Spotlight on Koffee
The singer, musician and DJ leading the way in a new era of contemporary genre-bending reggae
17 Feb 2023 | reggae
Mikayla Simpson, better known as Koffee, was born on 16 February 2000 in Spanish Town, Jamaica.
Raised by her mother just outside of Kingston, Simpson sang in the church choir as a child and taught herself to play the guitar at the age of 12. Inspired by Jamaican reggae stars like Protoje and Chronixx, she began writing lyrics in her early teens. In 2016, Kingston won her school's talent show. She earned her nickname on a particularly hot day when she was the only one among her friends who ordered a hot coffee while they were drinking soda.
As Koffee, she released an acoustic version of her song "Legend," about Jamaican runner Usain Bolt in 2017, and the video quickly went viral on Instagram.
Her next single, "Burning," featured her original take on Upsetta Records' "Ouji Riddim" and topped several reggae charts in the US.
In 2018, at just 18 years old, Koffee performed with both Protoje and Chronixx - joining the latter on a BBC broadcast from Kingston's legendary Tuff Gong Studios and later on a tour of the UK.
Koffe's status as a rising star grew even brighter when she signed with Columbia UK and released the singles "Toast" and "Ragamuffin," both of which appeared on her debut EP, Rapture in 2019.
In November of that year, Koffee released the single "W," a collaboration with US rapper Gunna. The song was a hit, charting in the UK and streamed millions of times worldwide.
At the 62nd Grammy Awards, Koffee took home the trophy for "Best Reggae Album" for Rapture. This achievement made her the youngest person and the first woman to ever receive the award.
Koffee is only beginning her journey to greatness as a reggae singer, songwriter, rapper, DJ, and guitarist.
Her fans look forward to her upcoming album release, which cements that the future of reggae is in good hands.
