Mikayla Victoria Simpson (born 16 February 2000), better known as Koffee, is a
Jamaica
Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
n
reggae
Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
singer, songwriter, rapper, and guitarist from
Spanish Town
Spanish Town ( jam, label=Jamaican Creole, Panish Tong) is the capital and the largest town in the parish of St. Catherine in the historic county of Middlesex, Jamaica. It was the Spanish and British capital of Jamaica from 1534 until 1872. Th ...
,
Jamaica
Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
. She released her debut single "Burning" in 2017, and in 2019 signed with
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...
. Her 2019
EP ''
Rapture
The rapture is an Christian eschatology, eschatological position held by some Christians, particularly those of American evangelicalism, consisting of an Eschatology, end-time event when all Christian believers who are alive, along with resurre ...
'' won the
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
for
Best Reggae Album
The Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1985 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality works in the reggae music genre. Honors in sev ...
at the
62nd Annual Grammy Awards
The 62nd Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held on January 26, 2020, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. It recognized the best recordings, compositions, and artists of the eligibility year, running from October 1, 2018, to August 31, 2019. Al ...
,
making Koffee the youngest person and only woman to be awarded in the Best Reggae Album category. Her most recent album ''
Gifted
Intellectual giftedness is an intellectual ability significantly higher than average. It is a characteristic of children, variously defined, that motivates differences in school programming. It is thought to persist as a trait into adult life, wi ...
'' was released March 25, 2022.
Early life and career
Koffee's mother was an occasional actress,
Seventh-day Adventist
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is an Adventism, Adventist Protestantism, Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the Names of the days of the week#Numbered days of the week, seventh day of the ...
, and a
Ministry of Health employee. Koffee's first musical inspirations stemmed from her mother's religious background. She sang in her church choir, taught herself guitar at the age of 12 on an instrument borrowed from a friend, and began writing lyrics inspired by listening to reggae singer
Protoje
Oje Ken Ollivierre (born 14 June 1981), popularly known as Protoje, is a contemporary reggae singer and songwriter from Jamaica. His mother is Jamaican singer Lorna Bennett, best known for her 1972 rendition of "Breakfast in Bed".Johnson, Rich ...
. She attended Ardenne High School in Kingston, Jamaica.
2010s
In 2016, she won her school talent show at
Ardenne High School
Ardenne High School is a prominent coeducational, first-to-sixth form secondary school located in St. Andrew, Jamaica. The institution is best known for its high academic standards, among the highest in the Caribbean, and for its achievements i ...
located in
Kingston,
Jamaica
Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
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
Usain St. Leo Bolt, , (; born 21 August 1986) is a retired Jamaican sprinter, widely considered to be the greatest sprinter of all time. He is the world record holder in the 100 metres, 200 metres, and 4 × 100 metres relay.
An eight- ...
,
the song became a viral
Instagram
Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
hit, once the athlete reposted it on his own Instagram.
Awareness of the violence and social problems she witnessed growing up has influenced her lyrics, and besides
Protoje
Oje Ken Ollivierre (born 14 June 1981), popularly known as Protoje, is a contemporary reggae singer and songwriter from Jamaica. His mother is Jamaican singer Lorna Bennett, best known for her 1972 rendition of "Breakfast in Bed".Johnson, Rich ...
and
Chronixx
Jamar Rolando McNaughton (born 10 October 1992), popularly known as Chronixx, is a Jamaican reggae artist. His stage name replaced the name "Little Chronicle" which he was given because of his father, the singer "Chronicle".Jackson, Kevin (2014) ...
she has cited
Super Cat
William Anthony Maragh (born 25 June 1963),Huey, Steve " Super Cat Biography, Allmusic, retrieved 18 July 2010 also known as Super Cat, is a Jamaican deejay who achieved widespread popularity during the late 1980s and early 1990s dancehall mo ...
and
Giggs among her musical inspirations.
Koffee was introduced by
Cocoa Tea
Calvin George Scott (born 3 September 1959), better known as Cocoa Tea, is a Jamaican reggae singer and songwriter.
Biography
Born in Rocky Point, Clarendon Parish, Jamaica, Cocoa Tea was popular in Jamaica from 1985, but has become success ...
at the
Rebel Salute
Rebel Salute is an annual music festival held in Jamaica. It is held on January 15 of every year, the birthday of promoter Tony Rebel. It is one of Jamaica's biggest music festivals, known for its focus on roots and conscious music. Rebel began th ...
