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.
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 ofof time.
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.
Source: Naij
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