On Thursday, April 28th, the self-described multifaceted creative and Freeme Music signee Ninety released his debut EP for worldwide streaming. It’s been a long and carefully orchestrated journey for the exciting singer and songwriter born as Alabo Tuwonimi Tuonims. Representing the latest in the increasingly long line of artistes originating from Port Harcourt City, Ninety served a fresh take on Afrofusion on his 7-track EP titled “Rare Gem”. At first glance, it may seem surprising that an artiste who only started his professional career last year was able to serve music of such a high level, but when you consider Ninety’s journey to this very moment, it all begins to make sense.
Inspired by his father, a choir master at a local Anglican church in Bonny Island, Ninety found music at a very early age. From Michael Jackson to Styl Plus, he grew up listening to every bit of good music he had access to and started writing songs at the age of 15. However, he would wait almost an entire decade before pursuing a professional career for two reasons. One was to bag a bachelor’s degree in Information Technology from the Accra Institute of Technology, Accra, which he did successful in 2016. The second – and more pertinent – reason was to acquire the necessary skills to enable him compete favourably in the industry. In 2017, he took a course in music production and audio engineering to enable him produce, mix and master on his own. He quickly set up a studio soon after, and he took his sweet time practicing and sharpening his craft as both an artiste and producer. By doing this, he was able to find his sound and voice as a musician, and it’s no wonder he earned the recording contract with Freeme Music so soon after he started releasing music as an underground act.
Unlike most new artistes who need a period of experimentation and adjustment, Ninety arrived on the scene with a well defined style of music. That much is evident in “Touch & Follow”, his debut single under his new label. An Afrofusion masterpiece in its own right, “Touch & Follow” was exceptionally detailed in terms of the sound and lyrics. “Somebody”, “Piano”, and “Diamonds” followed in that order and did not disappoint at all. He amassed over 2 million streams on all streaming platforms combined and over 13 thousand followers on social media. Very impressive for an artiste in his first year and without a project to his name. However, with the release of “Rare Gem” at the tail-end of April, the latter no longer holds true. He now has a body of work on offer, and boy, is it a fantastic compilation of Afrofusion tracks!
In just 7 songs, Ninety takes us on a sonic journey that explores the worlds of R&B, Amapiano, Pop, Reggae, Jazz, and Dancehall, with Afrobeats being the underlying genre that unifies “Rare Gem”. Lyrically, he weaves different tales that touch on love, attraction, sex, and a hustler’s state of mind. He preaches the merits of the stress-free life on “Maintaining Beauty”, sends out open invitations to be loved on “Hold My Side”, cheekily invites his love interest to “bend low and see Ninety can do” on “Wants & Needs,” and seeks promises she won’t “Kiss N Tell” on the third track. “Buttercup” and “Skip To My Lou” tease sexual and heartfelt desires, and it’s rounded up by the love confessions of “Diamonds”. The replay value it holds is immense, and the sound engineering on all tracks is nothing short of superb. It’s an EP any artiste would be proud of, never mind one who’s releasing a project for the first time. “Rare Gem” breeds a sense of excitement, because Ninety can only possibly get better going forward. But let’s leave the future and its mysteries for later and focus on the present; stream “Rare Gem” today for a hearty dose of fine music.