POKEY BEAR

Biography

Wardell 'Pokey Bear' Brown was born on February 2, 1970, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana (with some sources noting Houston, Texas as an early connection), where he developed an early passion for music. During his teenage years, he performed with family groups like George Perkins & the Voice of Harmony and Kenneth Mitchell & the Voices of Praise. He attended Delta State University, playing on their Division II championship football team, before transferring to Southern University and joining the Concert Choir. Initially pursuing rap as part of Houston's Screwed Up Click with DJ Screw in the early 1990s, he released albums like Hardest Pit in the Litter (1999), D-Game 2000 (2000), and Da Sky's da Limit (2002), blending mid-tempo 808 beats with a Notorious B.I.G.-like style.[1][2][5][6]

Transitioning to southern soul and blues in the 2010s, Pokey Bear mixed old-school R&B-infused bayou soul with swagger and upbeat trends. He formed one-third of the Louisiana Blues Brothas alongside Tyree Neal (cousin of Jackie Neal) and Adrian Bagher, releasing Love on the Bayou (2014) featuring his breakout hit 'My Sidepiece,' which amassed over 7 million Spotify streams. His solo debut Josephine Son Pokey arrived in 2014, followed by Mr. It Ain't Fair (2016) with tracks like 'Good Foot' and 'Shake That Money Maker' featuring Mystikal, and Crown Me (2020).[1][4][5][6]

Pokey Bear's larger-than-life persona and party-starting sound, akin to Willie Clayton and James Brown, have made him a southern blues staple, touring nationwide and earning regional acclaim through producers like Beat Flippa and Highway Heavy.[1][4][6]

Fun Facts

• His debut southern soul album title 'Josephine Son Pokey' (2014) directly references being 'Josephine's son, Pokey,' adding personal authenticity to his idiosyncratic style.[5]
• Before music, he played football at Delta State University on a Division II championship team and studied kinesiology at Abilene Christian College.[2][6]
• He toured with the Jenarashunz Band in March 2017 and has opened for artists like Mystikal during his career.[1]
• Originally a rapper in Houston's Screwed Up Click, he shifted genres after years in rap, leading to his blues/southern soul success.[2][6]

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• DJ Screw - Early rap mentor in Houston's Screwed Up Click (Mix tapes in early 1990s) [early 1990s]
• Beat Flippa - Producer for transition to southern soul (They Call Me Pokey, early projects) [2010s]
• Highway Heavy - Collaborator who provided hook for hit song (My Sidepiece) [2010s]

Key Collaborators

• Tyree Neal - Bandmate in Louisiana Blues Brothas (Love on the Bayou (2014)) [2010s]
• Adrian Bagher - Bandmate in Louisiana Blues Brothas (Love on the Bayou (2014)) [2010s]
• Mystikal - Guest feature on solo album (Shake That Money Maker on Mr. It Ain't Fair (2016)) [2016]

External Links

• Spotify
• MusicBrainz