Reggae Classic “Good Life” by Cocoa Tea Receives Animation Treatment!

The Cocoa Tea classic “Good Life” from Walshy Fire’s Riddimentary Selection has been given an animation treatment by illustrator and animation specialist Jenille Brown. This is the first official video for the Reggae classic. Brown illustrated the story from the point of view of a female protagonist who lives her “good life” as an independent woman.

“My interpretation for the female character is that she has built for herself a comfortable and fulfilling life,” explains Jenille Brown. “At work we see her in her studio photographing models dressed in couture. She’s fully engaged with her task. We also see her in the park in a meditative state, eyes closed, calm, practicing yoga in the outdoors. Next she’s meeting her friends, laughing, having an animated conversation. Then she’s back at home, relaxed, watching a movie. A man walks into frame and sits next to her on the couch. All aspects of her life are healthy.”

“‘Good Life’ is among Cocoa Tea’s most anthemic and fan-favorite tracks, but it hasn’t received the kind of recognition we feel it deserves in the digital streaming universe. It was one of the best reggae songs of the 1990s and it holds up well as one of the outstanding versions of The Heptones’ ‘Party Time.’ “We are trying to emphasize its enduring appeal for a younger generation by having a younger person interpret it through animation,” says VP Records’ Director Of Catalog Development Carter Van Pelt.

Major Lazer’s Walshy Fire felt very strongly about the track and rated it as his favorite on the 14-song Riddimentary Selection album that he recently curated for VP Records. He referred to it as an “eternally great song,” in a recent interview with Dancehallmag.com, recalling its importance in an early relationship in his life. “Like when yuh have a girl and you a meck a mixtape and yuh a put bare love song pon it, dat was one of the love songs, but that to me was like the love song. Because we a struggle yuh nuh, so mi always tell her seh wi a guh work harder; wi a guh meck it and mi a guh meck sure seh yuh have a good life and dah song deh just wrapped up everything I was saying,” Walshy told Dancehall Mag.

An alternate mix and dub mix of “Good Life” from the 1993 VP/Xterminator 12-inch single will be released digitally for the first time concurrent with the video, featuring Sly & Robbie and the Firehouse Crew. The song was produced by Philip “Fatis” Burrell for Xteminator Productions.