TOBi has had quite a week. The Nigerian-born, Brampton-raised rapper and singer arrives at April 1 with a fifth career JUNO Award in hand and a brand new project ready for the world. ‘For Good Measure,’ released today via ADA Canada, is a seven-track live EP that pulls from TOBi’s catalog and routes it through a jazz lens, capturing something rawer and more immediate than a conventional studio release. Listen here.
The project originated from a session last year in Toronto, where TOBi and producer Nick Ferraro started experimenting with a jazz-quartet reimagining of “Hoodwinked,” TOBi’s 2022 single. That single experiment opened into something larger. Over two days in September, TOBi, Ferraro, and musicians Jeremiah, Noam, and Julian recorded the entire EP live off the floor at Dreamhouse Studios. The result is unguarded and deeply musical, with TOBi’s vocal range and instincts front and center.
The EP’s lead track, “City Blues,” anchors the release with a live visual. It’s the kind of performance that reminds you how much space a great vocalist can fill without a single production trick. TOBi’s voice carries the weight of the whole set.
The timing of ‘For Good Measure’ lands with real momentum behind it. Last weekend, TOBi took home the JUNO Award for Rap Single of the Year alongside Canadian music legends Jully Black and Saukrates, adding to a run that includes a Best Rap Album win at the 2024 JUNOs for his critically praised album ‘PANIC.’ Billboard, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, and COLORS have all taken notice. This is an artist operating at the height of his powers.
For Good Measure Tracklist:
Someone I Knew (at Dreamhouse Studios)
City Blues (at Dreamhouse Studios)
Hoodwinked (at Dreamhouse Studios)
Flowers (at Dreamhouse Studios)
Feel (voice memo)
Keep From Falling (at Dreamhouse Studios)
Shine (at Dreamhouse Studios)