Mikayla Simpson is commonly known as Koffee by everyone that tune into the beautiful rhythm of reggae music. She started her singing journey at the tender age of 12, releasing her big song "Legend" when she was 15 years of age. Koffe is now sign with Columbia Records as of 2017. Columbia Records is a label of Sony Records Entertainment that notable artists like Beyonce is signed with as of 2020. Koffee is the youngest Jamaican artist to receive a Grammy, she accomplished that at 19 years old! Kofee has a few surprises up her sleeves as she blends reggae with R&B... Let's take a dive into the sugar and spice of Koffee.
Playlist:
In 2017, Koffee released her song "Legend" which was tribute to Usain Bolt's achievements in the world of sports. She highlighted Usain Bolt's achievements by even comparing the product of his work to that of Bob Marely and other Jamaican natives that placed Jamaica on the map, in the spotlight. Shortly after this, Usain Bolt reposted her song, driving traction to Koffee, which led to her being signed by Jamaican producer Protoje. Below is a clip of Koffee singing to Usain Bolt, this shows the tender age of Koffee while highlighting her artistic talent.
Kofee is quite talented as her music is a mixture of reggae and R&B. Reggae being from the caribbean and R&B being an African-American genre. Below is displaying Koffee having an artist outside of her label featured in one of her songs. The artist in question is Gunna and is recognized as an American rapper. This collaboration shows how versatile Koffee is all while keeping her roots in tact... let's remember she is Gen Z. Koffee never fails to remind us that it’s God that got her to where she is now, it’s either in her lyrics or in this case, the visuals of this music video was taken inside of a church. Enjoy as Korean encourages us to take a “W.”
Notably, Beyonce is from humble beginnings like our main artist Koffee. Beyonce dad is of Bahamian decent, being Caribbean. Beyonce was a part of a group called Destiny's child where she began her singing journey. Beyonce signed with Sony Entertainment with the hit single ' Dangerously in love." This is a part of the playlist to show that most record labels signs artists of varying background and musical style. Koffee being signed to the same record as Beyonce shows that she has talent above all else. Below is a video of Beyonce's song Dangerously in love. Can you find one similarity and difference in the musical style of Beyonce and Koffee?
Koffee is making waves internationally but wait.. she's respected back home. Buju is famous for reggae dancehall music and is highly respected in Jamacia for his contributions of putting Jamaica out there. Buju is such a great artist, that he had a concert that recently filled the Bahamian stadium. Buju has collaborated with the sons of Bob Marley and with international singers. i would say Koffee is a big shot after collaborating with Buju. Below is Koffee remixing "Pressure" along with Buju Banton and let's say, pressure is high with the 14M views this video has amassed.
Covid-19 was such a horrendous pandemic. It wiped out families, we said goodbye to our friends earlier than expected. During the pandemic, persons picked up trades... there was a flux in small business, persons cooking, baking, sewing, etc. At this time. Koffee kept us entertained when she released the tune "Lockdown." At this time, places were closed and there were curfews set in place to minimize the effects of the virus. This song accurately relates to how everyone was feeling and kept us looking to the future of coming out of lockdown. Enjoy this splash in the not so distant past, the 2020 most viewed video on YouTube from Jamaica… “Lockdown.”
Let's end this playlist with my personal favorite. This is the first song I heard that was released from Koffee. Just like most of you all, I was not knowledgeable about Koffee prior to hearing this song so I left it to the last to end with a blast.. This music video is special because it does have any fancy or shiny cars or big houses, it shows the humble beginnings of Koffee. Fun fact, I danced while in college and we created a choreography to this song and performed on many stages. Koffee is a brilliant artist especially for her young age, collaborating with many prominent artists and earning her own respect by earning a Grammy. We look forward to toasting to more of Koffee's achievements.
Bibliography:
Columbia Records. (n.d.). https://www.columbiarecords.com/
Meschino, P. (2022, March 23). Koffee, already a Grammy-winning globetrotter, is in full control for “gifted” debut. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2022/03/23/1088047190/koffee-already-a-grammy-winning-globetrotter-is-in-full-control-for-gifted-debut
Sony/ATV. (2020, January 21). Beyoncé and Sony/ATV Music Publishing Sign Global Agreement. PR Newswire: press release distribution, targeting, monitoring and marketing. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/beyonce-and-sonyatv-music-publishing-sign-global-agreement-300990412.html
Up, T. I. and T. (2023, November 24). Koffee : The generation of reggae. Medium. https://medium.com/@my3194469/koffee-the-generation-of-reggae-41e9411426fa#:~:text=BIOGRAPHY%3A,when%20she%20was%20only%2015.
Writer, S. (2023, November 22). Full list of every Jamaican who have been nominated for A grammy award. Jamaicans and Jamaica - Jamaicans.com. https://jamaicans.com/full-list-of-every-jamaicans-who-have-been-nominated-for-a-grammy-award/#google_vignette
