Coexistence in Practice

soul-theory
Jul 28
6 min read

A conversation with Kiya Lacey of Fruta Mami & Malcolm Voltaire of Coffee Was Black

They build brands, pour into the community, and pour into each other. For Kiya Lacey and Malcolm Voltaire, love and legacy live side by side. As the creative minds behind Fruta Mami and Coffee Was Black™, their work is deeply personal, rooted in heritage, and guided by the idea that there’s beauty in building something real—together.

In the spirit of The Art of CoExistence, we sat down with them to talk love, legacy, and how they navigate creation and connection.

1. Let’s start with alignment.

What does “The Art of Coexistence” mean to you in your personal relationship and in your brands?

M - ‘Coexistence’ starts with each person understanding their personal goals, and genuinely communicating those things to your partner or village. It means being grateful for the ups and downs, while remaining diligent in your craft and committed to the relationship, wholeheartedly. You have to make space for your relationship to flourish, and your business. That usually starts with being open to communication and growth from yourself and your partner. That genuineness will inevitably be reflected in your brand, if you do the work of knowing yourself and your goals. This is what I feel makes me and Kiya’s relationship so unique, we give each other grace to achieve our individual goals.

Kiya - "The Art of Coexistence" means choosing to grow alongside while pouring into our crafts. In our relationship, it's about holding space for each other’s identities, timelines, and visions. With Fruta Mami and Coffee Was Black, it’s recognizing that both brands can thrive independently while still nourishing each other through shared values—joy, intention, culture, and care.

2. Building together, but separately.

You both have distinct creative lanes—Fruta Mami and Coffee Was Black—but also show up for each other in very real ways. How do you balance being partners and entrepreneurs at the same time?

M- Balance is an ongoing achievement in every relationship. It’s constantly something we both look for, but I think that's the point. Find someone you want to do life with, and make room for you and that person to live out their dreams. There's a craftsmanship attached to being in a committed relationship, and also being committed to your individual crafts. It's scary at times, but there’s an unmatched beauty in building life with someone you love. Its daily work to make sure we both feel seen, heard, etc. – but I’m grateful to be doing it with my best friend.

Kiya- We work really hard individually and that's ignited when we collab. We are both so passionate about seeing our visions come to life. There’s trust in knowing we don’t have to be involved in every aspect of each other’s work to still be supportive. We show up—whether it’s helping with a pop-up, DJing an event, or just being a sounding board. But we also know when it’s time to focus inward and give each other space to lead. There are challenges and we learn more every year as we embrace the shifts!

3. Creative exchange.

Do you ever find yourselves pulling inspiration from each other—visually, sonically, spiritually? What are some ways your brands reflect that cross-pollination?

M- Yea, Kiya is an amazing Muse. Always brainstorming with her, and asking her opinion about new ideas I have. She’ll tell me if she hates something or if she loves it; every creator needs someone they trust to provide critique. Also, because we both have Caribbean roots – there’s always inspo there. A lot of CWB is built to complement FRUTA MAMI – give us a chance to do pop-up side by side, while building community around our crafts.

Kiya- All the time. Malcolm designed my new logo, designs my merch, and helps with ideas even for my music branding. Likewise, I see little pieces of my world—color, rhythm, energy—in his brand voice. Our work feeds off of each other and we are very intentional about that.

4. Conflict & collaboration.

Do you set boundaries between “us” and “work”? How do you communicate through creative disagreements or differences in vision?

M- Yes, you have to set boundaries. The best plan of action for disagreements/differences is to know what you want, so you can effectively communicate those things to your partner. We both have individual visions that have to be nurtured – our responsibility is to constantly do the work needed for our relationship and individual business. That “work” looks different depending on the season, but regardless, we have to remain diligent and consistent in us.

Kiya- We are actively working on that all the time. Especially when you’re both building something meaningful, it’s easy for business to bleed into every part of the day. We try to carve out time just for us—we recently took a week off to visit Puerto Rico! When we do disagree, it’s usually because we’re both passionate, but we are achieving new goals together and growing in this life together. We meet in the middle with more grace.

5. Culture & roots.

How do your personal upbringings, heritage, or cultural backgrounds show up in your daily lives and the brands you’ve created?

M - Our companies are direct reflections of our childhoods, and timelines as artist. We both come from two different worlds with a lot of parallels, that leads us with a desire to express ourselves to the world. As a Caribbean raised in America, we use our experiences to recreate the feelings of our childhood; then we put that energy into products/events.

Kiya- My music and Fruta Mami are inspired by a desire to celebrate Afro-Latinx culture and childhood nostalgia. I grew up in a multicultural household where food, music, and identity were all woven together. Malcolm brings that same reverence for heritage through storytelling—he honors his roots with every syrup, every name, every detail. Our brands are love letters to where we come from.

6. Rituals & real life.

Is there a shared routine or ritual that helps keep you grounded—whether it’s morning coffee, music, or unplugged time?

M- Our routine right now is: work, rest, and squeeze in a date (when we can). We schedule vacations, trips, and we love a good restaurant – but this is our grind season. We both have a lot of goals for the future, so we are using this time wisely. Naturally we unplugged together, but a lot of our relationship is built on us allowing each to be who we are individually, but doing life side by side. We try to keep things organic and create a flow that allows God to lead us.

Kiya- To be honest, we are still working on that. Things are moving so fast, but that's on the board for 4th quarter to fine tune our systems in business and for personal growth.

7. Legacy in motion.

What do you want people to feel or walk away with when they experience your work—individually or together?

M- I want people to know that a genuine person can find success through diligence, hard work, and faith. I know our relationship will inspire people, but I want those people to understand, thats because Kiya and I are actively working on becoming our best selves. We map of our goals and strive to be our best selves every day. Yes sometimes we feel “defeated” but we have to push past that. Fortitude is what fuels greatness, it's not easy, it's not simple, but it's worth having. My legacy will be that I put the work in to become a great person, i was steadfast in my faith and family, and the fruits of my labor will be reflected in the community.

Kiya- I want people to feel seen and celebrated. Whether someone’s listening to my music, dancing at a set, tasting a Fruta Mami cup, or sipping a Coffee Was Black drink, I want it to feel like a cultural embrace. Like yes, this was made for you. Together, I hope we’re showing that love and business don’t have to cancel each other out—they can be in harmony when you move with intention.

8. Last word.

What’s something you’ve learned about love or creation that you wouldn’t have learned without each other?

M - I learned how to become a better man because of Kiya Lacey. I learned that people deserve patience, and that you shouldnt “fight” and move with love at the same time. Love isnt war; it shouldn't be. People argue (that's normal), but love can’t be a warzone. To love someone, you have to love yourself first – Kiya helped me understand that.

Kiya- That love truly protects us. I am so thankful for the community we are building together. Real, deep love challenges you to evolve, to listen, to trust. It teaches you patience. Malcolm’s love reminds me that all of my dreams are possible, and he has truly inspired me to lock in on all of my goals.