Hailing from the Brampton/ Toronto area of Canada, Tobbz is a talented artist of Nigerian heritage. He made a major finesse in the Hip-hop and Afro Scene in Toronto with his distinctive blend of Rap, Afro beats and Pop. After establishing himself in 2017 with series of freestyles and early singles, he then released his first EP in 2019 titled "Peregrination". The EP shows his versatility on different sounds and genres. Tobi Oyewo was born in Lagos, Nigeria and is heavily influenced by Drake, Jay-z , Fela Kuti, Ice Prince, Skepta , J.cole, Kendrick Lamar, and many more. He began rapping in 2011 and went professional in 2017, thanks to his family and friends that kept pushing him through and fueling his artistry. He recently released a new EP titled “ECSTASY” which is a Afrobeat/TrapRap type of vibe.
The indomitably uplifting music being played contrasts strikingly with his down tempo voice. Tobbz takes over on “Jaye Shaye” whipping through its playful boasts with the confidence of a man who’s just telling his truth as he sees it. As Tobbz strides through the song, framed by gusts of fire and power, he proves his dominance in changing the Toronto music scene. “Jaye Shaye” is equipped with bouncing melodies, a catchy hook and is a complete summer anthem. Tobbz’ vocals are hypnotizing and keep the theme upbeat and addicting. We’re completely entranced by the contemporary blend of Afro beats and contemporary hip-hip. I highly recommend that you add this to your playlist and stay on the lookout for more from Tobbz!
Listen to “Jaye Shaye” here and read more below in our exclusive interview.
How did you come up with this stage name?
Tbh, the way I came up with my stage name is so funny , Cos I’ve had bare nicknames ,I just woke up one and I changed my Twitter handle to manliketobbz , I was manliketobbz for a while then later Tobitobbz then Tobbz was the official name I used when I dropped my first official single “My Ting”. Even some of my friends call me by my nicknames “Mikel”, Topboy and more. Even some people don’t even know my government name .
What’s the meaning behind your track “Jaye Shaye”?
That’s a lot of meaning to the track “ Jaye Shaye “. I was in a different zone when I was writing this song, when compiling my EP which i named ECSTASY, I was in a different world . Jaye in Yoruba language which is the tribe I come in Nigeria means “Enjoy” , while “Shaye” means “ Live Life”.
And also the important message behind the track is to Hustle, Grind, Invest and Live Life. The song is an encouragement for my generation and the ones coming that if you want to live and flex, you gotta hustle and secure the bag, and also again don’t spend all your money trying to life live invest too, basically saying don’t eat with all your hands . And also Patience is virtue, put in work and trust the process don’t compare another mans time to yours Cos what goes around comes around .
What emotions do you have to channel when creating your music?
Emotions.... hmmm.. that’s mental... I put in a lot of energies and emotions when creating my tracks ... i create a certain vibe and zone where I want people to feel what I was feeling when I was making the song.. Everyday life, what’s going on around me , around the world , my past and present experience about life , other people’s experience too... I blend everything together and make it not too sensitive conscious but wavy conscious... Cos people are going through things and need a time out from it , so make create a time out vibe with a reminder spice .
What’s next for you and your career?
Moving onto greater things , staying positive, putting in that work , get more exposure and trusting the process , I still have my 7-7 going on and school , music is part time for now and hopefully turns full time soon.
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