It has been nearly a decade since DJ and producer Nkosinathi “Black Coffee” Maphumulo released his album and DVD series Africa Rising.
The project was among the finest pieces by a South African artist and went double platinum in the space of weeks. At the time, it was a fitting name from one of SA's rising talents and after his historic Grammy win for best dance/electronic album last weekend, reads like a prophecy of his life and journey to superstardom.
Like the continent, Maphumulo has seen many ups and downs — moments of global adoration and public controversy. Still, like the land where he was born, he kept rising.
Maphumulo is a quiet man who prefers his music do the talking which
revolves around two goals: pushing boundaries and blowing the door open to let young talent in.
“I want to create not a network but a family of artists who can share their ideas freely and work together to push SA music forward. There must be no hidden agendas or egos, just a love of music and inspiring others to do the same.”
It is a passion fuelled from young beginnings in Umlazi, KwaZulu-Natal, and Mthatha in the Eastern Cape. There he dreamt of playing internationally and would spend hours creating music with the most rudimentary tools, but the most complex and creative mind.
It was music that he turned to for healing and distraction when, on the day of Nelson Mandela’s release from prison, he was hit by a taxi and lost the use of his left arm.
It was also his oasis in a world surrounded by addiction, poverty and hopelessness.
Clinging to the music, he packed his bags to study music at Technikon Natal, majoring in jazz.
There the quiet and sometimes unassuming man would find his voice and take the first steps on the path to greatness. He and friends Thandukwazi “Demor” Sikhosana and Mnqobi “Shota” Mdabe caught the eye of musician Madala Kunene who roped them in on some of his projects.
After he dropped out, the trio formed the group Shana.
At a time when the deep house and dance scene was dominated by Glen Lewis, DJ Fresh, Oskido, DJ Cleo, Revolution and DJ Christos, Maphumulo stood out by pushing the limits and experimenting with sound.
His flair for mixing jazz and soul elements with electronic beats saw Maphumulo secure his first residency, at Voodoo Lounge nightclub, a foreshadowing of residencies in Las Vegas and Ibiza.
The young gun had also caught the attention of the Red Bull Academy, which in 2003 accepted him into its programme as one of only two South Africans.
He released his self-titled debut album in 2005, featuring a remix of Hugh Masekela’s Stimela and the timeless classic Happiness, and at the same time worked to bring others up with him through his newly formed management company Soulistic Music.
SA was dancing to the sound of a new house music pied-piper, but with the fame came his first major public controversy.
Known for remixing popular classics over house beats, Maphumulo tried his hand at Simphiwe Dana’s hit Ndiredi. He was accused of doing so without her approval, sparking a feud. Dana later claimed it was a misunderstanding and she had simply asked him not to remix her music yet because she did not want to be known as the “Simphiwe Dana of Black Coffee's remix”.
The controversy only fuelled demand and soon he was travelling the length and breadth of the country evangelising his unique sound. The critics, like most of SA, were listening and in 2006 Maphumulo beat heavyweights including DJs Cleo and Christos to the South African Music Award for best dance album.
An industry promoter said part of Maphumulo’s success was both his sound and his ability to capitalise on opportunities to play abroad. At a time when other SA artists were focusing on dominating and cashing in on the local market, Black Coffee was building his profile overseas.
Maphumulo’s name was starting to be whispered in clubs and venues around the world, but not one to bask in the spotlight, he focused on other artists through Soulistic Music. These include Culoe De Song, Nakane Toure, Da Capo, Tumelo, DJ Kabila, Bucie, Zakes Bantwini and DJ Shimza.
But with the popularity came controversy. Maphumulo was accused of “playing dirty” and frustrating the progress of artists signed to the company. A claim he denied.
By the time he released his third album Home Brewed in 2009, he was selling out shows locally and playing overseas with more regularity. It paid off a year later when he was nominated in the best worldwide act at the 2011 MTV European Music Awards.
The star married actress Enhle Mbali Mlotshwa in a traditional ceremony in 2011 but their marriage was rocked by rumours of infidelity. The pair, who have two children together, split in 2019. Mlotshwa congratulated Maphumulo on his Grammy win, writing: “Congratulations to my little dudes dude. We’re all incredibly proud.”
In 2015, Maphumulo kicked off a world tour and won two international DJ awards for breakthrough DJ of the year and dance nation of the year.
He was recognised globally and his album Pieces of Me went platinum within a month, but controversy reared its head again when he was accused of copying another artist's album cover art. A claim he denied.
In 2016 he added to his haul at the International DJ Awards with a best deep house DJ prize — which he would win three years in a row. He also made history by becoming the first South African to win a BET award for best international act, and perform at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
By now his talent was undoubted and he counted P Diddy, Alicia Keys, Swizz Beats and Paris Hilton as friends, and would work with David Guetta, Usher, Drake, Jay-Z and Beyoncé.
Videos of children pretending to be him, with one hand in their pocket and the other on the turntables, were going viral and a lookalike named DJ Ricoffy was making headlines. Maphumulo was inspiring generations and was seen as one of SA’s brightest exports.
He had become a global citizen yet his heart remained in SA where his family is.
“They are the reason I work so hard. When I was young I had a dream, it was what kept me going. I want my children to also follow their dreams and realise they're achievable.”
He started several initiatives aimed at upcoming artists, including his Music Is King concert series, a music and creative skills networking app and an arts school he founded with SA creatives artist Nelson Makamo and designer Laduma Ngxolo.
He dedicated his Grammy to the African child.
“For the African kids who were watching, who come from where I come from, who may think they don't stand a chance to get on a global stage; I want to say to them: it's possible.
“The award isn't just for me. It's to show them that this isn't about music alone either. It's about anything they may want to do. This Grammy, for me, is a symbol of that. That it's really possible to get here, by the grace of God,” he said.
Maphumulo’s legacy grows and, like Africa, will keep rising.
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