“Resilient” would be the best word to describe fast-rising Nigerian artiste Tobi Tokz. In a short period of time Tobi Tokz, born Michael Oluwatobi Bhadmus, has created buzz around his Afro-pop music that smoothly infuses Afrobeat production.Born and raised in London, UK, Tobi Tokz’sinterest in Afro pop was nurtured by artistes like Davido, Fireboy Dml & Kwami Eugene. Tobi Tokz, the multi-talented artiste is an indigene of Ogun State, Nigeria, and was born on the 19th June 1988.
His music career officially kicked off in 2019 having entered the 2019 Open Mic UK Competition; a live music competition run by Future Music Management in the UK for singers, vocalists, and solo artistes.
He entered the competition as it was a gateway for him to perform in front of industry professionals. He also competed for a place in the grand finale at the Indigo O2. The memories remain dear to him as he speaks with nostalgia of how his experiences at the competition shaped his music career.
“The ‘aha’ moment that made me start making music was the constructive feedback I received from the judges as I progressed through each stage in the Open Mic UK music competition as well performing on stage in front of a live audience and receiving a great reception based on my performance” he said.
Tobi Tokz recently released a 5-track EP titled “Token.” The tracks were mixed and mastered by Patrick Osei and Ziey Kizzy at Hot money studios in the UK, and it is a mixture of Afrobeat and Afropop. “Token” has 5 songs: Lockdown, Femi, Tweet, Frontin’, Kisses. Tobi Tokz describes his sound as “laid back vocals infused into a backdrop of string instruments like the piano or guitar as well as uplifting harmonies combined with deep and insightful lyrics.”
The artiste calls himself an “emotional songwriter” because he is very skilled in summarizing and consequently transferring emotions straight from his heart into paper. He further disclosed that most of his songs are about intimate matters as well as the struggles and problems that arise and are faced in relationships.
While describing his creative process, he said that most times, his themes are birthed from emotionally stimulating experiences like sadness or happiness. “My next step will be to take a drive in my car whilst again listening to the instrumental continuously. As I drive, I will have activated the recording app on my iPhone to record visual inspirations from my environment. These words will later help as I write the lyrics and structure the song. 90% of the time I start with the chorus and once I get the chorus, I try to get in touch with my emotions, then I begin to harmonize and think of melodies as well work on the verses afterwards. “
Tobi Tokz when asked what his fans should be expecting moving forward, disclosed his plan to release a minimum of three singles in 2022 with at least, a music video, as well as working with prominent music producers in the industry who can help take his game to the next level.Tobi Tokz is without doubt going to hit the music industry with a wave of uniqueness and freshness, everyone should be on their toes for more.
