There is a deep sadness in the reggae industry today as the news of Cocoa Tea‘s passing spreads. According to the Jamaica Gleaner, Cocoa Tea‘s wife, Malvia Scott, confirmed that he passed away at 4:46 am on March 11, 2025. He died at a hospital in Broward County, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, following a cardiac arrest.

Cocoa Tea rose to prominence in the mid-1980s with his breakout hit song “Rikers Island,” which made it to #1 in both the United States and England. An album with the same name followed, and the rest, as they say, is history.