Tobi_(musician)

Tobi (musician)

Tobi (musician)

Nigerian-Canadian rapper

Oluwatobi Feyisara Ajibolade, known professionally as Tobi (stylized as TOBi), is a Nigerian born Canadian singer and rapper signed to RCA Records and Same Plate Entertainment. He released his debut studio album Still in May 2019, his second album Elements Vol. 1 in 2020, and his third album PANIC in 2023.

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Early life and education

Oluwatobi Feyisara Ajibolade[1] was born in 1993 in Lagos, Nigeria and moved to Ottawa, Canada with his father when he was 9 years old. He first began writing lyrics and poetry around that time.[2][3] Ajibolade grew up largely in Brampton, Ontario, a suburb of Toronto.[1] As a teenager, he engaged in rap battles, including one with a pre-fame Tory Lanez.[4] He later attended Wilfrid Laurier University where he studied biology and psychology.[2]

Career

Around 2015, Ajibolade began releasing music using the stage name, "Tobi Aji".[5] In 2016, he began using the moniker, "Tobi" (stylized as TOBi), and independently released an EP titled, FYI.[6] The collection featured the songs, "Indecisions" and "Deeper".[7] A music video for the latter song was released in November 2016.[8] The following month, Tobi released the single, "Libra".[9]

In September 2017, he released the song, "Hidden Fences", which appeared on an episode of the HBO series, Insecure.[10] Another song, "January December", was released in January 2018.[11] Beginning in 2019, Tobi began releasing several new tracks, including "City Blues",[12] "Sweet Poison",[13] and "Werking".[14] Those three songs served as the singles for Tobi's debut studio album, Still, released in May 2019 by RCA Records and Same Plate Entertainment. The album also featured a guest appearance from VanJess on the track, "Come Back Home".[15] A deluxe edition of the album, Still+, was released in April 2020 and included two new songs ("Paid" and "Holiday") and three new remixes.[16] Still+ had guest appearances from The Game, Shad, Haviah Mighty, Kemba, Jazz Cartier, and Ejji Smith.[16]

In October 2020, Tobi released his second studio album, Elements Vol. 1.[17] It won the 2021 Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year,[18] with "Holiday" being nominated for Contemporary R&B/Soul Recording of the Year.[19] The music video for his song "24 (Toronto Remix)", directed by Kit Weyman, was longlisted for the 2021 Prism Prize.[20]

In January 2021, he was named one of the winners of SOCAN's inaugural Black Canadian Music Awards alongside Dylan Sinclair, Naya Ali, RAAHiiM and Hunnah.[21]

Elements Vol. 1 was shortlisted for the 2021 Polaris Music Prize.[22]

In 2023, he participated in an all-star recording of Serena Ryder's single "What I Wouldn't Do", which was released as a charity single to benefit Kids Help Phone's Feel Out Loud campaign for youth mental health.[23]

At the Juno Awards of 2024, he won both Rap Album of the Year for Panic, and Rap Single of the Year for "Someone I Knew".[24]

Artistry

In an interview with Afropunk, Tobi cited the work of Gil Scott-Heron, Frank Ocean, Marvin Gaye, Eartha Kitt, Florence and the Machine, and Andre 3000 as inspirations for his own work, particularly his lyrics.[25]

Discography

Studio albums

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Extended plays

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Singles

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References

  1. [1]
    Ryan, Patrick B. (May 6, 2019). "TOBi - Still". Exclaim!. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  2. [2]
    Gracie, Bianca (May 3, 2019). "TOBi's Debut Album 'STILL' Journeys Through the Joy (And Sharp Pains) Of Black Male Vulnerability". Billboard. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  3. [3]
    McNeilly, Claudia (May 1, 2019). "Interview: TOBi's search for home". Now Toronto. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  4. [4]
    Conteh, Mankaprr (May 2, 2019). "tobi's debut album is a message to his teen self". i-D. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  5. [5]
    Smith, Trevor (May 16, 2015). "TOBi - The 6ick Side". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  6. [6]
    Tanners, Jon (July 14, 2016). "Get Familiar With Ontario Rapper TOBi on His New "FYi" EP". Pigeons & Planes. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  7. [7]
    Buck, Courtney (July 22, 2016). "TOBi shares his FYi EP". The 405. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  8. [8]
    Witmer, Phil (November 24, 2016). "Brampton's TOBi Dances Through the Ferns in His "Deeper" Video". Noisey. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  9. [9]
    Darville, Jordan (December 1, 2016). "TOBi's "LiBRA" Is Soul That Counts Its Blessings". The Fader. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  10. [10]
    Goddard, Kevin (September 8, 2017). "TOBi Nabs "Insecure" Placement With New Song "Hidden Fences"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  11. [11]
    Smith, Trevor (January 20, 2018). "TOBi Shares New Track "January December"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  12. [12]
    Tambini, Kam (January 18, 2019). "Dive Into TOBi's New Music Video For 'City Blues'". OkayAfrica. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  13. [13]
    da Costa, Beatriz (March 4, 2019). "TOBi Gets Sweet In New Video For "Sweet Poison"". Vibe. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  14. [14]
    Espinoza, Joshua (March 27, 2019). "Premiere: TOBi Shares New Single "Werking"". Complex. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  15. [15]
    Higgins, Keenan (May 3, 2019). "Meet TOBi: Your Next International Hip-Hop Soul Music Sensation". The Source. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  16. [16]
    "TOBi Drops Two New Tracks With Deluxe Album 'STILL+'". HYPEBEAST. April 30, 2020. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  17. [17]
    "'ELEMENTS Vol. 1' Cements TOBi's Status as a Burgeoning Global Superstar | Exclaim!". exclaim.ca. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  18. [18]
    Holly Gordon and Andrea Warner, "Here are the 2021 Juno Award winners". CBC Music, June 4, 2021.
  19. [19]
    "2021 Juno Awards nominees: The Weeknd leads the charge". Global News. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  20. [20]
    "These Are the Top 20 Canadian Music Videos Nominated for the 2021 Prism Prize". Complex. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  21. [21]
    Brock Thiessen, "Here Are the Winners of the First Black Canadian Music Awards". Exclaim!, January 11, 2021.
  22. [22]
    David Friend, "Dominique Fils-Aimé, Mustafa, and Leanne Betasamosake Simpson are among the 10 artists shortlisted for this year's Polaris Music Prize". Toronto Star, July 15, 2021.
  23. [23]
    Brent Furdyk, "Feel Out Loud: Alessia Cara, Serena Ryder & More Canadian Artists Collaborate On New Single Promoting Youth Mental Health Initiative". Entertainment Tonight Canada, March 2, 2023.
  24. [24]
    "Junos 2024: full list of winners". CBC Music, March 23, 2024.
  25. [25]
    Erin White. (February 5, 2019). Interview: TOBi Talks Poetry, Hypocrisy & Self-ReflectionAFROPUNK. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
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