Canadian Musician - September/October 2020 | Page 44

BY ANDREW KING
TOBi
First Toronto,
Now the World
The goal is clear: to get his
music in the ears and his
name on the tongues of
music fans in every corner
of the world. He’ll happily
tell you as much, but really
doesn’t need to; TOBi’s music speaks
for itself, loud and clear.
What’s more, the multifaceted Nigeria-born,
Brampton, ON-based maestro
is already well on his way to seeing
that through. Since dropping his heralded
debut LP, STILL, via Sony Music
imprint Same Plate in May 2019, he’s
earned a string of successes that many
artists could spend a career striving for:
king-making collabs with scene heavyweights,
sync placements on several
major series, praise from influential media
outlets and A-list celebrities alike…
And most recently, in a culmination
of it all thus far, RCA Records upped
their stock in his future and set their
sights on the same goal, with SVP Jonathan
Master saying: “Over the past
year, it has become obvious that [TO-
Bi]’s music and brand have an international
reach, and we are excited about
partnering with RCA to actualize the
global vision.”
That exciting potential permeates
the artist’s creative output through
both its composition and overall quality.
Boasting a wide breadth of influence
that transcends era, genre, and ego,
his signature sound is nicely embodied
by the self-coined term “unapologetic
soul music.” And while STILL and its
deluxe May 2020 re-release, STILL+,
showcase that array of sounds and skill
in spades, he’s excited about expanding
it at both ends with his upcoming
sophomore LP, Elements.
“I’m definitely being more experimental
with the songs, trying and
blending different genres I love listening
to,” he says, and it really is an
international affair. Like STILL but to a
further degree, Elements combines
tinges of traditional soul and contemporary
R&B, early East Coast hip-hop,
Afrobeat, U.K. grime, and a lot more, all
wrapped in a slick, modern production
style for a result that’s as innovative as
it is inspired. Look no further than lead
single “Dollas and Cents” for a taste.
“I’m basically just showing the
breadth of my artistry,” he elaborates.
“There’s definitely a TOBi sound – traditional
soul music infused with contemporary
sounds – but I’m still growing
every day and not stopping any
time soon; I’m always open to growth
and exploring new things.”
A lot of that exploration and experimentation
stems from collaboration.
While the full guest list for Elements has
yet to be revealed, “Dollas and Cents”
boasts production from U.K. hitmaker
Juls, and STILL+ is heavy on outside
talent both behind the mic and behind
the boards – including some from his
home and native land.
On STILL+, for example, the track
“24” gets a “Toronto Remix” with verses
from Shad, Haviah Mighty, Jazz Cartier,
and Ejji Smith, and as those names should
indicate, it’s absolutely thunderous.
TOBi says he was inspired to send
out the call by J. Cole and Dreamville
Records’ Revenge of the Dreamers
compilations, which are basically the
product of by-invitation-only collaborative
recording sessions with elite rosters
of artists and producers.
“That lightbulb kind of went off
and it was like, ‘That’d be dope if I did
something like that here – not on a full
album scale, but at least on a song,”
he explains. “I love that spirit of competition,
and those are rappers whose
artistry I respect and I knew they’d bring
it on the song. That’s what I care about,
man; I care about a challenge, and I feel
like everyone was challenged to come
hard.”
He adds that, despite all having
different styles and occupying different
points in their respective careers,
there’s a special kinship between that
group of artists and others in the increasingly
potent Canadian hip-hop
and R&B community – one that he finds
quite motivating.
“I love seeing my peers come up,”
he enthuses with some obvious conviction.
“There are a lot of artists out here
really doing their thing and they’re inspiring
me and my artistry for sure – Haviah,
Jazz, Jessie Reyez, Loony, Clairmont
the Second… I just wanna see Toronto
and Canada as a whole be at that level
where we’re recognized for our variety
of artists – not just one sound, but so
many different styles come out of that.
“When you’re in a market that isn’t
really mature – as mature as in L.A. or
New York – there can be an identity crisis
of sorts, but I think we’re moving into
a stage where we’ve got artists that are
alternative and mainstream and different
and eclectic actually gaining success
outside of Canada on a global stage.”
Again, that’s his stated mission, and
it’s not entirely self-serving. “I want to do
that for myself, and then with it, open the
lanes for people that don’t make songs
that fit a certain mould; they can just be
free and express themselves however
they want,” he says. “I see us getting
there for sure. It’s already happening…”
Watching that scene-wide momentum
grow in real-time and knowing that
he’s responsible for generating some
of it admittedly brings the artist some
joy, and fittingly, considering the trying
times we’re all facing together and
more acutely as specific groups we belong
to, that’s the central theme of his
lyricism on Elements.
“Where I’m at right now is focusing
on the things that are in my control – my
personal joy, my personal well-being.
Nobody can take that away from you,
so even when it feels like the walls are
crumbling outside, it’s like, what’s going
on inside your personal space? It’s
about feeling the different parts to your
identity and exploring how multi-faceted
we all are. That’s why it’s called Elements;
within each person, there are so
many unique elements that contribute
to who we are.”
44 CANADIAN MUSICIAN