Tobi Adey.
Remember that name. Sure he's already starting to pop on BBC but we had to get in there early as usual. The 22 year old caught our ears with "I See Lightning" a smooth track infused with soulful rap and beautiful non-cliche lyrics.
We spent a few minutes chatting to Tobi on his latest release "Frequency", mainstream "carnal" music and his main musical influence.
Listen to Frequency here:
So how did it all begin?
My dad and sisters make music and my mum used to sing a lot so music was in the family. I just thank God that he gave me the interest and purpose for it aswell. I started when I was a lot younger writing songs and playing drums and stuff and by Gods grace my interest in music kept growing.
Your style has changed a lot from your earlier tracks. How would you explain your evolution?
Naturally people change everyday, I believe it’s how we were created, so over time with anything in and outside music everyone is going to evolve even if we don’t want to or make a conscious effort to. So with the music I think it’s only natural, and I think it will keep evolving for as long as I make music by Gods grace.
What are your main musical influences?
I look at music a lot differently now. Before I would have listed a bunch of artists that I used to listen to but I realise that music and everything about life is just spiritual. I don’t really listen to much music outside a few tracks these days to be honest, but I’m still able to make music.
I think it’s purely from spirit and I see every song as a blessing or like a gift from God because that’s just what they are. So I would say my main music influence is the spirit.
You said before in a previous interview, you still believe in albums even though the music industry is kinda of steering away from that. Do you see yourself more as an “artist”?
If I’m being honest music is just a tool or like a gift. I used to see myself as an “artist”, but now I realise that music is not who I am but just a part of who I am. Everyone has atleast one God given gift, some people have more. We are meant to use our gifts to serve one another. People who are gifted in understanding of the sciences serve us with medicine and aid for example. So the same with music, I see it as a gift which I am meant to use to serve others.
I just try to work in light of how God designed us to be. So rather than seeing myself as an artist I just honestly see myself as a server and I like it that way. My hope and prayer is that my music does something significant in the revival of my generation to take us back to high understanding of God's spirit and why we are actually here.
Your current EP “Frequency” references evil and demons, “finding your image” and hope. It’s really a mixed bag. How was the process of making “Frequency”?
The process is always the same for me, I give all the credit to God, every single thing is God. When I say that people always tell me “nah but bro you did something” or “you can’t give God all the credit bro, you’re the one the wrote the music”. In reality, without God I wouldn’t exist, I wouldn’t be able to breath or pull a sentence together. Like nothing I have is from my own strength or understanding, absolutely zero, nada, nado, zilch. And I stand on that. Without God I am nothing.
Leave a comment