As the Nigerian music industry evolves and brings forth new talents almost on a daily basis, the fans get to enjoy diverse sounds and unique music from different genres. It has truly been a thrilling journey thus far with the emergence of different sounds from new artistes, and one of such new talents making the industry worth its while today is emerging singer Toby Grey who is best known for her creativity, passion and stage presence.
She spoke exclusively to Naij.com recently on her music and journey through university as well as convincing her parents that entertainment is the path for her.
Naij.com exclusive interview with emerging pop star Toby Grey. Credit: Instagram
She is unassuming, vibrant and happy-go-lucky. Having recently graduated from the University of Lagos, it all feels like there’s no limit to what she can achieve, given the recent buzz she’s garnered with her music in so short a space of time.
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She confirmed this during her interview with us saying: “I always had it in mind that I will be up there, that I will break grounds with my music. I have always been a believer, and even when things were rough considering I had to combine schooling with my music for years as well as financing my career without a record label, I knew I would weather the storm.”
She spoke further:
So who is Toby Grey?
“Tobi Grey is a singer, a song writer, an entertainer and an energetic bundle of talent.”
When you say energy bundle of talent what do you mean?
“People that see me perform on stage can attest to the fact that I give a 100%. I am not a ‘dulling person’, I’m not a boring person when I am on stage and apart from that when you listen to my music you can feel the strength and energy in the song. My songs are always energetic, not all of them though both most of them are.”
How did music come about for you?
“My music, something led me. When I joined the choir, I was doing my pre-degree at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife and I joined the school fellowship and that was when I had my first introduction to music and ever since then it’s been a roller coaster ride. That was late 2011, I recorded my first single with my friend and he was a rapper then and yeah the rest has been history.”
Naij.com exclusive interview with emerging pop star Toby Grey. Credit: Instagram
Almost every singer in Nigeria has this choir background, what’s up with that?
“Yeah that is very cliche, but at the end of the day that’s what happened to me. I can’t change what happened. That’s what happened and I am fortunate to have joined the choir, discovered myself in the choir not outside the choir cuz I got to learn so many things that I don’t know, so many things about music that on a normal day if you didn’t attend the church choir or you were just on the street and then you picked up music you might not know. So yeah, I was fortunate to have been part of that cliche group that joined the choir.”
You recently graduated from the University of Lagos, what was the experience like?
“Yeah my experience at the University of Lagos, it’s been a very challenging one considering the fact that I do music and was schooling at the same time for years. It’s crazy because you have classes, and you have lectures, and you have tests to write, and you have a project to defend or you any other academic stuff know like that and so you have to learn to combine multiple activities and get the best out still. It was hard mixing music with school, I mean music is a very jealous profession and school takes a lot of time and so doing those things together hand-in-hand was a big challenge to me. But I’m glad am over with it, I’m so glad, I’m so glad but nevertheless I’m proud to have been through these process cuz it makes me appreciate what I have. Not everybody has the opportunity to go to school but if you are fortunate enough to go to school just stay in school and if you are also fortunate enough to have people around you that can guide you know, through the journey, music and education, it’s amazing.”
So you say it was challenging combining school and music back then, how did you manage everything?
“I feel like I was very fortunate cuz I started gaining a lot of buzz I think when I was in my 300 level. I feel that time it was easier. It was more of Tobi, you have to do these ASAP and leave but there was a lot of pressure so you sometimes I had to miss classes or miss tests, because I had one show or one interview to attend. But at the end of the day, like I said I had a lot of friends and family that kept on encouraging me like you can do this, just be strong. I remember one time one semester I had bad grades and I was like wow my dad is going to be so mad but then I think I always had at the back of my mind the kind of father I have. Even if you are doing music or flying a plane from one place to another, he does not care as long as your grades are up that’s his own business. So I had to like keep on reminding myself that you might be a singer but at the same time you are the child of Mr. Adeyemi so failing is not an option.”
