Koffee Wins Big At 2021 NAACP Image Awards
Jamaican Reggae and Dancehall sensation Koffee was a big winner during night four of the NAACP Image Awards.
The Spanish Town native came out on top in the Outstanding International Song category at the awards on Thursday night, March 25, for her 2020 summer hit Lockdown, which was produced by Dane Ray.
The other nominated songs in the category were Blessed by Buju Banton, Pressure (Remix) by Koffee feat. Buju Banton, Tanana by Davido feat. Tiwa Savage, and Temptation by Tiwa Savage. The NAACP has been revealing its winners for the 52nd NAACP Image Awards each night this week across various categories, leading up to the televised awards show on BET and CBS on Saturday, March 27.
The Toast singer responded with a simple, “Thank you” on Twitter today.
Thank you @naacpimageaward 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/9vCfJWMDJO
— Koffee (@originalkoffee) March 26, 2021
Reggae star Skip Marley was nominated in the Outstanding New Artist category for Higher Place from his EP of the same name. American singer Doja Cat won that category against other nominees Chika, D Smoke, and Giveon.
The NAACP Image Awards was conceived over 50 years ago by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to recognize the achievements of people of color in TV, music, literature, and film.
Meanwhile, Koffee’s NAACP success comes after the 21-year-old made history as the first woman and youngest artist to win the Best Reggae Album Grammy award in 2020 for her 2019 EP, Rapture.
Lockdown, released on July 17, 2020, also created history when it became the fastest track by a Jamaican Reggae artist to surpass one million views on YouTube in 48 hours. The video, directed by Yannick Reid, Habibi and Koffee, has amassed over 46 million views on YouTube with cameo appearances from the Unruly Boss Popcaan, Skillibeng, Dre Island, Dane Ray, and others.
Producer Dane Ray, who is perhaps best known for his production on Rygin King’s hit single Tuff and Popcaan’s hit Numbers Don’t Lie, said “I never know the song would bruk no record, but I knew it would be a hit single and for numerous reasons.”
“First, it’s Koffee doing a love song. People never hear her like this before, and so naturally, they’d be curious,” Ray said. “Two, it has a natural easy ‘let the good vibes flow’ sound. People always love a song that makes them feel good, and so I knew it would hit.”
“But nobody in our local reggae music history never get one million views in such a short space of time, and so that is a very good feeling to be a part of that bit of history.”
Koffee, whose real name is Mikayla Simpson, is expected to release her debut, full-length album this year and has promised something new and unexpected in store for those familiar with her music.