Despite not having any full length albums in the books until 1986 or so, Cocoa Tea (or Coco Tea or Coco T) had been recording on and off since about the age of 14 in 1974. That twelve years in-between his first single - "Searching in the Hills" – and the first full length, for the most part, wasn’t filled with music, though. Instead after that single, Cocoa Tea (Calvin Scott) worked a variety of jobs including doing a bit of time as a fisherman. But eventually, with traveling sound systems presenting an entertaining prospect, Cocoa Tea picked up the mic again.

The intervening time had seen pretty enormous changes in what reggae music was and what it could do. Moving into dance hall, the genre was rife with carnality – although lover’s rock was a bit softer as it persisted out of the ‘70s and into the next decade. And it was in this tiny caveat that Cocoa Tea found himself most comfortable. His vocals, more sweet than aggressive when compared to his cohort of crooners from the early to mid eighties, fit well with some slight digital productions as Cocoa Tea discussed every aspect of male/female interactions.

But beyond his interest in the flesh, Cocoa Tea pretty quickly made his political views well known. The 1991 Riker's Island commented upon the well being of the incarcerated with a few following tracks condemning the then current Gulf War incursion. Both “Oil Ting” and “No Blood for Oil” found themselves banned in the UK for the blatant disregard of an ally’s political perspective. It’s an odd space for a singer to occupy, but even this slight set back wouldn’t serve to stop Cocoa Tea from speaking his mind. And just last year as the US was set to elect either Obama or McCain, the singer released a song called “Barak Obama” – guess what it’s about.

Of course, his recorded life shouldn’t be defined through these brief political brushes with international infamy. Instead, Cocoa Tea and his import could be derived from the folks that he’s worked with – Henry ‘Junjo’ Lawes, amongst others. And while the period with this specific producer could be considered the artistic high point of the singer’s career, that would be reductive. I hunted down a self titled disc and despite the lack of information (as well as some claims that the disc was recorded at the Firehouse with King Tubby overseeing the music), this early ‘80s disc, while sounding rooted in its time, doesn’t come off as poorly produced as some of its brethren.

Cocoa Tea’s voice, as opposed to the lyrical content of his songs, is what needs to be judged – and it’s in top form even after being in the game for a good amount of time by this point. The bubbly production on “She is Mine” does detract a bit from the enjoyment one can derive from the track. But it’s a small price to pay, even as every track herein suffers a bit in that manner.