Nineteen85 is the producer name of Paul Jefferies, a Toronto musician who became a central figure in the OVO Sound house style during the mid-2010s. He produced Hold On We're Going Home, one of Drake's defining crossover singles, then followed with Hotline Bling, One Dance, Too Good, and Controlla, a stretch of records that pushed Drake's sound toward Caribbean rhythm and adult-contemporary R&B. His production favors clean drum machines, warm synth pads, and song forms that read closer to pop than traditional rap, which made him a natural choice for the moments when Drake was angling for global radio. Nineteen85 is also half of the OVO duo dvsn with vocalist Daniel Daley, and dvsn's slow R&B aesthetic informs much of his Drake work. He has produced for Nicki Minaj, Jamie Foxx, Majid Jordan, and Roy Woods, several of whom share the OVO Sound roster. Within the Drake catalog his peak run coincided with the Views and More Life era, when the label was actively expanding into Afrobeats, dancehall, and house-leaning rhythms. He remains an OVO Sound staple and a touchpoint for the label's pop-leaning lane.
Stats
Songs
96
Albums
5
Era
2013-2022
