Art aligns with the times and no one has demonstrated this other than TOBi. The rapper-singer embarks on a journey of self-reflection and then some in his new video for “Growth.”
Produced by ClayJay, iLLMIND and Nate Smith, the track is the opener for his debut album STILL and fits the tone of the times. Originally inspired by time growing up in Nigeria and Canada, the video takes us on a journey with TOBi as he derives elements of growth and wonder with dirt and broken glass.
“I gave myself a pat on the back when I wrote ‘Growth,'” TOBi tells VIBE. “I’m proud to be this candid about life, just like my favorite artists. It really is exponential growth in terms of the quality of my mind and my intentions. Look how far we came from deficit to baseline to surplus. I left a powerful affirmation at the end of the song, by saying ‘bigger and better now.’ Like Ace Boogie says, now we just gotta maintain.”
There’s rain, tears and then some scattered in the visuals, all connecting to TOBi’s creative take on masculinity. “I call this s**t post-traumatic growth/Out of Hell, free to go/Send a shout, I propose a toast,” he says in the song opener.
Released May of last year, STILL gained critical acclaim thanks to tracks like “City Blues,” and “Werking.” In September 2017, he gained attention thanks to his song “Hidden Fences” heard on Issa Rae’s HBO series, Insecure. He’s also worked with the likes of Van Jess and The Game.
Peep the visuals for “Growth” above.