Music
From Lagos to Brampton: soulful Canadian artist TOBi is on the rise
We spoke to the multi-faceted Toronto artist about his Nigerian roots, childhood in Brampton, current reading material, Snoop Dogg co-sign and the impending release of his debut album, STILL.
Born Oluwatobi Ajibolade in Lagos, Nigeria, TOBi has been surrounded by music from the moment he can remember. Despite his mother being a lawyer and his father a bank manager, he remembers watching his family constantly celebrating with singing and dancing at night. His father’s taste was hugely influential to him as he kept Barry White, Teddy Pendergrass and Celine Dion on heavy rotation at home. “It was moving me, you know what I’m saying?,” he exclaims while reflecting on his younger self. “I remember listening to a Celine Dion song and thinking it was so crazy how she was going up and down her vocal range.”
At the age of six TOBi fell in love with hip-hop when he was given the role of Lil Romeo in a school play. “I was literally roleplaying Master P’s son,” he recalls with glee. He was required to memorize a number of timely rap songs from Lil Romeo and DMX - and he never looked back.
Born in Nigeria, TOBi moved to Canada at age nine
© Aaron Wynia
For reasons still unknown to him, a nine-year old TOBi was selected from his siblings to accompany his father as they began the process of moving the family from their home in Lagos to Ottawa, Canada and then eventually Brampton, a city just outside of Toronto, in pursuit of a better life. “I’m not even the oldest, I really don’t know why they chose me,” he says. “I guess I was the chosen one.” He vividly remembers going shopping with his parents for “winter clothes” (really just a windbreaker and Avirex boots that proved to be ill-suited to the cold) and just under a months notice, he was on a plane with nothing but his luggage, some photographs of his best friend and a lot of fear.
He remembers the first few years of living in Canada as being extremely lonely. His father worked several jobs to support them - mail, general labour - but the one he recalls most vividly is the overnight security position. It was a massive change for a young TOBi to transition from being constantly surrounded by family in Lagos to spending nights alone in Ottawa. Fast forward to a year and a half later and he was reunited with his mother, sister and two brothers before the family eventually settled in Brampton.
TOBi's teenage hangout spot: Brampton ‘s Cassie Campbell Community Centre
© Aaron Wynia
Growing up in Brampton proved useful for his newfound love of hip-hop but also provided a number of distractions. “From about 12 to 14, I didn’t know who I was as a person,” he admits. “I used to run around and do some hooligan shit.” Sonny’s Drive-In was a frequent spot for freestyling, battling, shooting videos or just eating flame-grilled burgers and maintains a reputation as a hub for Brampton rap. TOBi also credits Cassie Campbell Community Centre for being a meeting grounds between local high-schools that would fill up in the afternoons with basketball runs, freestyle battles and bystanders just looking for a romantic interest. While his battle rap days are over (you can still find a clip of a 14-year old TOBi battling a 15-year old Tory Lanez), he admits that the years of practice and constant feedback from his friends built the foundation for the lyricist he is today.
TOBi visits Sonny’s Drive-In, a classic Brampton food spot
© Aaron Wynia
After high school, TOBi moved to Waterloo to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology at Wilfred Laurier University and continued to create music as a creative outlet. He released a total of nine mixtapes over a six-year period but still reflects fondly on those projects. “They were good! I think for an artist to be truly special, there needs to be an awareness of who they are and who they want to be. And that’s something I had to grow into.” Rapping grew into singing as TOBi met fellow musicians and continued to expand his palette, eventually moving to Toronto after graduation for a job opportunity.
TOBi sits on bleachers outside the high-school he attended in Brampton
© Aaron Wynia
Nowadays, TOBi counts Snoop Dogg as a fan among his hundreds of thousands of listeners. The Doggfather, known to be a connoisseur of soul music, posted his music video for “City Blues” to Twitter in January saying “I like what your doing nephew.” TOBi’s phone immediately began to erupt with messages from fans, new listeners and a number of DMs from some “real stars” including one from another West Coast rap legend, The Game, asking him to fly out to Los Angeles to make some music. “Bro, I was losing my mind,” he recalls vividly. “And it was such a warm experience, not fake at all.”
As the May 3rd release date approaches for TOBi’s solo debut, a thirteen-track album entitled STILL, the 25-year old admits that he has also felt the worst of social media as an artist trying to promote his own work. “Healthy consumption of anything - internet, caffeine, marijuana - it all needs a balance.” His recent success has lead a number of old fans to reconnect with the TOBi they once knew from SoundCloud but he believes immediate access to artists via social media can be unhealthy for both the fans and the artists. “There’s not enough time in the day to communicate with thousands of people. I need to go to the gym and see the sun, bruh.” However, in almost the same breath, TOBi recalls doing a video chat with a fan from Russia for over ten minutes discussing all ranges of topics, from relationships to philosophy.
TOBi debut album, STILL, is set to release on May 3rd
© Aaron Wynia
Reconnecting with his family and culture in Lagos has been a long-term goal for TOBi and the internet has been a source of motivation, allowing him to communicate with his dozens of family members back home. While English is the first language in Nigeria, his family speaks Yorùbá at home and he insists that he is constantly improving. Whether it is reading six books at a time (and an issue of Scientific American), putting out mixtape after mixtape or improving his Yorùbá, TOBi acts and speaks with confidence. “I think I’d be more scared if I’d never put anything out before."
The rising Canadian artist poses for a portrait
© Aaron Wynia
While the conversations with his parents surrounding his full-time pursuit of music have not always been easy, he credits them for their determination and willingness to put trust in him. “I think our relationship has grown to the point where we see each other for the humanity in each other outside of our blood ties. Yeah, I’m your son, but I’m also a free human being with goals and pain that I’m going to deal with,” he says. And his family is still grinding. “My parents did a great job and I remind them of it. They did a great job considering their circumstances. I rate them.”
TOBi believes he is privileged to be able to put his energy out into the world. “I do have a utopian vision. It might sound far-fetched or idealistic, but there are people everywhere who are actively working to make life easier for people,” he says reassuringly. “We just need more of them.”
