Tobi Lou

Tobi Adeyemi, known professionally as Tobi Lou (stylized in lower case), is a Nigerian-American singer, songwriter, rapper and record producer.

Early life

Tobi Adeyemi was born in Lagos and raised in Chicago.^[1][2] He attended Homewood-Flossmoor High School and Hinsdale Central High School, where he began recording music.^[3] He attended the University of Illinois where he played club baseball^[4] and then SUNY Albany and Florida A&M University, where he played college baseball for both teams.^[5][6] After not getting drafted in the 2011 MLB draft, he played 2 years of semi-pro baseball for the Joliet Slammers as an outfielder before leaving in 2012 due to injury.^[2][7] In 2014, he moved to Los Angeles to continue his musical career.^[2] While in Los Angeles, he worked as an Uber driver.^[8]

Career

2015–2018: Beginnings and Tobi lou and the Trilogy

On September 16, 2015, Adeyemi released his first single, "Pretty Please".^[9] In 2015, he released the single "Your Baby" under the name Wonda.^[2][10] On February 9, 2018, he released his first EP, tobi lou and the Moon.^[11] On March 8, 2018, he released the single "Troop" featuring Smino.^[12] On March 9, 2018, What So Not released the album Not All the Beautiful Things, which contained the song "Monsters" featuring Adeyemi and Michael Christmas.^{[citation needed]} On April 27, 2018, he released the tobi lou and the Loop EP, which contained the song "Buff Baby", which gained significant traction on TikTok.^[13][7] On June 30, 2020, "Buff Baby" was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.^[14] On August 10, 2018, he released the tobi lou and the Juice EP.^[15] On October 6, 2018, he debuted on the Billboard Next Big Sound chart, peaking at position 8.^[16] On December 18, 2018, Penomeco released his Garden EP, which featured Adeyemi on the song "Cool".^[17] Adeyemi and Marc E. Bassy joined Kyle on his 2018 "Lightspeed" tour.^[18]

2019–2022: Live on Ice, Lingo Starr, and Non-Perishable

In 2019, Adeyemi embarked on his first headlining tour, the "Happy + Extra Sad" tour with Liltrxptendo and Femdot.^[19] The tour began on September 12, 2019 in Minneapolis, and ended on October 20, 2019 in Chicago. On August 2, 2019, he released his debut full-length studio album, Live On Ice, featuring guest appearances from Erica René, Cam O'bi, Rockie Fresh, Soundbwoy, Glassface, Vernon, Ryan Destiny, Djemba Djemba, and LeJKeys.^[20] The album peaked at 45 on the US Independent Albums Billboard chart and 14 on the US Top Heatseekers chart.^[16] On October 19, 2019, he was ranked 50 on the Bandsintown x Billboard US Rising Artists Index.^[16] On November 22, 2019, Ryan Destiny released the single "The Same" featuring Adeyemi.^[21] Adeyemi was featured on the song "Pray For Real" by Peter CottonTale, alongside Chance the Rapper, on CottonTale's album Catch, which released on April 17, 2020. The song peaked at 24 on the Gospel Airplay chart.^[16] Adeyemi was featured on the song "Morocco" by Kota the Friend, on his album Everything, which released on May 22, 2020.^[22] On July 3, 2020, he released the Lingo Starr EP.^[23] On November 10, 2020, he released the single "Okay" with Dreezy.^[24] On November 24, 2020, Saba released the single "Areyoudown? Pt. 2", featuring Adeyemi.^[25]

On January 23, 2021, he was ranked 2 on the Billboard Top Chicago Emerging R&B/Hip-Hop Artists 2021 chart.^[16] On March 11, 2022, his studio album Non-Perishable was released, featuring guest appearances from T-Pain, Jean Deaux, and Chika.^[13] The album peaked at 83 on the Billboard US Top Album Sales chart, 46 on the US Top Current Album Sales chart, and 5 on the US Top Heatseekers chart.^[16] On April 2, 2021, Rockie Fresh released the album Slid Thru Pt 2, featuring Adeyemi and Jeff Kaale on the song "Gucci".^[26] On March 25, 2022, he was ranked 33 on the Billboard Emerging Artists chart.^[16] On July 29, 2022, Warren Hue's album Boy of the Year released, featuring Adeyemi on the song "In My Bag."^[27]

