The world today is rapidly changing. As we live with effects of COVID-19, were forced to face the reality that mankind is in this world together. We face the same problems together. We look for the solutions together. The borders and differences just don’t matter anymore. As many older ones have complained about the readiness of the next generation, perhaps they are more prepared for the next eventuality than we believe. The music industry is another part of the world that our next generation will navigate effectively. I’ve believed this for a long time, and now the reality is setting in.
A few years ago I wrote a statement that I was waiting to feature an artist born after the year 2000. I have done this several times, and today is just another day as we are now twenty years into that new millennium. That brings us to our featured artist this week. She is a young, brilliant singer, songwriter, rapper and guitarist from Jamaica. Our featured artist this week is Koffee.
Born February 16, 2000 in Spanish Town, just outside of Kingston, Jamaica, Mikayla Simpson was bought up alone by her hard working mother, her father having left for New York when Koffee was an infant. “Mummy struggled so I didn’t have to,” remembers Koffee. An occasional actress who works for the Ministry of Health and who gives sex education and body positivity talks to young people, Koffee’s mum sheltered her daughter from a lot of the violence that afflicted their community. “I was aware of curfews and shootings growing up but it wasn’t necessarily a reality for me because I didn’t experience anything directly,” she says. “I would hear about gunshots over in [neighboring] Gordon Pen, but where I live, in Eltham View, it’s a mellow vibe. It’s a pretty friendly community, we know each other for the most part and we get along well.”
It is that awareness of life outside her neighborhood that fuels Koffee’s music. Koffee may be small in stature and disarmingly unassuming but her modesty – and height – belies huge amounts of talent. The diminutive artist is poised to take her music to the world. I think the world is ready too.
Though she was able to avoid explicit scenes of bloodshed, the socio-political problems that permeate parts of Jamaica have seeped into her music, helping to make Koffee the artist she is today. “With a lot of my music, it’s about entertaining people while highlighting problems in order to try and find a solution. I genuinely want to make the world a better place.”
Her story really started back in 2016. Koffee won her school talent show at Ardenne High School located in Kingston, Jamaica without realizing that the informal show at which she performed in her school cafeteria had been an audition. She went on to learn music theory and vocal technique in her high school choir. A defining moment for Koffee occurred her final year of high school, when she performed at her school’s talent show with other gifted artists in front of about 1,000 people. She indicated that the show gave her the first bit of confidence to perform and deliver music live.
Koffee gained popularity after uploading a video to Instagram of her singing. In 2017 she released her first single, “Legend”, with just her voice and acoustic guitar. A tribute to Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, the song became a viral Instagram hit, once the athlete reposted it on his own instagram.
Koffee’s following started to build and was further enhanced in 2017 when she jumped on Upsetta Records’ Ouji Riddim, made popular by Jamaican legends Busy Signal and Luciano. “Burning” grew out of her desire to inspire herself to push forward despite disappointment at not getting into post-secondary Sixth Form after she graduated from Ardenne High School. In June it spent three weeks at number one on The Foundation Radio Network’s Top 30 Reggae Chart covering New York City and South Florida. “You can’t let this out your flame. Literally it was me parking a fire within myself to go forward and excel in something else, because education didn’t look like it was working out. I say ‘Me have a burning sound, me a burn the city down’; I meant, like, lighting a fire in Kingston, bringing that energy.”
In 2018, Jamaican reggae/dancehall singer, songwriter, and deejay Cocoa Tea brought her on stage at the 2018 Rebel Salute and Rototom Sunsplash in Jamaica and Spain respectively. Protoje asked her to perform with him. Chronixx invited her to join him a BBC Radio 1Xtra broadcast from Tuff Gong Studios, and she went on to tour with him in the UK at venues such as Bush Hall and at Alexandra Palace. Koffee and Chronixx appeared on BBC Music Introducing…LIVE on November 10.
In 2018, she also signed with Columbia Records UK, and Rapture. Her debut EP on the label, was released on March 14, 2019. On November 13, 2019, Koffee was announced as an opening act for Harry Styles on select dates of the North American leg of his 2020 Love On Tour, and on December 3rd as an opening act for the Latin American leg.
Koffee has arrived and reached legendary status all long before her 21st birthday. In fact, Rapture won a Grammy Award at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards, making Koffee the youngest person (at 19 years old) and only woman to be awarded in the Best Reggae Album category.
As I listened to Koffee’s music this week prior to this post, I was very impressed with her abilities as an artist and songwriter. She certainly has a story to tell and we are just hearing the beginning. Koffee’s current output has tended towards the more traditional Jamaican rhythms. But while reggae is on the agenda at the moment, Koffee intends to take in the many artists who have influenced her over the years, from Protoje and Supercat to St Louis rapper Smino and UK Rap star Giggs. “I learn a lot from flows – when I listen to music, that’s what I’m tuned into, that’s what I want to continue to experiment with. I can see myself doing bashment, dancehall, everything.”
Ah, there is nothing better than being young and talented. The world is laid out in front of you, ready to be taken. The difference for Koffee is that she approaches all of this with a grounded viewpoint unusual for a young woman of twenty. It might be unusual at the age of thirty as well. Nevertheless, there seems to be no limit to her music, or where she might go in life. It is best to conclude with the words of Koffee herself.
“I want to bring positive change to the world because I think the world needs that more than just individual success,” she points out. “My personal success could be ten cars and a big house but that doesn’t influence many people other than myself and the people around me who that benefit from that. I want to be a positive movement and make a positive movement, at the same time. I want to bring vibes and positive change. I want to impact the world.”
Rarely have I used a post to speak of musicians other than the one featured, but this week has been very different. We lost two of the most influential artists of all time last week in pianist Ellis Marsalis Jr,. and Bill Withers, Marsalis was well-known around his home of New Orleans, and better known as the father of jazz greats Wynton and Branford Marsalis. Withers was possibly one of the greatest vocalist and songwriters of our day. They will both be missed and I send my prayers to the families of both in this time of mourning.