the mouth = NO THANK YOU. Flowing over the epic Eclipse riddim (from like 2006? I want to say) the tune comes in making PERFECT sense and if you’re one of those guys who smoke with other dudes and just CALMLY and CASUALLY float the herb into a next man’s direction. You need to listen up CAREFULLY and more than once. One of the biggest tunes on the album altogether. Completing the opening is the rather comically understated (remember that phrase) sex tune Bedroom Gangsta. This tune isn’t the only of it’s kind on the album and it’s not the best either but its still quite solid. The tune extends from an ‘interlude’ placed at the end of One Lip To A Spliff as another man’s woman ‘invests’ in Cobra. At times hilarious and an a pretty nice start altogether.

There is some SERIOUSLY WICKED material throughout Helta Skelta for which a case can ultimately be made is one of the (if not THE) best albums of Cobra’s career, period. While the flames definitely burn high, they NEVER burn higher than on the album’s closer and finest piece altogether the COMICALLY UNDERSTATED and downright brilliant Poetic! This one is just a shot aimed DIRECTLY at all you nasty living, dirty and fucked up people who know right but still push on wrong. The first verse brilliantly sets the tone as Cobra legendarily utters, “Inna di club dem a par wid b***y man. Talk, walk, eat, drink, link wid batty man and come a talk, even worsah dan di batty man!”. If you are living nasty, if you are living hypocritical, Poetic will get you, again, including you guys who like to share spliffs with a next man (“Mi a beg man di dem stop share weed and blunt. How you fi pheewwwwwwwww weed wid a man weh nyam cunt?!”). MASSIVE tune! Shooting flames also (by definition almost in this case) is the album’s second best tune to my ears, the scathing Devil’s War. This tune reminds me of an evil version of Lexxus’ Divine Reasoning as Satan himself pays the Cobra a visit only to be shot down in every which way lyrically possible (“Helta Skelta a you mi come fuh! Fi wah? Who yuh bredrin? Come fi yuh mumma!”). It also has funny lines at times and is just something SO original on the album. A tune which definitely caught my ears be it coming over one of my favourite 2008 riddims was Freestyle over SSMG’s COOL riddim of the same name. Freestyle the tune tops Busy Signal’s Cool Baby as my favourite on the riddim altogether . It comes off as a completely straight headtop style freestyle which is always a plus as the Cobra literally lyrically goes pacing all over the place with the tune (even on the choruses). When We Chat is VERY interesting because it is a WHOLLY average tune on the album but that tune could do DAMAGE in a clash (like against Merciless who he also stocked the LETHAL Waste Man for). The same goes for the slightly better Mad Head over Scatta’s ‘update’ (which sounds exactly like the original) of the HUGE Martial Arts riddim, the Self Defense. While definitely the attention on that one was paid to Mavado and Kartel taking shots at each other (both of which were pretty good, Dem A Fag and Sen a Hell, respectively), the biggest baddest tune on that riddim leaving victims is definitely Mad Head. Want more? Lead Poison sounds like something of an alternative/rock album but the Cobra is PRECISION on the riddim with a master class of a flow. That song is WICKED and, again with an understated style, it works on so many levels, deepening an already bottomless bag of tunes should someone fuck up and call the name again. Remember I mentioned the tune Bedroom Gangsta on the sexual vibes and I mentioned that it was nice, but not the nicest such tune on the album? That distinction belongs to previous single (from just last year I believe) the smooth Gangsta Flex (lotta gangsta don’t?) . Consider it an update of his previous mega-hit (my words, not Cobra’s) and I’d imagine were it giving a similar rinsing internationally, this one would definitely launch him right back into that limelight. There’s even more gangsta (if you wanted more) (and you know you did) on the wicked A Nuh Gangsta which is the only one you’ll find Cobra sorta kinda denying the gangsta, of someone else that is. From the title you can imagine what this one is all about and it gets REALLY low at times. Big tune still. From people I’ve been playing it for and that I’ve heard speaking about it, Hustler is one of the favourites. This one is definitely more lyrical to the point where you REALLY need to pay attention to the lyrics throughout (and that chorus is downright addictive). Also DEFINITELY to be heard is Hungry Dawgs, one of the album’s finest efforts. This tune sounds like something which would be playing behind the action scene in a movie and I won’t even bother beyond that trying to explain it, just check it out. Skelta features three pretty high-profile combinations this time around (off the top of my head I can’t remember any on Snypa Way, although I may be wrong) (too lazy to look now!) and four overall (not including Sandy Starr who helps. . . ‘odd out‘ Hungry Dawgs). The lesser known of the lot but a big tune still is Me And My Crew features the Cobra alongside Hip-hoppers Ru’Ral and Beast (neither of whom I’ve ever heard of before). It’s a pretty nice and HEAVY vibed tune which is actually a remake of an older tune Cobra did for Jam 2 (Columbia riddim about a half decade ago). (Lady) Spice who has been on a roll as of late joins Cobra on the tune Dat Me Want for the Daggering riddim. I swear I know a version of this tune where Spice even participates more but as it is here, it’s still very good with Spice showing quite close to the Cobra, QUICKLY becoming an artist to watch in 2009 and who knows, maybe her official LP will arrive this year as well. The recently retired Mr. Vegas joins the fun on the changeup of the album Whoi! (aka Galang So). This one is strong enough but the fact that it’s here to level off the vibes is a plus in itself definitely. The best of the combinations, however, to my opinion comes when the ultra-talented Demarco on Trap We which comes through on a Hip-Hop vibes and REALLY grew on me in a short time. I’m definitely not calling it the greatest here but as Helta Skelta winds down, it definitely adds the many many attractions heading out.

Overall, immediately Mad Cobra’s Helta Skelta becomes the early favourite for Dancehall album of 2009 and as I said, Mavado and company will definitely have a big level to reach should they try to remove the Cobra from that role. I don’t see it happening really but regardless, even if it does, Helta Skelta is worth tracking down and HOPEFULLY someday some label picks it up (like Greensleeves) (don’t count on it). Throw Helta Skelta in with Vybz Kartel’s The Teacher’s Back from late 2008 as one of the ANGRIEST but BESTEST hardcore Dancehall albums you’ll find in recent times. Now maybe Kartel .vs. Cobra? I’m taking Cobra as the last man standing taking Kartel’s own words against him, “Big man a big man, child is a child!”. Big album, go get it.

Rated 5/5

2009

DJR Records