Koffee doesn’t remember the moment she won her first Grammy Award — or where the trophy is. ‘I haven’t seen it since I left the U.S.,’ she admits, bashfully. ‘I swear I don’t know who has it.’
In 2020, the Spanish Town, Jamaica, singer born Mikayla Simpson became the first woman to take home the best reggae album award, for her debut project, Rapture — and the youngest winner ever at 19. Rapture wasn’t even a full album — the five-track reggae-fusion EP clocked in at just over 15 minutes. Put head-to-head with long-standing reggae heavyweights like Sly & Robbie and Steel Pulse, the win was even more unlikely, and Koffee agrees.
‘It seemed unreal when they got to the reggae category and stated [I won],’ she recalls. ‘I never considered the possibility of actually winning a Grammy.’ With a brace-faced grin, the 5-foot-tall vocalist slowly jogged toward the stage as scattered cheers began. A look of disbelief remained in her eyes by the time she reached the podium. ‘Blessings, everyone,’ she began hurriedly, before thanking the other outstanding nominees who helped pave the path. ‘This one is for everyone. This one is dedicated to reggae, and this one is dedicated to Jamaica.
Koffee, one of five siblings, grew raised with her mother in Jamaica's Eltham View community. ‘In my country and adjacent countries, there is a lot of violence,’ she says. While the singer felt sheltered from what was happening on around her, the oncoming threats to her neighborhood influenced her musical approach. ‘I'm not sure if it's art imitating life,’ she says, ‘but the [gun-heavy] music and what's really going on go hand in hand.’ ‘When it comes to the type of music I compose for my audience, I strive to follow my own advice - upliftment, optimism, love, joy, and all the beautiful things.
