written by: Michael Nattoo
Sure, you can be happy, but it will never be ‘I made President Obama’s 2019 Summer Playlist’ happy. Such honours are reserved for 19-year-old Jamaican Reggae sensation, Koffee, whose real name is Mikayla Simpson.
The list, which is annually put together by the coolest (and smoothest) president in the history of the United States, consists of songs he and his wife, former First Lady, Michelle Obama, have been listening to over the summer, from new and old Hip Hop and R&B, to Reggae. Last Saturday, the highly anticipated list, which also included Reggae legends Toots and The Maytals, cemented Koffee’s place as one of the fastest rising talents in the industry, and it didn’t hurt that it also served her up some extra cool points.
Just which of Koffee’s songs was the Obamas jamming to? You guessed it! ‘Toast’, which came in at number 28 on the list, which was posted on Twitter to Obama’s 108 million followers. The list was also shared on President Obama’s Instagram page, which has a following of over 24 million followers. It’s no wonder then why landing on the list has been such a huge honour for artistes the world over. It’s not just the Obama factor, but it’s also the fact that that kind of exposure is priceless, and the endorsement usually proves to be a kind of Mida touch for those hoping to announce themselves on the world entertainment scene.
No doubt Koffee has made it, but this placement on the Obama 2019 Playlist has solidified that fact. Koffee has been steadily blowing up on the international scene, having already featured on The Jimmy Kimmel Show, going on tour with Daniel Caesar, in addition to doing tours Europe and Canada. As if those things weren’t enough, Koffee was recently featured as Apple’s Up Next Artist, which is usually a surefire sign that Koffee is destined for superstardom. Names you might know that have been featured on Apple’s Up Next list include Billie Eilish, H.E.R. and Burna Boy, among others.
After catching wind that she had made The Obamas’ coveted list, Koffee retweeted the list, captioning it – “WOW!!! Gratitude really is a must.” Indeed it is. Koffee more recently graced Sumfest’s stage, delivering one of the more memorable sets on the annual Reggae and Dancehall showcase.
Wait, there’s more! We said Koffee isn’t slowing down, right? Well, Koffee is already brushing shoulders with some of the biggest names both locally and internationally. It’s rumoured that Koffee is involved somehow in Rihanna’s soon-to-be released album, and has also done a remix of Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber’s song ‘I Don’t Care’, which is an absolute banger! Koffee is truly one to watch for the future, and to that we toast.
