WATCH: Usher snubbed Black Coffee’s music for not sounding ‘African enough’
'We're not in the jungle right now, Africa is different, African is a totally different place,' Black Coffee said.
DJ Black Coffee performs during the Idols SA season 12, top 4 performances at the State Theatre on November 13, 2016 in Pretoria. Gallo images.
While in America last year, Nkosinathi ‘Black Coffee’ Maphumulo tried working with American artist Usher, but things did not work out because of the American artist’s view on what African music should sound like.
In an interview on Metro FM, Black Coffee said he met up with Usher’s manager to arrange that the two artists work together on a song. The manager told Black Coffee he liked the “African” vibe and asked that he come up with something that had an “African” sound to it.
With enthusiasm, Black Coffee said he told the manager that he already had something that he wanted the ‘Crush’ hit maker to listen to.
“The following day the response came, and the manager said: ‘No, he says the song is a bit too modern, he wanted something African,’ and I’m like: ‘Maybe not’,” he said.
Black Coffee said Usher’s interpretation of Africa differed from his.
“We’re not in the jungle right now, Africa is different, Africa is a totally different place. Other people still want to hear the bongos of music, and I’m cool to do that, but only if it fits. For me, if I want to do a song with you, this is the vision I have, so the song might not happen because I’m not African enough,” he said.
Watch the video below:
https://twitter.com/Pholoho/status/848917830292656128
Black Coffee was recently in the US and posted pictures of himself hanging out with the likes of rapper P. Diddy. Rumour at the time was that Diddy was working on a dance album, something that was not true, according to Coffee.
“No, I even assumed he wanted me for a dance album, but that’s not the case. He’s worked on his last hip-hop album. I finally sat down with him, and he was explaining to me the vision, like the sound he was trying to get.”
Read more:
//
For more news your way
Download our app and read this and other great stories on the move. Available for Android and iOS.