KOFFEE: Complete History, Biography, Family, State Of Origin, Net Worth, Age And Photos Of Mikayla Simpson (Original Koffee)

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Last Updated on August 10, 2023 by ANE Wiki

FULL NAME: Mikayla Simpson
SOBRIQUET: Koffee, Original Koffee.
DATE OF BIRTH: February 16th, 2000.
RELIGION: Christianity.
HEIGHT: loading..
STATE OF ORIGIN: Spanish Town, Jamaica.
NATIONALITY: Jamaican.
PLACE OF BIRTH: Spanish Town, Jamaica.
PARENTS: loading...
SPOUSE | HUSBAND: None (as of 2022) ^{[citation needed]}
OCCUPATION: Singer/Musician.
RECORD LABEL: Columbia Records.
GENRE: Reggae, Dancehall.
LANGUAGES: English, Jamaican Patois (or Patwa).
NET WORTH: $5 million (as of 2021)
SOURCE OF INCOME: Songwriting, Brand deals, business.
YEAR ACTIVE: 2017 – till date.
ALMA MATER:
— Elementary School: Ardenne High School in Kingston, Jamaica.
— Middle School: Ardenne High School in Kingston, Jamaica.
— High School: Ardenne High School in Kingston, Jamaica.
— College: loading...
— COURSE STUDIED IN COLLEGE: loading...
NET WORTH: As at March, 2022, Koffee’s net worth is estimated to be $5 million .
INSTAGRAM: Original Koffee
FACEBOOK: Original Koffee
TWITTER: Original Koffee
YOUTUBE: Original Koffee

Mikayla “Koffee” Simpson (born 16 February 2000), better known as Koffee (or, Original Koffee), is a Jamaican reggae singer, songwriter, rapper, deejay and guitarist from Spanish Town, Jamaica. She released her debut single “Burning” in 2017, and in 2019 signed with Columbia Records. Her 2019 EP, Rapture won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards. Koffee is the youngest person and only woman to be awarded in the Best Reggae Album category at the Grammy Awards.

Life And Career

EARLY LIFE

Koffee’s mother was an occasional actress, Seventh-day Adventist, 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. She attended Ardenne High School in Kingston, Jamaica.

Education

She attended Ardenne High School in Kingston, Jamaica.

CAREER

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.

2010s

In 2016, she won her school talent show at Ardenne High School located in Kingston, Jamaica 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, the song became a viral Instagram 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 and Chronixx she has cited Super Cat and Giggs among her musical inspirations.

Koffee was introduced by Cocoa Tea at the Rebel Salute, 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 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 and South Florida.

In 2018, Jamaican reggae/dancehall singer, songwriter, and deejay Cocoa Tea brought her on stage at the 2018 Rebel Salute and Rototom Sunsplash in Jamaica and Spain respectively. Protoje asked her to perform with him. Chronixx invited her to join him a BBC Radio 1Xtra broadcast from Tuff Gong Studios, and she went on to tour with him in the UK at venues such as Bush Hall and at Alexandra Palace. Koffee and Chronixx appeared on BBC Music Introducing…LIVE on November 10.^{[citation needed]}

Koffee’s December 2018 single “Raggamuffin” called out gun violence 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. Both Chronixx and Protoje appear in the video. In 2019, Tory Lanez 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 UK, and Rapture. 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 on 22 January 2019. On 13 November 2019, Koffee was announced as an opening act for Harry Styles on select dates of the North American leg of his 2020Love On Tour, 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 at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards, making Koffee the youngest person (at 19 years old) and only woman to be awarded in the Best Reggae Album category.

Koffee was the musical guest on Nick Cannon‘s sketch comedy and improv television series Wild ‘N Out which aired on February 18, 2020 on VH1.

In October 2020, Koffee was named by Elle magazine as one of “10 Trailblazing Women Changing The Future You Need To Know”, the others being: Mowalola Ogunlesi, Tobi Kyeremateng, Ngozi Onwurah, Simi Lindgren, Balanda Atis, Magdalene Abraha, Holly Fischer, Celeste and Margaret Busby.

Her debut album, Gifted, was released in March 2022.

Personal Life

Born in Spanish Town, just outside of Kingston, Jamaica, Koffee was bought up alone by her hard working mother, her father having left for New York when Koffee was an infant. “Mummy struggled so I didn’t have to,” remembers Koffee. An occasional actress who works for the Ministry of Health and who gives sex education and body positivity talks to young people, Koffee’s mum sheltered her daughter from a lot of the violence that afflicted their community. “I was aware of curfews and shootings growing up but it wasn’t necessarily a reality for me because I didn’t experience anything directly,” she says. “I would hear about gunshots over in [neighbouring] Gordon Pen, but where I live, in Eltham View, it’s a mellow vibe. It’s a pretty friendly community, we know each other for the most part and we get along well.”

Though she was able to avoid explicit scenes of bloodshed, the socio-political problems that permeate parts of Jamaica have seeped into her music, helping to make Koffee the artist she is today. “With a lot of my music, it’s about entertaining people while highlighting problems in order to try and find a solution. I genuinely want to make the world a better place.”

Koffee – who got her name after ordering a coffee on a boiling hot day while everyone else opted for soda – began her musical life as a child in the church choir. Here, she learnt melody and harmony; at the age of 12, she taught herself guitar after a friend lent her his spare one. She began writing lyrics in her bedroom after being inspired by the reggae singer Protoje – just a few lines here and there, initially, a chorus or a verse. In 2016, she accidentally auditioned for her school talent show – and won. “They had a show in the cafeteria one day and people were going up to perform poems and songs. My friends encouraged me to go up and perform so I did and the place loved it. I had no idea it was an audition until my name got called over the intercom.”

Family

Koffee’s mother was an occasional actress, Seventh-day Adventist, and a Ministry of Health employee. Koffee’s first musical inspirations stemmed from her mother’s religious background.