Black Coffee talks new album ’Subconsciously’ on Apple Music’s Africa Now Radio this week

South African DJ and producer Black Coffee is this week’s cover star, and joins Cuppy via FaceTime on Apple Music 1 to talk about his latest track, “I’m Falling (ft. RY X).” Fresh off the release of his new album, Subconsciously, Black Coffee discusses not being confined by genre, the collaborators who most inspire him and the importance of patience in his creative process.

The Big 5
Cuppy shares the 5 hottest new African tracks of the moment. This week’s selection includes new tracks from Dangbana Republic and Bella Shmurda, KiDi, Kuami Eugene and Patoranking, Emtee, Ya Levis and Franglish, and Rayvanny and Kizz Daniel.

Africa Rising
South Africa’s Urban Village are the latest Africa Rising cover stars, a campaign which shines a light on the next generation of African superstars. https://apple.co/3jbMYh4

Proverb of the Week
Ivorian photographer Aïcha Fall shares her favourite Senegalese proverb: “A wish is a bedroom; the person who forms it will pass the night in it”— a powerful metaphor on the law of attraction.

Mini Mix
Cuppy finishes this week’s show with a special mini-mix of Apple Music’s Msanzi House playlist, featuring music from Mi Casa; Rethabile Khumalo and Master KG; DJ Tira, Nomcebo Zikode, Joocy and Prince Bulo; Azana, Mr Brown, Black Coffee, Sun-El Musician and Maxine Ashley. https://apple.co/36A9Xgz

Tune in and listen to the full episode this Sunday, February 7th at 2p Lagos/London / 3p Johannesburg/Paris / 6a LA / 9a NYC on Apple Music 1 at apple.co/_AfricaNow.

Cuppy with cover star Black Coffee on his new album ’Subconsciously’

Black Coffee on his unreleased material with Burna Boy and Swizz Beatz

Black Coffee: There’s a song that I almost put on the album, with Burna Boy and Swizz Beatz, that I’ve done. We recorded it in New York with Swizz Beatz. It just didn’t feel like…

Cuppy: Please tell me, I beg you, that maybe one day that song will come out? Maybe.

Black Coffee: Burna’s my brother. That’s why I’m saying, I’m a patient guy. Even we’ve spent time in London in studio together. We both know that we’re going to work together, and just the time has to be right, the energy has to be right.

Black Coffee on how he thinks music can save lives

Music saves lives, you know? It saves lives. And I want to always go that far, create a song that could save someone’s life. It doesn’t have to be literal, but it must have an impact on that level.

Black Coffee on what he looks for in a collaborator

Some people make gimmicks and they work, but you can’t sustain that. It can work once and you can’t really sustain it. And so, I always believe when everyone is just pure and they come in on the table and bring their best, something magical is going to happen.

Black Coffee’s advice to anyone aspiring to do anything

It’s so important when you have found your calling or your gift to work on it. You could be a boy in the smallest town and no one knows your name, but you’re like, “This is what I want to do.” The most important thing, you put time, put all your energy in that gift, no matter what it is. You could be having a dream of designing an iPhone for Apple one day, and you are nine years old. Just start, just keep doing it. It happened like that for me as a DJ where I wasn’t having gigs, but I knew that one day I will get an opportunity, and I wanted to be ready when that opportunity comes.

Black Coffee’s musical upbringing

I’ve been exposed to different types of music all my life. I grew up listening to Donny Hathaway, Curtis Mayfield, anything soulful, you know? Before R&B became R&B.

Aïcha Fall’s proverb of the week

I want to share a Senegalese proverb in Wolof. It’s a language that speaks in Senegal, and my mother is originally from there. So, in Wolof we say [proverb in Wolof], which means for my French people, “Un souhait est une chambre à coucher. La personne qui le formule, y passera la nuit.” And in English, it means “A wish is a bedroom. The person who forms it will pass the night in it.” In other words, it means that what you wish to somebody, whether it’s good or bad can come back to you, like a boomerang. And it can be a blessing if you wish something positive, or a curse if you wish something bad.