As a 22-year-old guy in college, I am ALWAYS on the lookout for new music and artists. Plus I like experimenting with new genres. Music is such a cool way to connect with other people, distract yourself when you're down or boost yourself up when needed! I love being able to find new artists too because I feel it really broadens the "bubble" I'm in. TOBi is a perfect example of someone who can truly open your eyes to a new world.

TOBi is an artist I recently came across who is amazing! He's originally from Nigeria and lived there until he was eight years old. He now resides in Toronto, Canada. He's just released a brand new album entitled, Elements Vol. 1, that is flawless. Personally, I love the two songs "Made Me Everything" and "Matter." Sound-wise, they are polar opposites. "Made Me Everything" more uptempo, song where TOBi raps and gets you moving. On the other hand, "Matter" is a soulful, slow song that has a great message.

I had the amazing opportunity to talk with TOBi on November 9th about his new album and who he is as a person. We discussed a lot and he explained how he wrote many of these songs during quarantine and how they each mean something really special to him. He told some interesting stories about his collaborations during quarantine as well. He'd have to FaceTime the other artists while writing the music which I'm sure could be very challenging or at least have an extremely different feel to it compared to working together in the studio.

I asked him if he had a favorite track on his album. He said the seventh track, "Shine" was his favorite because he had a ton of fun writing it and it has a really important message behind it about how life can be difficult and yet finding a way to "shine" on is most important. He talks about how he loves seeing his friends and family make it out of the trenches. He said when he writes, he wants everything to make sense and that's his main priority. He wants the song to have the ability to be taken apart and dissected and come across clearly.

TOBi is extremely excited about this new release and the new projects he's working on. I hope you take a second to listen to his new album because I PROMISE you won't regret it. His new album is out now and you can stream it wherever and watch his latest music video HERE