Meet Tobolos: the Nigerian MC, rapper and producer who’s got an affinity for nifty freestyling and crooning verse.
Using events from his own life as points of inspiration behind his weighty lyricism, his first full-length offering The Slow Burn is a raw listening experience, packed with unapologetic charisma and a string of brooding beats. But what makes this 6-track EP unique isn’t just the emotion Tobolos drives into each track – it’s the way in which he has so eloquently captured the true essence of freestyle rap.
Being an MC all his life, Tobolos continuously makes reference to an old-school sound that’s genuinely reminiscent of Eminem’s early ad-lib days, or on a more contemporary level, the likes of Kendrik, Ladipoe and Jay-Z.
His writing feels intentionally stylized, from the aggressive production of “Burn Slow (Ether)”, to the more vulnerable “Adriano”, to the reggae-inspired samples on “Cosmic Interlude”, to the bed of pianos and angelic vocals in “Call Me Back” – The Slow Burn makes itself known through the charm of Tobolos’ effervescent skills as a freestyler, but more so, through his love for it.
Feature pic supplied by artist
