Cedrick “Swab” Cotton of 90s group Ideal stabbed to death

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Cedrick Cotton, a member of the popular late 1990s R&B group Ideal, was murdered in broad daylight on February 9, 2021.

Cedrick Cotton killed

According to ABC-13, police said an anonymous tip led them to 28-year-old Andre Jerome Ford who has now been charged with murder.

Cotton, 46, was stabbed to death outside of Fondren Food Mart in Houston, Texas. After the incident, people flocked to the scene to see if it was someone they knew. William King, Cedrick’s uncle, was unfortunately one of those onlookers, ABC-13 reports.

“I saw him just lying there,” he said. “I couldn’t do nothing but just cry last night.”

Cotton’s mother, Delores Floyd, told ABC-13 her son was a regular customer at the convenience store, where he’d often ride his bike to.

“The next thing I know, I get this call and I heard people … ‘He comes here every day. He doesn’t bother anybody. He’s a good guy,’” Floyd said.

According to police, Ford and Cotton got into an argument around 9:40 a.m. Feb. 9 outside of a convenience store at 12304 Fondren Road, and the altercation continued inside of the store.

Ford stabbed Cotton on the left side of his body while inside of the shop, according to investigators. Ford left the scene before emergency responders arrived, police say.

Music career

Cotton, who went by the stage name Swab, was one fourth of Ideal, who came onto the scene around 1999 and toured and performed for years. The group was best known for their single “Whatever.”

RNB Group Ideal, Source: Instagram

Cotton helped create Ideal, which started in California and consisted of himself, his brother, cousin and high school friend.

The group also had hits such as “Get Gone” and “Creep Inn”.

“They were on ‘Soul Train,’ ‘Donnie and Marie Show,’ ‘The Parkers,'” Floyd said.