“This is what I know—Jamaica. No matter where I go, how long I stay there … here is always home for me. It’s like a paradise, I think, for somebody who was raised in Jamaica, especially ‘cause we get [to] see, like, the ins and outs and the day-to-day goings. Everything that I see around me in Jamaica comes out in my music.”
Koffee, as quoted in The Atlantic, April 2, 2019
She was born Mikayla Simpson on February 16, 2000 in Spanish Town, St. Catherine, just outside of Kingston, Jamaica.
Raised by a single mother and surrounded by music in the Seventh-Day Adventist church, Koffee taught herself to play the guitar at age 12.
She got the name ‘Koffee’ after ordering coffee on a simmering hot day when her friends were drinking sodas.
At 14, Koffee began writing song lyrics and drew inspiration from several reggae artistes from Bob Marley to Protoje.
In 2017, she wrote and performed Legend, a tribute to Usain Bolt. After posting it on social media, the song quickly went viral and her natural talent began to get noticed.
Koffee’s recognition grew even more after she was invited on the stage of Rebel Salute by reggae hero Coco Tea in January 2018. Since then, she has performed with Protoje and Chronixx, two of Jamaica’s biggest reggae stars.
After the release of her 2018 hit single Toast, Koffee signed to Columbia UK records and released her debut EP Rapture. It features the song Burning, which she says was written during a period of disappointment after she failed to secure a place in her high school’s sixth form.
In May 2019, media reports stated that Koffee is lending her remarkable song-writing skills to Grammy winner Rihanna’s upcoming album.