Buzzing Brampton-raised/Lagos, Nigeria-born TOBi released a musical project ELEMENTS, Vol. 1 in fall 2020, heralded by the critics. ELEMENTS, Vol. 1 combines hip hop, r&b, soul, grime & Afrobeats, featuring some of TOBi’s favorite producers & musicians worldwide and embodying the sounds and music that have influenced his artistry. TOBi offered upon ELEMENTS’ release: “I’ve always been against the idea of confining my art into a box, so this is my outlet to be free, expressive and experiment.”
Complex Magazine voted TOBi as “a top artist to watch” and has received critical praise from Pitchfork, Vogue, Teen Vogue, L’Officiel, Paper, Billboard, Flaunt, Exclaim!, Refinery29 Essential Homme, COLORS, and many more. TOBi is set to release a remix of his standout single “Dollas and Cents” featuring Juls in January 2021, a collaborative effort that received massive support from UK playlists Who We Be and Vibes (France).
At the end of 2020, TOBi released a new version of the track “Made Me Everything Pt. 2” featuring renowned Houston rapper Maxo Kream. The rising star announced his partnership with Same Plate Entertainment/RCA Records earlier last year and has enjoyed over 41 million streams globally.
TOBi released his debut album STILL in May of 2019 followed by a deluxe edition, exploring themes of vulnerability, post-traumatic growth, self-reflection and masculinity in his time emigrating from Nigeria to Canada. STILL’s release was followed by two new singles “Holiday” produced by !llmind, “Paid,” the “City Blues Remix” featuring The Game, the “180 Remix” featuring Kemba, and the “24” remix featuring all Torontonians SHAD, Haviah Mighty, Jazz Cartier, and Ejji Smith.
TOBi has cited the work of Gil Scott-Heron, Frank Ocean, Kendrick Lamar, Marvin Gaye, Eartha Kitt, Florence and the Machine, and Andre 3000 as some of the artists who have inspired his own work, particularly his lyrics.
