One artist. Every album. Ten songs.
The Music of Tobe Nwigwe
When I asked one of my oldest friends James White for a music recommendation, he warned me that Tobe Nwigwe was likely going to be a bit different from music I normally listened to. I’ve grown up with an arm’s-length distance from rap, really only ever being able to name the top one or two players in the game and even fewer tracks. I think the only rap album I’ve ever listened to all the way through before this would’ve been KJ-52’s Collaborations – and even that was introduced to me by a friend. All that said, I wouldn’t say that listening to Tobe Nwigwe was a challenge – it was just a genre that I had little experience in. Nwigwe’s music is hyper-confident, lyrically exciting, and unapologetically American. I found Tobe tends to rap the most often about his wife, his willingness to fight people, and his own excellence as an artist. Try Jesus is an excellent example of the “I’m joking but not really” attitude you’ll find in many of his tracks. “I know what He said about gettin’ slapped,” the track goes. “But if you touch me or mine, we gon’ have to scrap.” There’s a lightheartedness to his bravado, but also an unyielding loyalty to the way of life Tobe comes from. I’m reminded of Beyoncé’s Daddy Lessons, which similarly highlights a moral code that I have issues with – but there’s such a love of that code embedded into the music.
Tobe was featured in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’s soundtrack and gained popularity through his consistent song uploads on social media since 2016. His entire album The Pandemic Experience is a blast of a listen, and I feel like it’s a better representation of his vibe than these top ten tracks I’ve selected. Whether you’re into rap or not, you certainly won’t be bored listening to this guy.