Tobi (musician)

Tobi
TOBi performing at Hamilton's Supercrawl event in 2025
TOBi performing at Hamilton's Supercrawl event in 2025
Background information
Also known asTobi Aji
Born
Oluwatobi Feyisara Ajibolade

1993 (age 32–33)
Lagos, Nigeria
OriginBrampton, Ontario, Canada
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • rapper
  • songwriter
Years active2015–present
Labels
Websitetobi.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, his third album PANIC in 2023 and his fourth album Elements Vol.2 in 2025.

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.[1]

In an interview with DARBY, Ajibolade recalled playing association football barefoot on the streets of Lagos as a child, using improvised goalposts and continuing play even after the ball landed in a roadside gutter, describing the experience as pure and unstructured.[4] He has said that watching football with his father, uncles and cousins in Nigeria, particularly English Premier League matches involving Arsenal, fostered a strong sense of communal identity within his family, and he has cited Nigerian international Jay-Jay Okocha as a formative figure whose flair and self-assurance on the pitch left a lasting impression on him during that period.[4] Tobi has said his most competitive period playing football himself came around age 12, when he was named the most valuable player of his elementary school's team, before he shifted his focus toward his education and music.[4] He has stated that after relocating to Canada, feelings of social isolation stemming from cultural and linguistic differences contributed to his early pull toward writing and recording music.[4]

As a teenager, he engaged in rap battles, including one with a pre-fame Tory Lanez.[5] 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".[6] In 2016, he began using the moniker, "Tobi" (stylized as TOBi), and independently released an EP titled, FYI.[7] The collection featured the songs, "Indecisions" and "Deeper".[8] A music video for the latter song was released in November 2016.[9] The following month, Tobi released the single, "Libra".[10]

In September 2017, he released the song, "Hidden Fences", which appeared on an episode of the HBO series, Insecure.[11] Another song, "January December", was released in January 2018.[12] Beginning in 2019, Tobi began releasing several new tracks, including "City Blues",[13] "Sweet Poison",[14] and "Werking".[15] 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".[16] A deluxe edition of the album, Still+, was released in April 2020 and included two new songs ("Paid" and "Holiday") and three new remixes.[17] Still+ had guest appearances from The Game, Shad, Haviah Mighty, Kemba, Jazz Cartier, and Ejji Smith.[17]

In October 2020, Tobi released his second studio album, Elements Vol. 1.[18] It won the 2021 Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year,[19] with "Holiday" being nominated for Contemporary R&B/Soul Recording of the Year.[20] The music video for his song "24 (Toronto Remix)", directed by Kit Weyman, was longlisted for the 2021 Prism Prize.[21]

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.[22]

Elements Vol. 1 was shortlisted for the 2021 Polaris Music Prize.[23]

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.[24]

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".[25] Panic was a shortlisted finalist for the 2024 Polaris Music Prize.[26]

For Good Measure (at Dreamhouse Studios) was longlisted for the 2026 Polaris Music Prize.[27]

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.[28] Speaking to DARBY, Tobi likened his creative approach to that of a centre attacking midfielder in football, describing his role within a song as shifting fluidly between driving a track forward and supporting it, comparing his outlook to viewing "the entire pitch" rather than a single fixed position.[4] He also described his onstage mentality as comparable to that of a competing athlete, saying his focus while performing is directed toward the substance of the performance itself rather than audience reaction or acclaim.[4]

Personal life

Tobi has described himself as a supporter of Manchester City, saying his affinity for the club developed during his university years through playing the FIFA video game series and following players including David Silva, Sergio Agüero and James Milner.[4] He has named Zlatan Ibrahimović as a footballer whose confidence he has drawn on for inspiration in his own creative work, and has also cited Pelé, Didier Drogba and Cristiano Ronaldo among the footballers who have most influenced him, alongside rapper Kendrick Lamar as his most influential musician.[4]

Discography

Studio albums

List of studio albums, with year released and selected details
Title Album 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
Title Album details
FYI
  • Released: July 14, 2016
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download

Singles

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

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. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Legacy". Darby. No. 2. Darby Magazine. 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2026.
  5. ↑ Conteh, Mankaprr (May 2, 2019). "tobi's debut album is a message to his teen self". i-D. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  6. ↑ Smith, Trevor (May 16, 2015). "TOBi - The 6ick Side". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  7. ↑ Tanners, Jon (July 14, 2016). "Get Familiar With Ontario Rapper TOBi on His New "FYi" EP". Pigeons & Planes. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  8. ↑ Buck, Courtney (July 22, 2016). "TOBi shares his FYi EP". The 405. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  9. ↑ Witmer, Phil (November 24, 2016). "Brampton's TOBi Dances Through the Ferns in His "Deeper" Video". Noisey. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  10. ↑ Darville, Jordan (December 1, 2016). "TOBi's "LiBRA" Is Soul That Counts Its Blessings". The Fader. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  11. ↑ Goddard, Kevin (September 8, 2017). "TOBi Nabs "Insecure" Placement With New Song "Hidden Fences"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  12. ↑ Smith, Trevor (January 20, 2018). "TOBi Shares New Track "January December"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  13. ↑ Tambini, Kam (January 18, 2019). "Dive Into TOBi's New Music Video For 'City Blues'". OkayAfrica. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  14. ↑ da Costa, Beatriz (March 4, 2019). "TOBi Gets Sweet In New Video For "Sweet Poison"". Vibe. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  15. ↑ Espinoza, Joshua (March 27, 2019). "Premiere: TOBi Shares New Single "Werking"". Complex. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  16. ↑ Higgins, Keenan (May 3, 2019). "Meet TOBi: Your Next International Hip-Hop Soul Music Sensation". The Source. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  17. 1 2 "TOBi Drops Two New Tracks With Deluxe Album 'STILL+'". HYPEBEAST. April 30, 2020. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  18. ↑ "'ELEMENTS Vol. 1' Cements TOBi's Status as a Burgeoning Global Superstar | Exclaim!". exclaim.ca. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  19. ↑ Holly Gordon and Andrea Warner, "Here are the 2021 Juno Award winners". CBC Music, June 4, 2021.
  20. ↑ "2021 Juno Awards nominees: The Weeknd leads the charge". Global News. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  21. ↑ "These Are the Top 20 Canadian Music Videos Nominated for the 2021 Prism Prize". Complex. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  22. ↑ Brock Thiessen, "Here Are the Winners of the First Black Canadian Music Awards". Exclaim!, January 11, 2021.
  23. ↑ 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.
  24. ↑ 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.
  25. ↑ "Junos 2024: full list of winners". CBC Music, March 23, 2024.
  26. ↑ David Friend, "Calgary rock project Cindy Lee among acts shortlisted for Polaris Music Prize". Global News, July 12, 2024.
  27. ↑ Sydney Brasil, "Polaris Music Prize Shares 2026 Long List". Exclaim!, June 11, 2026.
  28. ↑ Erin White. (February 5, 2019). Interview: TOBi Talks Poetry, Hypocrisy & Self-ReflectionAFROPUNK. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
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