Before Tevin Douglas became Ninetyfour, he was born to Jamaican and East Indian parents in Scarborough, Ontario, and surrounded by dancehall, reggae, and R&B at an early age. The family uprooted when Douglas was in high school, moving to the southern state of Florida, and finally, one last time to Vancouver, British Columbia. It was a mobile childhood that shifted focus onto a musical foundation. When home from school, Tevin would freestyle consistently over YouTube instrumentals, as well as composing beats and playing around with track components. These memories all prove apparent in the early stages of his fresh artistic career, where he now goes by the moniker, Ninetyfour.
The emcee is prepping to release his debut mixtape, It's Yours, a compilation of sounds that harken back to the city that was first home. The warbly auto-tune is all over the project's lead single, "Off That", a cut that sounds straight out of the GTA. It's an influence Ninetyfour is aware of, having drawn comparisons to other Toronto area crooners like Roy Woods, Tory Lanez, and PartyNextDoor. As for the song itself, Douglas says that "Off That" is his statement track. Speaking with Complex CA, the rapper tells us that the cut is his grand introduction. "This song is about me reaching a place where I feel like I've finally made a statement to the people as a musical force in my city that's here to stay. I began writing this song when I noticed a lot of things changing, a lot more people are getting familiar with my sound and my collective, Your's Truly, and a lot of the goals I set are being reached. It's almost a celebration song, and while writing this, I felt as if my career was beginning to blossom. This one's for all the people who doubted me and still doubt me".
You can listen to the premiere of "Off That" below, via Soundcloud.
