Lagos-Brampton bred rapper and singer TOBi dives into themes of growth and resilience with his new genre-fusing project, ELEMENTS Vol. 1. 

The smooth-flowing artist explores relationships, Black joy and evolution with the new project, creating his “unapologetic soul music” alongside a colorful array of producers from an international canvas, including Canada and Europe. 

“I’ve always been against the idea of confining my art into a box, so this is my outlet to be free, expressive and experiment,” said TOBi. “I’ve got hip-hop, R&B, soul, grime and Afrobeats on here because it’s what I love. This isn’t the album, this is like my [Lil Wayne] Dedication series. I’m going to keep working with all my favorite producers and keep ELEMENTS alive for years to come.”

ELEMENTS follows TOBi’s April release of STILL+, a deluxe version of his debut album treading on themes of masculinity and vulnerability, self-reflection and post-traumatic growth reflecting his immigration from Nigeria to Canada. With over 17 million streams across platforms, the project speaks for itself—and with a Complex Magazine vote as a “top artist to watch,” TOBi is staying in the spotlight for a long time.

Amidst the project release, TOBi reflects on the #EndSARS movement stemming from his home of Nigeria. 

“Throughout this pandemic, I have fought to find my personal joy and use that as a form of resistance,” he said. “My family back home are in pain fighting decades of corruption and oppression and I want to take this opportunity to use my platform to inform the global community. I stand with my brothers and sisters in solidarity fighting the abuse. What is happening in Nigeria is a humanitarian crisis and I will continue to amplify the voices of the oppressed.”

Listen to TOBi’s seamlessly genre-bending project ELEMENTS Vol. 1 here and listen to the full tracklist below.