Who Is Trever Off-Key?
Beyonce cried for 'power to the women', he in return said, 'power to the men'. Akon sang about a solid, secret love, he in return sang about a hideous secret lover that need to be shielded by the dark.
By now, you must have heard Trever Off-Key's To The Right, a humorous counteraction to Beyonce's female empowering, To The Left. However, what many still don't know is, who he is, where he's from, or, that he is the same Miami-based selector called 'DJ Bambino'.
Trever Off-Key, whose correct name is Orrett Hart Jr. scored big with To The Right and recently, You're a Hoe, a spin-off of Akon's It Doesn't Matter. He says making up rhymes has been something he's been doing since his days at Campion College before migrating to the United States in 1993.
"Actually, when I used to go to school here in Jamaica and from that time I used to listen to other people's songs and do spin-offs of other songs, but I never took it seriously; it was just for fun. Then, when I went to the States I started playing music and on the side I was still making up songs. Then as fun, I started to play the songs at parties and calling myself 'Trever'," he said.
"Then one day I gave one of my friends, Super Twitch, a CD to listen to and he said, 'Is Trever Off-Key', so that's how the Off-Key part came and I just used it," he continued.
The other me
Many may wonder, why DJ Bambino prefers to go by the name 'Trever Off-Key' when he's spitting rhymes. He says, "It was easier to give the songs to other deejays to play when they didn't know it was me, because if I gave it to them saying, 'it's me, DJ Bambino', they might not play it."
"Sometimes when I'm finished playing as DJ Bambino and 'Trever' is to perform, I will go and change and come back on-stage as Trever. It's funny; it's like having a split personality," he continued.
It seems the 'split personality' has been working for Trever because he says To The Right been getting a lot of rotation on both local and U.S. radio stations which he is grateful for. Though Trever is yet to grace the Jamaican stage, he has performed on a few overseas shows and still has plans to perform in Jamaica before the summer is through.
"I am not here as often as I would want to be, but between now and summer, I expect that will happen. As a young artiste, you can't just quit the job that you used to have because you still have to pay the bills. So I'm a selector and a DJ and I play on Mix 96 on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Then on weekends I am out playing. I have a sound - the Gambino Sound - that is helping to push 'Trever' right now. There is a lot of tension in the music, especially in dancehall, so I just wanted to put a lighter side out there," he said.
Though sarcasm, comedy and remaking hits, brought Trever to the fore, he says that's not the only thing he has to offer - he also has originals.
"I don't only do other people's songs; I have a couple of my own coming soon. I have one on Snow Cone's 'Cheerful" riddim called I Need Some, that I want to shoot a video for and I have a soca song called Carnival Party. I also have one called Weed Is Not For Everyone. I'm now working on a mix tape called My Name is Trever. It will have different artistes on it as well. In the meantime, the spin-offs keep my name out there and keep the music fun."
Trever says he has not received any feedback from the artistes whose songs he has counteracted, "but I had someone give the spin-off (You're a Hoe) of Akon's It Doesn't Matter to him. I'm sure he'll love it; he loves the whole reggae thing."
In the meantime, Trever Off-Key says he doesn't want to be burdened with a tag in the industry.
"I just want to be seen as a good artiste. I don't want a label saying, 'oh he only does other people's songs'. Like every artiste I will go through different stages. It's just a matter of exploring things until you find what you're comfortable with. I just like doing songs that when I'm finished with it and listen to it, it's unique, whether it's unique in a serious way or comedic way," he said.Trever Off-Key-I Need Some
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