Gold-selling Dancehall deejay Mad Cobra‘s “Yush” is the eponymous name of a party series that features 90s dancehall music and is headlined by an artist from that era.
“Yush,” produced by Donovan Germain for his Penthouse Records label, was released in 1991 as a diss to Ninja Man and Cutty Ranks.
“Yush, well that a bad boy talk / just come offa the gun hand before the machine kick off,” Cobra repeats in the chorus.
“Me nuh wah fi see nuh gun pon teeth, original gun inna hand all a the gun gorgon,” a direct shot at Ninja Man’s moniker as Don Gorgon.
The party started 22 years later after the song’s release, from an idea by three people to kickstart a party series paying homage to 90s dancehall.
“Yush started in 2003, so it’s been 21 years. It was the vision of myself, Phillip Palmer, and Quiz, formerly of RE-TV,” says party organizer Scott Dunn.
The main reason for taking on the name was to “have an event that would both showcase the music of the 90s, but also that vibe that a 90s house party gave you,” he adds.
The term “Yush” was a polysemous slang used by inner-city crews to refer to each other, either as a salutation or as a threat.
“We took the name of the Mad Cobra ‘Yush’ song that was basically a slang that was kinda popular in the 90s but didn’t carry forward, so when you hear the term, you think of the 90s,” Dunn says.
Other acts that have performed at Yush over the years include Beenie Man and Bounty Killer friendly class, baby Cham and Lady Saw’s last major dancehall performance was at Yush in Negril with Beenie Man.
The party has also had numerous stagings in Florida.
As for who owns the name ‘Yush,’ Cobra himself wouldn’t perform at the party until 2013, and he makes no claim or further business connection to the event. Dunn says, “We have the trademark registered in the respective categories.”
Reggae and dancehall trademarks are a significant business in Jamaica, driven by the cultural and commercial value of the music. There are 56 registered dancehall-related and over 300 reggae-related trademark filings in Jamaica, covering diverse categories from restaurants to sports.
Trademarks in Jamaica are protected for ten years and can be renewed indefinitely. The Jamaica Intellectual Property Office (JIPO) oversees these trademarks, with owners able to take civil or criminal action against infringements. Jamaica’s recent accession to the Madrid Protocol allows trademarks registered there to be protected in 125 other territories.
Mad Cobra was signed to Columbia Records and dropped six albums between 1991 and 1992 before finding his way onto the Billboard 200 albums chart with 1992’s “Hard To Wet, Easy to Dry.” His other popular songs are the hit single Flex which he co-wrote with Brian Gold and Press Trigger on the Buzz Riddim.
‘Yush’ returns to Ranny Williams Entertainment Center May 24, 2024 with reggae legend Sizzla as the headline act.
