Koffee, already a Grammy-winning globetrotter, is in full control for 'Genius' debut

At the 2018 edition of the Jamaican reggae festival Rebel Salute, legendary singer Cocoa Tea interrupted his set to introduce a petite, teenaged female artist, excitedly telling the audience of more than 10,000: "This little 17-year-old from Spanish Town is Jamaica's next female sensation; come in Koffee." Although relatively unknown at the time, Koffee's rapid-fire, patois-heavy vocals on that first song, "Raggamuffin," coupled with the gritty realism of her lyrics, quickly won the crowd over. So much so she had to "pull up" – that is, start the song over so the crowd could savor it one more time.

More than 50 acts had played the event, but Koffee's 10-minute presentation, her first at a major concert, was its most-talked-about set. Within a matter of months Koffee wasn't just Jamaica's next female sensation, she was the most-buzzed-about reggae artist anywhere. Before the year was out she'd signed to Columbia Records U.K. and by February had dropped her. The five-track project included Koffee's international breakthrough, "Toast," a joyous expression of gratitude that resonated with audiences of various ages and backgrounds, even if they couldn't decipher all of the lyrics. To date, "Toast" has earned more than 122 million streams on Spotify.