Naij.com exclusive interview with emerging pop star Toby Grey. Credit: Instagram
What was your dad’s first reaction when you spoke about wanting to pursue music?
“See, I don’t talk about my dad’s reaction because it was a very funny one. You know there’s every point in a child’s life where they are like mum I want to be an aeronautic engineer, then they change to mum I want to be a doctor and they are like mum I want to be a DJ and then they go to mum I want to start selling recharge cards because my friends think it’s it cool. You know like, they just have like so many things going on, they want to do so many things at once and I feel like the first time I told my dad about music he thought like that was like the stage I was at the moment. Then I was like dad this is real and he said ok, no problem. Then there was a day he was sitting down in the living room and I went to him with my songbook and I sang a song and he was like ok, not bad and I was like not bad? At that point I knew I had to keep pushing. I remember late 2011, when I recorded my first song with my friends I came home and I played the song to him and he was reading a newspaper. Then he dropped the newspaper and went on to watching TV. He acted like he didn’t even hear me and when I was done playing the song he was like ok, I think you are being serious. I was like really dad, really, just say you like the song. But then it was very hard for him to understand and accept at first so I kept on pushing, I kept recording songs, I kept writing. Then he saw that ok she’s is really serious and then from then, he was a 100% supportive of me and my team. But my mum from day one has been a big fan even before I recorded my first songs.”
Who is your biggest critic?
“My mother, she’s my biggest critic. If I have an interview, she calls me and says Tobi I don’t like what you’ve said o, I think you should’ve said this or Tobi, what are you wearing? What is this? Or Tobi that song you recorded, please go back and change this line, I think it doesn’t sound nice. And then I’d be like mummy, really, we know what’s up you don’t know and she’s like I was born before you so you must listen to me. It’s really crazy. So she’s my biggest critic.”
What was the creation process like for your songs Love and Harmony?
“I am really glad you asked that question because those two songs are like my favorite songs, like my favorite songs of all time. I remember going to the studio with Kiddominant and we had to like task our heads, task our brains like what are we going to do? That was the first time I was working with a producer I would say I connected with. So, Love and Harmony are two special songs for me. I remember Kiddominant saying Tobi you don’t have to sound like every other artiste. Let’s try this thing, let’s do this thing. It was really amazing, it was an amazing journey and the songs came out really nice. I feel like people up till date don’t know how much those song means to me.”
Moving from Love and Harmony which is your biggest song till date?
“My biggest song… well I would say the song that has gotten me lots lot of buzz so far is Gboju, that’s the cover I did for Kiss Daniel’s song Woju. A lot of controversies, a lot of comments, a lot of thumbs up and a lot of what was she thinking. But it was definitely that song that got people talking and asking: Who’s Tobi Grey? What does she do? Where did she come from? And it opened me to a whole lot of people that I didn’t even know I was going to meet at that point. I mean I know I was going to meet them anyway but I didn’t know that it was going to be at that moment. Apart from that, there is Gbona the song which was produced by T-Spice. The video was shot and directed by Mex. That is an amazing song, I took my time to record that song and it means a lot to me. The inspiration was drawn from R. Kelly cuz I remember listening to him every day until I finished recording. And then there’s Laleyi, the one I did with Omolope which was produced by Young D. I worked with Young D so many times so we really have a connection. I remember when I travelled for the NEA in 2015, I had to record a whole lot of songs. I have Emma Nyra on one, I have Ayo Jay. I had one major collaboration as well but I am going to keep that a secret for now. Yeah so I think the song that’s got me the biggest attention overall is Gboju, the cover I did for Woju and then subsequent songs and my recent single Love Dosage. Love Dosage is definitely the song that got many people talking around and I’m so glad because I love the song.”
Naij.com exclusive interview with emerging pop star Toby Grey. Credit: Instagram
What was it like at the Nigerian Entertainment Awards in 2015?
