Black Coffee is currently one of the most popular DJs in the world, with worldwide tours and some truly awe-inspiring parties. His influence on the growth of Afro-House music has been immense. His sets often include mashups, but not all of them gain the same popularity among the audience, with some facing brutal criticism from music enthusiasts.
One of Black Coffee’s recent mashups, combining “Losing My Religion” and “Muyé,” faced heavy criticism in the Instagram comments section. People highlighted that the acapella was off-key and not perfectly timed with the instrumental. His slightly laidback mixing style, using only one arm, also drew some criticism, as the acapella did not seem to fit well with the instrumental.
Some of the comments on Instagram read: “Why do his mashups always seem slightly off?” “This seems out of key, and the acapella isn’t warped properly – it sounds like it, or he isn’t nudging it to keep it in time.” “He can still DJ with one arm and put a mashup in time. It’s not like he’s trying to beatmatch with vinyl or do a James Hype-style thing. He can press sync and nudge it along, or do it in his studio. He’s getting paid mega bucks, and his nights at Hi Ibiza are 120 euros a ticket. I think that makes him open to criticism.”
Whether the criticism of Black Coffee’s mashup was justified is open to speculation. DJs often make mistakes, but when the stakes are high, people tend to expect more from them. The most recent incident involving Grimes’ EDC set drew widespread criticism, not only from fans but also from other electronic music artists.