18-year-old Jamaican native Mikayla “Koffee” Simpson currently has one of the biggest songs on the island with “Toast” and is looking for another banger with the release of “Throne.”
“Me nu waste time with the music / In yuh face like any cutip Used to Facetime with the Blues / Til Reggae bassline mek me lose it / A nu monopoly Walshy build the riddim, put da song ya pon it / Now dem all up on me Say dem badder dan me / So me kill dem and study dem anatomy,” The fast-rising Reggae star spits. “Dem nu understand me But dem Seh dem loving the flow now / When them see me all over the media / And them hear me deh pon Wikipedia Used to fast, now me all a get speedier / I a born storm Fyah cyah calm Shotter than a copper, what a Bam Bam Tell Jenella, Cinderella, John, Tom “Say a prayer, get a choir; ensemble”.”
Born in Spanish Town, just outside of Kingston, Jamaica, Koffee began writing lyrics in her bedroom having been inspired by the likes of reggae legends Protoje and Supercat, to more recently, Chicago rapper Smino and UK rap star Giggs.
In January 2018, reggae hero Coco Tea brought Koffee onto the stage at Rebel Salute; her idol Protoje also asked her to perform with him, while Grammy-nominated Chronixx, one of Jamaica’s biggest contemporary reggae stars and another huge inspiration, invited Koffee to join him on Seani B and Mistajam’s recent BBC 1Xtra shows broadcast from Tough Gong Studios.
Although small in stature and disarmingly unassuming, Koffee’s modesty — and height — belies huge amounts of talent. The 5’0, self-described “sing-jay-guitarist” is one of the most exciting, forward-thinking, globally-focused teenage talents to emerge this year. Having just played a string of shows with her hero Chronixx earlier this week in the UK at BBX 1Xtra Introducing Live, Alexander Palace and the Zincfence Sessions at Bush Hall, Koffee is poised and ready to take over in 2019.