“The journey was fantastic, well I don’t mean the journey as in the 12hour flight but the journey in terms of the process was fantastic. I met a lot of people, a lot of Nigerian artistes that on a normal day would probably be back stage and not have time to relate with every other person but we had a lot of time to catch up and I performed as well which was amazing. That was where I got to work with Ayo Jay, Emma Nyra and some other people. And yeah I met so many people there. I’m so glad I went for that show. Amazing, amazing memories.”
What has the journey been like for you in the entertainment industry since you got in?
“The Nigerian music industry, I feel like, you know people say a lot about the music industry. They are like it’s hard to blow, it’s hard to do this. Yes those things are true but the hardest part is the finance. I mean I am an indie artiste and I can say that for sure. It’s really, really hard financing yourself well but with the help of my family and supportive people I’m glad to be where I am today. There are people who say Oh Tobi let me see how I can help or I work here let me see how I can tell somebody to help you do this or do that and that’s how we’ve gotten certain things done. So it’s been very challenging trust me but I thank God because where I am today, I can say it’s only through God’s grace. A lot of people have been trying to get into that market, and well I am not saying am there yet, but it’s a work in progress so I thank God.”
Is the Nigerian music industry political or what’s your analysis of it?
“You mean the music industry or the audience? Let me say, let me address it from both sides. Will I say the industry is political? In a way yes, you know because people have their preferences. It’s just like real life you go somewhere and you have a goal you want to achieve. So it’s in that aspect that it is political but then again it’s not political in the sense that the coast is large enough for everybody, the sky is wide enough for every bird to fly. So it depends on how you work, who you work with and all. It’s about knowing the right people and working with the right people. For the audience, I feel like the audience comprises of every one of us so we have a part to play. As for the core consumers, I feel that they are hypocritical in the sense that everybody knows that this person is diversified, this person likes a whole lot of genres but then they keep trying to place you in a box and ask what type of music you are making. That’s bad. I don’t believe in saying you have a type of music. I mean what happens to an artiste that does different genres, what happens to an artiste that is not a one way person? So, I feel like that market, they know that you are good and they know that you can give good music but then they want you to give them the music that can stay after two hours and fizzle out which is bad. But then after all said it’s the Nigerian industry and have to understand your market to be able to excel in it. Well, only time will tell, only time will tell and quality music is what will stand the test of time.”
What are the major challenges you have faced so far in pushing your music?
“Finance has been my major issue, it is quite a challenge. It hasn’t been easy but God’s been great.”
Have you been exploited at any point or maybe sexually harassed?
‘There’s a lot that you experience in your journey to the top. It’s quite a tough ride. But for the sexual aspect, no, that has not happened to me. Well, I am just blessed to have around me people that understand that this is what we are trying to do, this is where we are trying to go, it’s a brand and we are trying to create an image for it, we are not trying to tarnish the image before it’s even known and all that. So sexual harassment, it hasn’t gotten to that aspect and I pray and hope that it does not but the major challenge I’ve faced is basically finance. I am getting there anyway.”
But how will you react if someone walked up to you and offered to help if you have a sexual affair with him?
“See I feel like in life you get things you want only if you deserve to get them. So, if you don’t deserve to get them you probably would not, then, you probably get introduced to so many things that on a normal day you should not get into and then you begin to… that’s when Yoruba people would say ‘igba yen lo ma fi ilokulo lo eyan’ just because it’s not your thing. I don’t know how to translate it that’s why I spoke in Yoruba. But they offer you what you ought not to get basically is what I’m trying to say. So It’s not in my own character, I have a brand that I’m trying to build and most importantly I have pride. I can’t speak for anyone else. But I would not do it, I don’t know about anyone else I mean people do it but not me.”
Tobiloba ‘Toby Grey’ Adeyemi is a fast-rising pop singer, song writer and entertainer who looks set to carve a niche for herself in the bubbly Nigerian music industry.
In 2014, she graduated from the University of Lagos with a bachelors degree in French.
Watch Toby Grey’s interview below:
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