Why one of Cocoa Tea's most famous songs in Kenya became his deepest regret

Jamaican Reggae legend the late Cocoa Tea, known for his smooth vocals and timeless hits, rose to global fame with his 2008 song 'Obama'.

Inspired by Barack Obama’s historic presidential campaign, the song became an anthem of hope and change. However, years later, Cocoa Tea admitted he deeply regretted recording the track.

READ ALSO: Cocoa Tea's Biography: Humble beginnings, family, popular songs & cause of death

The Obama fever that inspired a hit

During the 2008 U.S. elections, the world was captivated by Barack Obama’s bid to become the first Black president of the United States.

Like many others, Cocoa Tea was swept up in the excitement. He hit the studio and recorded Obama, a song dedicated to the then-senator’s inspiring campaign.

In the song, Cocoa Tea repeatedly sang Obama’s name in the chorus, endorsing him in a simple yet powerful way.

Speaking in interviews at the time, Cocoa Tea described Obama as 'an exception to all politicians' and expressed hope that his leadership would bring real change.

He wanted to see improvements in global issues like rising food prices and climate change, believing that decisions made in Washington had a ripple effect on the rest of the world.

Regret sets in

However, as the years passed, Cocoa Tea’s perspective changed. In a 2014 interview, he expressed disappointment, stating that Obama had not lived up to the expectations he set during his campaign.

He criticised the former U.S. president for failing to end military conflicts and for what he saw as a lack of meaningful change.

“Politicians always let you down,” he said, adding that people needed to stand up for themselves rather than rely on leaders to fix their problems.

One of Cocoa Tea’s biggest disappointments was Obama’s failure to grant a posthumous pardon to Marcus Garvey, a Jamaican national hero and Pan-African activist.

Garvey was convicted of mail fraud in the U.S. in the 1920s in what many believe was a racially motivated case. Cocoa Tea had hoped that Obama would use his presidential power to clear Garvey’s name but was left disillusioned when this never happened.

Looking back, he admitted that if he could relive his life, he would never have recorded Obama.

Could Trump have done what Obama didn’t?

During a 2019 interview with Reggae Vibes, Cocoa Tea was asked whether Donald Trump should consider pardoning Marcus Garvey.

Surprisingly, he agreed, noting that one of Trump’s advisors, Roger Stone, had once spoken in favour of the idea.

Despite their political differences, Cocoa Tea believed that Garvey’s pardon was more important than who granted it. He simply wanted justice for the historical icon, regardless of who was in power.

Final years of Cocoa Tea

On 11 March 2025, the world lost Cocoa Tea. His wife, Malvia Scott, revealed that he had been battling lymphoma since 2019. In the last six months of his life, his health deteriorated further due to pneumonia.

He is survived by his wife and three children, leaving behind a rich musical legacy that spans decades.

Some of his most famous songs include '86 Flood', 'Highest Mountain', 'Tune In', 'Crying Time', 'Must Unite', and 'Rickers Island.