Five Questions With Unruly Producer Cobe

One of the keys to the Unruly camp, KNK Entertainment and Dancehall at large can be found in Cobe, the Jamaican music producer championing a fresh new sound.

Cobe is most notably known for his work with Popcaan on cuts such as Father God a Lead and Jungle Justice to name a few. Whenever you hear Popcaan shout “Yow, Cobe!” you already know who he’s hailing. The Kingston-born, Portmore & US-raised producer’s credits also range from Skillibeng (Bad) to Royal Blu (WYD), and Vybz Kartel made an infamous appearance on the Cobe Riddim with Mi In Love.

He is as loyal to Dancehall culture as he is to the music, often sharing and promoting Unruly and KNK releases in social media and heralding songs from beloved artists in industry, and showing love to local and international acts alike.

Still, Cobe holds his own vibe and lets the music speak for itself, so it was great to chop it up with him for DancehallMag to see what inspires the producer and what he has up his sleeve for the summer.

Your music is very distinct and memorable. What inspires your sound?

My past influences a lot of my sound. I was exposed to all kinds music from a young age, between Jamaica and the US; I moved to Liguanea when I was 9 and my Aunt was seeing Wayne Wonder and I used to hang around the studio. I then moved to Brooklyn when I was 13 and got into Hip-Hop and Rap and just the culture of it. So, that’s why most of my stuff have a sort of ‘blended sound’… because of my background.

Nice. Who have been some of your favorite artists to work with – within Unruly and outside the Unruly camp?

Sneakbo, Davido, Popcaan, Vybz Kartel.

Who are some artists you would like to work with in the future?

I would love to work with: Jay-Z, Drake, Chronixx, and Lila Iké.

That would be fire. What do you feel makes Dancehall so powerful and influential around the world?

Dancehall is so powerful and influential because of how spiritual, pure and organic it is; there’s no real ‘structure’, you know?

Facts. What can we expect from you this summer/year?

Working with Popcaan on his upcoming album, some Davido singles may be in the works and I’m also working on a new Jamaican Culture platform with Mini (of E5 Records) called ‘Smoke Club Jamaica’, coming really soon. Stay tuned!