Cold Chinese Food’s “Ethiopian Coffee” brews a blend of jazz and rap
Cold Chinese Food is back and cooking up something truly special with their latest single, “Ethiopian Coffee.” Returning to Johannesburg’s underground scene after a break, this track leads listeners through the sonic landscape, blending the jazzy pulse of urban living with the raw reality of its youth hustling in cities across the world. “Ethiopian Coffee” hits you with an irresistible groove that is super jazzy and fresh. The energy of the song crackles through the rhythms, and the melodies are sharp, crackling with an electric edge. Sam Turpin takes the lead and infuses it with his confident rap verses, which echo themes of hustling and surviving in a soundbite world.
It’s a bittersweet meditation on the anxieties of city dwelling and one that feels personal to the point of universal. What brings the song over the top is the instrumental interplay. Muhammad Dawjee’s saxophone hoots away in the background, lending the song a soulful, jazzy undertone that pairs beautifully with Turpin’s rap. Rap and jazz blend in a push-pull dynamic, with the sax’s coursing lines serving as a calming foil to the jagged edges of the verses. Rāms takes the chorus to another level and creates a delighted release that pushes the song into the realm of the transcendent. Its visual companion, which was produced and directed by Turpin̓s own hand, takes that idea a step further by providing a behind the scenes glimpses into his mind.
Combining archive footage with live performance footage, the video traces the journey of the artists from the past to the present, passing the themes of the song itself, which honors the material cultures that make life not merely bearable but miraculous. It’s a thoughtful but also forward-thinking stance, a reminder of how our experiences form the contours of who we are, how every cup of coffee, every second of hard work, becomes a tiny, almost sacred piece of the greater narrative. It’s a beautiful mix of jazz, rap, and soul with a message that reminds us all that even in all the grind, there’s beauty to be found.
