DJ Black Coffee just reached a new unassailable high in his career after he was credited as an executive producer on Drake’s seventh studio album, Honestly, Nevermind.
Black Coffee produces, co-writes these songs on Drake’s new album
It’s no secret that Drake has been a huge admirer of South African sonic textures. Take, for instance, his recent obsession with Uncle Waffles. But, in the case of Black Coffee, the Toronto rapper has always looked forward to pivoting toward Dance music, and currently, no producer’s crates come close to Grammy-Award-winning Nkosinathi Maphumulo’s.
The first time we heard of a Coffee x Drake collaboration was on the rapper’s ‘playlist project’, More Life (2017). Back then, the South African producer worked on Get It Together, which includes vocal contributions from Jorja Smith.
What started out as a professional acquaintance morphed into a great friendship, and five years later, Black Coffee has played a crucial hand in pivoting Drake toward Dance music, the first ‘risque’ move from the Toronto rapper in his long-spanning career at the helm of Hip-Hop music.
On Honestly, Nevermind, Black Coffee has been credited as producer and co-writer on these songs:
- Texts Go Green – Coffee lists his son Esona Tyolo as co-producer on this one. A monumental feat for the up-and-coming DJ
- Currents (co-writer and co-producer)
- Overdrive (co-writer and co-producer) – This marks the first production duet between Noah ’40 Shebib and Black Coffee
Drake’s Honestly, Nevermind is his seventh studio album, and it arrives less than a year after he released Certified Lover Boy.
Drake describes inspiration behind Honestly, Nevermind
In a note sent to Apple Music, Drake reflected on the artistic expression he tried to conjure on this release, which by the way, is the first time he has completely dedicated an entire album to Dance, with only one song paying homage to his trademark Hip-Hop sound.
You can read the note in full below:
I let my humbleness turn to numbness at times letting time go by knowing I got the endurance to catch it another timeI work with every breath in my body cause it’s the work not air that makes me feel alive That’s some real detrimental shit but that’s that shit my perfectionist mind doesn’t really mind because no one knows whats on my mind when I go to sleep at 9 & wake up at 5 - unless I say it in rhyme I can’t remember the last time someone put they phone down, looked me in the eyes and asked my current insight on the times But I remember every single time someone shined a light in my eyes I purposely try to forget what went on between some ppl and I because I know I’m not a forgiving guy even when I try My urge for revenge wins the game against my good guy inside every single fckn time I got plans I can’t talk about with more than like 4 guys because the last time I shared em with someone on the outside…well that’s another story for another night I was tryna get thru that statement to get to saying I’m not @ a time in my life where pats on the shoulder help get me by I’ll take loyalty over an oh my & emoji fire I know if it was a dark night where all the odds were against my side & my skill went to whoever took my life they’d done me off with a big smile & maybe evn post it for some likes I know everyone that tells me they love me doesn’t love me all the time especially when im doing better than alright & they have to watch it from whatever point they at in their life I got here being realistic I didn’t get here being blind I know whats what and especially what and who is by my side Honestly…Nevermind.