Artist Spotlight: Black Coffee
Early Years
South African house music DJ and producer Black Coffee built his career gradually over nearly two decades, riding the growing global interest in his home country's burgeoning dance music scene and eventually becoming the biggest DJ in all of Africa and arguably the world.
Reserved and intellectual, this unlikely superstar was born Nkosinathi Maphumulo on March 11, 1976, in Durban and grew up surrounded by music, particularly influenced by his uncle's extensive reggae collection. At the age of 12, after his parents' divorce, he moved with his mother to the poor township of Mthatha, Eastern Cape.
Two years later, on the day of Nelson Mandela's release from Robben Island, Maphumulo lost the use of his left arm when he was one of dozens of people run down by a taxi driver in a politically motivated attack. Throwing himself into music even harder than before and perfected the ability of playing instruments with one hand.
Maphumulo started playing music at a young age. He learned to play the piano and the guitar, and sang in a choir. In 1994, he began DJing at parties and clubs. He quickly gained a reputation for his unique sound, which blended elements of house, soul, and jazz.
Maphumulo's upbringing had a major influence on his music. He grew up in a township, where he was exposed to a variety of musical influences, including kwaito, mbaqanga, and reggae. These influences can be heard in his music, which is often described as a blend of house, soul, and jazz.
Maphumulo's early years as a DJ were not easy. He often had to play for free, and he would oftentimes have to travel long distances to play gigs. He eventually went back to Durban to study music theory at Natal Tech, majoring in jazz. He dropped out before the completion of his course, though, and he and two friends, Thandukwazi "Demor" Sikhosana and Mnqobi "Shota" Mdabe, became backing singers for acclaimed folk-blues guitarist Madala Kunene before going on to form the soul-pop trio Shana. At the same time, he continued learning about electronic music production, and in 2004 was accepted into the Red Bull Music Academy, jump-starting his career.
Red Bull Music Academy & Debut Album
This experience was a major turning point in his career. He was able to learn from some of the best DJs in the world, and he was also able to network with other artists. After the academy, he released his debut album, Black Coffee, in 2005. The album was a critical and commercial success, and it helped to establish Maphumulo as a leading figure in the South African house music scene.
Black Coffee's 2005 debut album was recorded in his bedroom on cheap music software and released on his own Soulistic label, introduced his tough deep house style, which incorporated jazz, R&B, and African influences without ever resorting to cheesy "soulful" or Afro-house clichés. The record, combined with his infectious DJ sets, made him a household name in South Africa. Over the next decade, he released four more albums: Have Another One (2007), Home Brewed (2009), the epic three-disc Africa Rising (2012), and Pieces of Me (2015). Each displayed an increasing level of production values and musical sophistication, and their international distribution through a deal with Universal, combined with his numerous appearances at major clubs and festivals, led to increasing acclaim in the U.S. and Europe. At the same time, he became a bona fide megastar in his home country, beloved for his tireless promotion of local talent and charitable work.
Rise to Greatness
In 2010, Black Coffee attained the Guinness World Record for longest-ever DJ set when he played for 60 hours nonstop. His international success was confirmed when he won Breakthrough DJ of the Year at the 2015 DJ Awards in Ibiza and Best African Act at the 2016 BET Awards in Los Angeles. He broke through to a mainstream audience when he was sampled by Drake on the rapper's 2017 "playlist" More Life, leading to interest from other major U.S. R&B stars like John Legend and Usher. "Drive," Coffee's 2018 collaboration with David Guetta and Delilah Montagu, became a major hit, and he ended that year with his own seven-song Music Is King EP. The following year, he teamed with Usher for the single "LaLaLa," and in 2020 he collaborated with both Sabrina Claudio ("SBCNCSLY") and Celeste ("Ready for You").
In 2022, Maphumulo won a Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Album for his album Subconsciously. He is the first South African artist to win a Grammy Award in this category.
Pushing Boundaries
In June 2022 Drake tapped the South African producer to oversee and shape the sonic and creative direction of his most experimental album blending R&B & House music with “Honestly, Nevermind”
The two artists have previously collaborated on the remake of Black Coffee’s seminal 2009 hit “Superman.” Drake’s take on the instrumental and composition, “Get It Together,” was released almost a decade later on his 2017 playlist More Life.
For an influential artist and global icon of Drake’s stature to do that is a historic moment and, not by any chance a small feat, particularly for the explosive South African dance and house music scene. While it doesn’t originate here, dance and house music has always had a home in South Africa. The country has produced many great dance music artists, birthed multiple sub genres and has contributed to the global dance/house music landscape and industry.
Black Coffee is credited as a producer on the tracks “Texts Go Green,” “Currents,” and “Overdrive.”. His Midas touch can, however, be felt on most parts of the 11 dance songs included in the 14-track project. Even his biological son, Esona Tyolo (Sona) made his debut and secured himself a producing and songwriting credit on the song “Texts Go Green.” “Falling Back” and “A Keeper” are produced by &ME and Rampa — whose 2018 track “Muye” got treated to a Black Coffee remix, and became a prominent feature on the DJ’s live sets. Australian artist and producer RY X worked on “Sticky.” The artist made an appearance on Black Coffee's Subconsciously track “I’m Fallin’”.
South African-based singer/songwriter Tresor also has a significant contribution on the album, providing his songwriting abilities and backing/additional vocals on a total of six songs (“Currents,” “Massive,” “Flights Booked,” “Overdrive,” “Down Hill,” and “Tie That Binds”). The pop star made an impression on the OVO camp through his 2021 genre-blending, joint album with the Scorpion Kings, Rumble In The Jungle. The project got major support from Oliver El-Khatib via multiple spins on OVO Sound Radio (Sound 42, SiriusXM) and Tresor would end up writing and producing Drake’s Tems-assisted song, “Fountains.”
Honestly, Nevermind is imbued with South Africa. Home brewed talent extensively graced Drake’s seventh studio album (not a “playlist” or a soundtrack-driven project), and that speaks to the brilliance and what South Africa can offer to the world creatively and culturally. Black Coffee has put South African music on the map
