Mad Cobra facing gun, cocaine charges in US

Veteran dancehall artiste Mad Cobra was detained yesterday in the United States by deputies in Florence County, South Carolina, following a traffic stop along the I-95 highway in the state.

According to police reports, the 55-year-old, whose given name is Ewart Everton Brown, was driving a black BMW SUV when he was signalled to stop for speeding.

During the traffic stop, deputies gained reasonable suspicion of criminal activity and requested consent to conduct a consensual search of his vehicle. During the search, two kilos of cocaine were allegedly located along with a Beretta 9mm pistol.

Up to press time last night, Mad Cobra was being held at the Florence County Detention Center and had been charged with drug/trafficking in cocaine and weapons/possession of a weapon during a violent crime. According to the detention centre's website, Mad Cobra was admitted at 8:28 a.m.

The deejay gained fame in the 1990s at the peak of his dancehall career with hits such as Flex and Done Wife. In 1990, he began working with legendary producer Donovan Germain and songwriter Dave Kelly on the Penthouse Records label. This partnership produced a series of major hits in Jamaica, including Yush, Bad Boy Talk, and Feeling Lonely (with Beres Hammond). He released his first full-length album in 1991, titled Bad Boy Talk.