koffee

Jan 25

Written By Lexie

Koffee

The best thing to come out of Jamaica since 19 how long

One of the songs that ruled the summer of 2019 & 2020 in our house was “Toast” by Koffee. My husband loved it, our daughter loved it, & I loved it! It was the background to curry-chicken meal prep on Sundays. We danced to Toast in the living room & played it in the car on trips to visit my in-laws. My 3-year-old daughter sang the words to it and jumped up and down on the sofa enthusiastically.

Music has a way of moving you & Mikayla “Koffee” Simpson definitely moved us. She is fresh, authentic, and 100% Jamaican! She doesn’t fit the status quo in any form. Her lyrics are centered on telling personal stories about her life, Jamaica, staying focused, being grateful, and many more topics. Her style is a mixture of dancehall, reggae, & just plain Koffee.

At age 19, Koffee is the first & youngest woman to win a Grammy Award for “Best Reggae Album” for her “Rapture” EP.

Not only is it rare for Koffee, a woman, to win a Grammy for “Best Reggae Album",” it is also rare for a dark-skinned black woman to rise to the upper echelons of the music industry. In a panel discussion at the 2020 JMC, dancehall artist Shaggy pointed out that racism and colorism plays a huge role in the music industry.

“Don’t ignore the fact that it’s a part of it. Yes it is. Very much so. Can’t understand seh the three biggest artists out of Jamaica are light-skinned: Shaggy, Bob Marley, and Sean Paul. A three brown bredda (three light_skinned brothers). A nuh coincidence dat (it’s not a coincidence).” Shaggy at JMC2020.

Despite the fact that 76.3% of the Jamaican population is of African descent with darker complexions, the ones often chosen to represent Jamaica on the international stage typically have a close proximity to whiteness with European features including a light skin tone. Shaggy also stated that white bands often cover Jamaican musicians and release albums that are more popular and more financially successful than the original works that they copy.

In an interview on “The Clay Cane Show” on SiriusXM Urban, Mathew Knowles (former manager & father of Beyonce) said “In the music industry there’s still segregation. Programmers, especially at pop radio, have this imagery of what beauty looks like. … If you look back even at Whitney Houston, if you look at those photos, how they lightened her to make her look lighter-complexioned … Because there’s a perception and a colorism: the lighter that you are, the smarter and more economically (advantaged)… There’s a perception all around the world about color — even with black folks, there’s a perception.” “Knowles said he taught a college class that did its own research study on “colorism” in music spanning a period of 15 years and found that, “overwhelmingly,” light-skinned black women fared better than darker-toned divas, especially at Top 40 radio.” Vanity Fair

Koffee is a moment of exhalation for those of us who have been holding our breath for more diversity and balance in mainstream black music whether it’s hip-hop, dancehall, or pop. She’s a breath of fresh air for those who long for more diversity in visual representation, style, lyrical content, and so much more.

Koffee is ambiguous in her style of dress, dark-skinned & absolutely beautiful. She has managed to successfully crossover into the international market, garner support from fellow artists like Rihanna & J-Hus, and was featured on the playlist of President Barack Obama.

Koffee is confirmation that you don’t have to sell sex, have a surgically enhanced body, have a lighter skin tone, disrespect women, or be half naked on the gram to get noticed. And although she is the exception & not the rule, she is confirmation that you can be yourself and still make it.

Jamaica has always been a powerful force in pop culture & music and reggae has been the genesis of the creation of several musical genre’s including ska, hip-hop & reggaeton. I look forward to the next generation of reggae artists like Koffee making an indelible mark on the world and representing our little island.

Shout out to Mikayla’s mommy, Ms. Jo-Anne Williams, who supported her every step of the way. Love and support is so important in building a child’s confidence. I tear up every time I listen to “Repeat” by J-Hus feat. Koffee. I hope my baby feels that love and support as she grows. Bless up mummy Koffee.