BY KEVIN JACKSON—
Observer writer—
American R&B singer John Legend performs on the final night of the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival at the Trelawny Multi-Purpose Stadium in 2013. (Photo: Observer File)—
WHEN Bigger Love — the sixth studio album by American R&B singer John Legend — is released on Friday, a Jamaican artiste will be featured on the set.
Legend teams with Koffee on the single Don’t Walk Away. It is among five collaborations on the 16-track album which bears the Columbia Records imprint. Koffee is signed to the American label, which is owned by Sony Entertainment.
In an interview with the Jamaica Observer, Koffee said she was elated to be part of the project.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to be featured on John Legend’s album. He’s an amazing artiste whose music I am a big fan of. I’m looking forward to the release of the project and I know everyone will love it,” Koffee told the Observer.
Other collaborators on the album are Jhene Aiko, Gary Clark Jr, Rapsody, and Camper.
This isn’t the first time that Legend has collaborated with a Jamaican act. In 2008, Buju Banton was featured on the track Can’t Be My Lover, taken from Legend’s certified, gold-selling, third album Evolver.
Can’t Be My Lover was produced by another Jamaican — Florida-based Dwayne “Supa Dups” Chin-Quee.
Legend again collaborated with Banton on the receently released Memories. The song, included on Banton’s first album in 10 years, Upside Down, rose to number 21 on last week’s Billboard R&B Adult Songs chart.
Legend, a protégé of rapper/producer Kanye West, is from Ohio. The 41-year-old is best known for hits including All of Me, Green Light, Save Room, No Ordinary People, Stay With You and Tonight (Best you Ever Had).
He has performed in Jamaica on four occasions. The first was in 2004 at Reggae Sumfest in Montego Bay, St James. He also performed at the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival in 2006 and again in 2013.
During his performance at ‘Jazz and Blues’ in 2013, he was joined on stage by Gramps Morgan and Tarrus Riley. With Gramps, Legend performed Psalms 23, while he teamed with Riley for Stay With You. In 2006 Riley scored a hit with a cover of Stay With You.
Legend also performed in Jamaica in 2008 at the Smile Jamaica Africa Unite Concert, held at James Bond Beach in Oracabessa, St Mary.
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