The title of this article probably made you hungry, maybe. It, at least, has some of you quizzical as to why we’re sipping coffee with cold Chinese. That’s okay, that’s why I’m here. Not food recommendations, but thoughts on dope music in all its forms.

“Ethiopian Coffee” is the debut single of Johannesburg, SA artists Cold Chinese Food. CCF is a duo in The Charles Géne Suite collective, which is a family created through music. That camaraderie is what got me intrigued with what the team presented in the first place. Featuring Sam Turpin (son of famed South African photojournalist Gisèle Wulfsohn) on the bars and producer ILLA N on the beats, CCF is gearing up for their debut album Vital Ital.

On “Ethiopian Coffee,” the duo collaborate with their collectivemates Muhammad Dawjee and Rāms to give listeners a highly introspective look at Turpin’s hip-hop upbringing and coming of age. Additionally, the song feels more like a mantra for those still figuring it out. After all, things weren’t always as smooth as coffee for Sam or his collectivemates. They had to find their sound and their place, as many up-and-coming groups have to. I also am a huge fan of the visuals, as they combine home movies with current footage to contrast the beginning and the here-and-now.

Overall, “Ethiopian Coffee” and its reflective vibes take me back to the early 2010s. If you joined onto the SOTBMusic bandwagon late (and are younger), that was the New Collective era. I’m sure that’s not what you called it, but late to post-blog rap era hip-hop had a lot of collectives. It reminded me a bit of all the labels who’d drop group albums. Everyone wanted to be Cash Money or No Limit-like, but their own twist on the concept. Everyone wanted to figure out their sound and collaborate to do just that. Back then is when I first worked together with True, Apollo and Ax under the DAR umbrella. I miss those days (even though DAR Elite still does this). Back then, we had nigh-unnumerable collectives making music together and everyone got a taste. That’s the vibe I get from “Ethiopian Coffee,” as the track includes many members of The Charles Géne Suite and finds its sound by everyone coming together. Check out the vibes here and support dope music in all its forms.