, a reggae festival, and has also performed with her musical inspirations Protoje and Chronixx.
"Burning", her take on Upsetta Records' Ouji Riddim (which had been made popular by Jamaican artists
Busy Signal
Reanno Devon Gordon (born 24 January 1979), better known by his stage name Busy Signal, is a Jamaican dancehall reggae artist.
Biography
Reanno Devon Gordon p/k/a Busy Signal was born in Saint Ann Parish,Johnson, Carolyn (2006)A Very Busy Chi ...
and
Luciano), followed. "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 she spent three weeks at number one on The Foundation Radio Network's Top 30 Reggae Chart covering
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
and
South Florida
South Florida is the southernmost region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is one of Florida's three most commonly referred to directional regions; the other two are Central Florida and North Florida. South Florida is the southernmost part of th ...
.
In 2018, Jamaican reggae/dancehall singer, songwriter, and deejay
Cocoa Tea
Calvin George Scott (born 3 September 1959), better known as Cocoa Tea, is a Jamaican reggae singer and songwriter.
Biography
Born in Rocky Point, Clarendon Parish, Jamaica, Cocoa Tea was popular in Jamaica from 1985, but has become success ...
brought her on stage at the 2018
Rebel Salute
Rebel Salute is an annual music festival held in Jamaica. It is held on January 15 of every year, the birthday of promoter Tony Rebel. It is one of Jamaica's biggest music festivals, known for its focus on roots and conscious music. Rebel began th ...
and
Rototom Sunsplash
Rototom Sunsplash is a large European reggae festival which takes place every summer at Benicàssim, a few miles north of Valencia in Spain. Since 1994, it attracts thousands of reggae fans from all over the world, thanks to a vast cultural and m ...
in Jamaica and Spain respectively. Protoje asked her to perform with him. Chronixx invited her to join him a
BBC Radio 1Xtra
BBC Radio 1Xtra is a British digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It broadcasts black music and urban music, including hip hop and R&B and is a sister station to Radio 1. Launching at 18:00 on 16 August 2002, it had been cod ...
broadcast from
Tuff Gong Studios
Tuff Gong is the brand name associated with a number of businesses started by Bob Marley and the Marley family. 'Tuff Gong' comes from Marley's nickname, which was in turn an echo of that given to founder of the Rastafari movement, Leonard " ...
, and she went on to tour with him in the
UK at venues such as
Bush Hall
Bush Hall is located at 310 Uxbridge Road, Shepherd's Bush, West London, England. Originally a dance hall, it is now an independent music venue with a capacity of 400.
Bush Hall was built in 1904. It was used as a soup kitchen during World W ...
and at
Alexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace is a Grade II listed entertainment and sports venue in London, situated between Wood Green and Muswell Hill in the London Borough of Haringey. It is built on the site of Tottenham Wood and the later Tottenham Wood Farm. Origi ...
. Koffee and Chronixx appeared on
BBC Music Introducing
BBC Music ''Introducing'' is BBC Radio's platform supporting unsigned, undiscovered, and under-the-radar UK music talent. It gives artists the opportunity to be played on Local BBC Radio and nationally on BBC Radio 1, 1Xtra, Radio 2, Radio 3, 6 ...
...LIVE on November 10.
Koffee's December 2018 single "Raggamuffin" called out
gun violence
Gun-related violence is violence committed with the use of a firearm. Gun-related violence may or may not be considered criminal. Criminal violence includes homicide (except when and where ruled justifiable), assault with a deadly weapon, a ...
and governmental neglect of the youth. BBC Radio 1Xtra named Koffee one of its "Hot for 2019" artists. Her next single, "Toast", was produced by (izybeats) and (Walshy Fire) of
Major Lazer
Major Lazer is an American electronic dance music DJ trio, which includes record producer Diplo, and DJs Walshy Fire and Ape Drums. It originates from Kingston, Jamaica, and was founded in 2008 by Diplo and Switch, with Switch leaving after t ...
. Both Chronixx and Protoje appear in the video.
In 2019,
Tory Lanez
Daystar Shemuel Shua Peterson (born July 27, 1992), known professionally as Tory Lanez, is a Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter, and convicted felon. He received initial recognition from the mixtape ''Conflicts of My Soul: The 416 Story'', rel ...
made a remix to "Toast" as a part of his International Fargo project which can be found on SoundCloud.
