Tobi (musician)

Last updated

Tobi
Birth nameOluwatobi Feyisara Ajibolade
Also known asTobi Aji
Born1993 (age 30–31)
Lagos, Nigeria
Origin Brampton, Ontario, Canada
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • rapper
  • songwriter
Years active2015–present
Labels
  • RCA
  • Same Plate
Website tobi.world

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.

Contents

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] Panic was a longlisted nominee for the 2024 Polaris Music Prize. [25]

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. [26]

Discography

Studio albums

List of studio albums, with year released and selected details
TitleAlbum details
Still
Elements Vol. 1
  • Released: October 21, 2020
  • Label: RCA, Same Plate
  • Format: Digital download
PANIC
  • Released: October 12, 2023
  • Label: RCA, Same Plate
  • Format: Digital download

Extended plays

List of extended plays, with year released and selected details
TitleAlbum details
FYI
  • Released: July 14, 2016
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download

Singles

List of singles with selected details
TitleYearAlbum
"Deeper"2016FYI
"Indecisions"
"Hidden Fences"2017Non-album single
"City Blues"2019Still
"Sweet Poison"
"Werking"
"Woah"
(with Jazz Cartier)		2021TBA

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References

  1. 1 2 Ryan, Patrick B. (May 6, 2019). "TOBi - Still". Exclaim!. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  2. 1 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. ↑ McNeilly, Claudia (May 1, 2019). "Interview: TOBi's search for home". Now Toronto. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  4. ↑ Conteh, Mankaprr (May 2, 2019). "tobi's debut album is a message to his teen self". i-D. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  5. ↑ Smith, Trevor (May 16, 2015). "TOBi - The 6ick Side". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  6. ↑ Tanners, Jon (July 14, 2016). "Get Familiar With Ontario Rapper TOBi on His New "FYi" EP". Pigeons & Planes. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  7. ↑ Buck, Courtney (July 22, 2016). "TOBi shares his FYi EP". The 405. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  8. ↑ Witmer, Phil (November 24, 2016). "Brampton's TOBi Dances Through the Ferns in His "Deeper" Video". Noisey. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  9. ↑ Darville, Jordan (December 1, 2016). "TOBi's "LiBRA" Is Soul That Counts Its Blessings". The Fader. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  10. ↑ Goddard, Kevin (September 8, 2017). "TOBi Nabs "Insecure" Placement With New Song "Hidden Fences"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  11. ↑ Smith, Trevor (January 20, 2018). "TOBi Shares New Track "January December"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  12. ↑ Tambini, Kam (January 18, 2019). "Dive Into TOBi's New Music Video For 'City Blues'". OkayAfrica. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  13. ↑ da Costa, Beatriz (March 4, 2019). "TOBi Gets Sweet In New Video For "Sweet Poison"". Vibe. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  14. ↑ Espinoza, Joshua (March 27, 2019). "Premiere: TOBi Shares New Single "Werking"". Complex. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  15. ↑ Higgins, Keenan (May 3, 2019). "Meet TOBi: Your Next International Hip-Hop Soul Music Sensation". The Source. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  16. 1 2 "TOBi Drops Two New Tracks With Deluxe Album 'STILL+'". HYPEBEAST. April 30, 2020. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  17. ↑ "'ELEMENTS Vol. 1' Cements TOBi's Status as a Burgeoning Global Superstar | Exclaim!". exclaim.ca. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  18. ↑ Holly Gordon and Andrea Warner, "Here are the 2021 Juno Award winners". CBC Music, June 4, 2021.
  19. ↑ "2021 Juno Awards nominees: The Weeknd leads the charge". Global News. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  20. ↑ "These Are the Top 20 Canadian Music Videos Nominated for the 2021 Prism Prize". Complex. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  21. ↑ Brock Thiessen, "Here Are the Winners of the First Black Canadian Music Awards". Exclaim! , January 11, 2021.
  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. ↑ 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. ↑ "Junos 2024: full list of winners". CBC Music, March 23, 2024.
  25. ↑ "2024 Polaris Music Prize long list: the Beaches, Tobi, Elisapie, Beverly Glenn-Copeland and more". CBC Music, June 11, 2024.
  26. ↑ Erin White. (February 5, 2019). Interview: TOBi Talks Poetry, Hypocrisy & Self-Reflection AFROPUNK. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
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