Koffee

KOFFEE: Thank you… I appre­ciate that, I appreciate you saying that.

K: It’s definitely a crazy time. It is, but I’m here stay­ing grounded. I’m not home in Jamaica very much at the moment to be honest. It’s busy right now, so mostly I’ll stay home for a week or two at the most and head out again. But that’s good…I can’t complain…that’s the blessing, you know? Some­thing to give thanks for.

I always love the energy in the UK. It’s a great vibe here as usual. And being able to travel the world and do what I really love. It’s something that I defi­nitely make sure I take the time to appreciate in the moment.

K: The moment it started happening, to be very honest! At first it was surreal. Quite surreal. But I was always aware. At the end of each day, and especially in the mornings, I have the chance to appreciate and take it in and kind of bask in it for a few moments — but never for too long, I have to get back to work!

K: Ah! [I hear the smile in her voice].  Thank you!

K: It is definitely a part of my environment at all times. It is important to me to talk about Jamaica. I love Jamaica. I’m proud of Jamaica. Consciousness-wise we have to be honest and speak up about the things taking place. That’s definitely a part of my environ­ment; especially when I was growing up, because my mother took the time to instil in me certain values and qualities. She’s a guide, so proud and happy and supportive from the very beginning. I’m so happy to have her by my side in all this. She’s really allowed me to be the person I am, because of her I feel as though my background and upbringing.

K: Big up!

K: Most definitely. I read the bible most mornings. I love to read. I try to read a lot. I really aspired to be well learned and well-spoken from an early age. Growing up reading was a full part of my life. I remember mummy always pushing me towards books, if I asked her about the origin of a word she would always send me to the dictionary to find it for myself! I would have to if I really wanted to know what something meant.

K: At school, there was a music club and a choir which really had an effect on me. That’s where I learned about reggae music and how to expand my own ideas of what I knew music to be. Church is the first place where I was exposed to music and fell in love with it, so it has influenced in a huge way how I understand and express music. In the choir, music grew with me. You will know that the choir is a big deal in the Seventh Day Adventist church. The influ­ence of music was there from the beginning. But at school was when I got the chance to explore other forms and to perform in smaller groups.

K: I didn’t and I still haven’t. They know me, they’ve known me since I was born [laughs]. They know I’m a good kid. What music is for me, what I’m most concerned with is presenting positivity and consciousness. That I’m able to influence in and out of the church.

K: As a writer I am inspired in a big way by the people who have come before me. I am inspired so much by Chronixx and his song topics and melodies. He’s also a very positively inspirational person that I was able to really relate to growing up. To me he stood out and I was proud, because he’s from Spanish Town as well. I was touched by his music by such an early age. I could listen to what was behind the lyrics. Protoje’s lyricism also completely shaped the way I write music. I am honoured that they have been such big supporters of me from the beginning.

K: This a unified moment for the community. It’s really important in our community to celebrate as a whole and in unity, not just as individuals…it’s a great feeling.

K: To speak positivity. A strong message. Knowing that everything, every aspect of life, is a gift from God, the way that things were set up. The things I am able to have and hold. I didn’t know it would happen like this at all. This was a huge surprise for me. When I started writing, I thought that I would write for other artists, not be an artist myself. Testament to that is when I say in the song “Toast”: “Oli say do road and mi gwan wid di road”. My friend Oli said ‘you can do your ting, you know…you talented…write your songs, perform your music!’. So, I tried a ting.

That’s why I embrace it. You know when they say, ‘count your blessings’? It’s so much that I’ve been given. When I think that I’ve been given all this opportunity, to be able to speak to people in my way. I have to give my heart to it. I’m like…what would you say…a steward. I can’t be careless. I can’t misuse it, trust me, [Laughs] that wouldn’t be good.

K: I would say this…Life is the beauty, life itself. That way you can see and experience all of it. I don’t want to miss anything. I think that you have to be able to look at the whole picture, rather than looking at one thing that seems beautiful in the moment, to appreciate what is good and bad. So you see that beauty and treasure lies in them all.

K:  It’s me, it’s my personality, you know. There are so many sources of influence happening on there that I know aren’t so positive, so if I have the chance to add to it and to use what I have to influence in a good way, I’ll try to do that to change the world for the better. Injecting positivity, everyone, particularly in people my age. But there has to be a naturalness to everything I choose to do — it’s got to be real.

K: I wish to be able to bless everyone in my life at the same time. With success there are benefits. So I want to make them feel good from the things that I’m experiencing and getting. You want to do all that at once with the resources. It’s a natural thing. Everybody wants to do that, you know… the rappers, all those people [laughs], they want to share the love too, to help those around them.

K: I feel unperturbed by that. I don’t feel threatened; I have never been troubled in that way. So, I have nothing negative to say — I just feel blessed! I’ve felt very respected and accepted by them in the place that I’ve come to hold.

K: Yeah, I hold my space. It’s very important for me. I keep the space around me as empty as I possibly can outside of work. I’ll be meditating, reflecting, that’s definitely what keeps me grounded enough to hold those qualities; those parts of me that I want to preserve. I have to.