In 2018, she also signed with
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...
UK,
and ''
Rapture
The rapture is an Christian eschatology, eschatological position held by some Christians, particularly those of American evangelicalism, consisting of an Eschatology, end-time event when all Christian believers who are alive, along with resurre ...
''. Her debut EP on the label, was released on March 14, 2019. Her "Throne" video, which takes viewers on a tour through her home town of Spanish Town, Jamaica, debuted on ''
The Fader
''The Fader'' (stylized as ''FADER'') is a magazine based in New York City that was launched in 1999 by Rob Stone and Jon Cohen. The magazine covers music, style and culture. It was the first print publication to be released on iTunes.
It is o ...
'' on 22 January 2019. On 13 November 2019, Koffee was announced as an opening act for
Harry Styles
Harry Edward Styles (born 1 February 1994) is an English singer, songwriter, and actor. His musical career began in 2010 as a solo contestant on the British music competition series ''The X Factor (UK TV series), The X Factor''. Following hi ...
on select dates of the North American leg of his 2020
Love On Tour
Love On Tour is the ongoing second concert tour by English singer-songwriter Harry Styles, in support of his second and third studio albums, '' Fine Line'', which was released on 13 December 2019, and ''Harry's House'', which was released on 2 ...
, and on 3 December as an opening act for the Latin American leg.
On 26 November 2019, Koffee released her first cross-over collaborative single "W", featuring
hip-hop artist
Gunna.
2020s
''Rapture'' won a
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
at the
62nd Annual Grammy Awards
The 62nd Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held on January 26, 2020, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. It recognized the best recordings, compositions, and artists of the eligibility year, running from October 1, 2018, to August 31, 2019. Al ...
, making Koffee the youngest person (at 19 years old) and only woman to be awarded in the
Best Reggae Album
The Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1985 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality works in the reggae music genre. Honors in sev ...
category.
Koffee was the musical guest on
Nick Cannon
Nicholas Scott Cannon (born October 8, 1980) is an American television host, actor, rapper, and comedian. In television, Cannon began as a teenager on ''All That'' before going on to host ''The Nick Cannon Show'', ''Wild 'n Out'', ''America's G ...
's sketch comedy and improv television series ''
Wild 'N Out
''Wild 'N Out'' is an American sketch comedy and improv game show series that was created and is hosted by musician and comedian Nick Cannon currently airing on VH1. It debuted on July 28, 2005 on MTV.
In April 2019, the series had been rene ...
'' which aired on February 18, 2020 on
VH1.
In October 2020, Koffee was named by ''
Elle
''Elle'' (stylized ''ELLE'') is a worldwide women's magazine of French origin that offers a mix of fashion and beauty content, together with culture, society and lifestyle. The title means "she" or "her" in French. ''Elle'' is considered the w ...
'' magazine as one of "10 Trailblazing Women Changing The Future You Need To Know", the others being:
Mowalola Ogunlesi, Tobi Kyeremateng,
Ngozi Onwurah
Ngozi Onwurah (born 1966) is a British-Nigerian film director, producer, model, and lecturer. She is best known as a filmmaker for her autobiographical film ''The Body Beautiful'' (1991) and her first feature film, ''Welcome II the Terrordome'' ( ...
, Simi Lindgren,
Balanda Atis, Magdalene Abraha, Holly Fischer,
Celeste and
Margaret Busby
Margaret Yvonne Busby, , Hon. FRSL (born 1944), also known as Nana Akua Ackon, is a Ghanaian-born publisher, editor, writer and broadcaster, resident in the UK. She was Britain's youngest and first black female book publisherJazzmine Breary"Let' ...
.
Her debut full-length album, ''
Gifted
Intellectual giftedness is an intellectual ability significantly higher than average. It is a characteristic of children, variously defined, that motivates differences in school programming. It is thought to persist as a trait into adult life, wi ...
'', was released on 25 March 2022 to positive reviews.
[Reggae star drops ‘Gifted’ album]
, ''Manila Standard'', 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022
Awards and nominations
Discography
Studio albums
EPs
Singles
As a featured artist
Other guest appearances
References
{{authority control
2000 births
Living people
21st-century Jamaican women singers
Grammy Award winners
People from Spanish Town
Columbia Records artists