2023–present: Baggy Weather and 'Decent

On March 31, 2023, he released the album Baggy Weather, featuring guest appearances from Chief Keef and eaJ, as an exclusive on his TobiLoop app.^[28] A 'mini-version' of the album was released the same day on streaming services.^[29] On May 5, 2023, he released the Sorry I'm Late EP.^[30] Adeyemi joined T-Pain on his "Escape From Wiscansin: The Invasion" tour in the summer of 2023.^[31] On June 30, 2023, he released the album 'Decent, featuring guest appearances from Dame D.O.L.L.A., Polo G, rä lomac, Glassface, Chief Keef, Saba, and internetboy.^[28] In August 2023, he announced the "Perish Blue" tour with grouptherapy. The tour begins on September 21, 2023 in Houston, and ends on October 29, 2023 in Phoenix.^[32] On September 15, 2023, he released the single "Cobra" featuring Young Thug.^[33] He released the Perish Blue (Fall Tour) EP with producer Farada on September 22, 2023.^[34] On October 23, 2023, Adeyemi performed as K'Sante in the League of Legends virtual band Heartsteel, alongside Baekhyun, ØZI, and Cal Scruby, in the band's debut single, "Paranoia".^[35] The group performed the song at the 2023 League of Legends World Championship.^[36]

He released Young Bopalopalous, a collaborative EP with producer Farada in April 2024.^[37] He released his album Diabolical <3 on May 27, 2025^[38] and his album Same Old Jeans (Ripped Jeans) on May 13, 2026.^[39]

Artistry

Tobi Lou has stated that artists including André 3000, The Notorious B.I.G., Will Smith, Tupac, NSYNC, Timbaland, Frank Ocean, Missy Elliott, Maroon 5, Pharrell Williams, and Kanye West are inspirations for him.^{[40][1][3][41]}

Discography

Studio albums

Extended plays

Singles

As lead artist

Guest appearances

References

1. ^ "tobi lou is A Force to Be Reckoned With". VMan. 2020-08-05. Archived July 11, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
2. ^ Galil, Leor (2018-10-11). "Rapper-singer Tobi Lou left Chicago to become one of its best new hopes". Chicago Reader. Archived September 28, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
3. ^ Montanez, Elliot (2019-07-23). "Tobi Lou: Chicago's Rising Superhero". Lyrical Lemonade. Archived July 11, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
4. ^ "Tobi Adeyemi - 2008 - Baseball". Albany Great Danes. Archived December 23, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
5. ^ Williams, Randall (2022-03-14). "The Non-Perishable Power of tobi lou". Boardroom. Archived March 15, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
6. ^ "Tobi Adeyemi College & Independent Leagues Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived May 30, 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
7. ^ Taylor, Shakeia (2023-12-13). "After an injury ended his baseball career, Chicago-raised tobi lou used 'competitive' mindset to propel his music career". Chicago Tribune. Archived February 13, 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2026-02-20.
8. ^ Nguyen, Martin (2019-06-19). "Meet Tobi Lou: The Pop-Rap Artist You Need To Know". Cools. Archived from the original on July 16, 2019. Retrieved 2023-09-23.
9. ^ Tanners, Jon (Sep 16, 2015). "Premiere: Tobi Lou - "Pretty Please"". Complex. Archived from the original on July 19, 2023. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
10. ^ Nostro, Lauren (February 23, 2015). "Premiere: Listen to Wonda's "Your Baby"". Complex. Archived July 11, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
11. ^ Huynh, Davis (2018-03-02). "tobi lou Declares His Love for Sailor Moon in New Video". Hypebeast. Archived July 13, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
12. ^ Skelton, Eric (March 6, 2018). "Tobi Lou Is Creating His Own Magical World and He Just Took a Huge Leap Forward". Pigeons & Planes. Complex. Archived from the original on August 7, 2020. Retrieved 2026-05-16.
13. ^ Gayler, Max (2022-03-18). "Non-Perishable settles it, it's time to stop sleeping on Tobi Lou". The Line of Best Fit. Archived March 20, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
14. ^ "Tobi Lou Buff Baby". RIAA. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
15. ^ Skelton, Eric (August 10, 2018). "Tobi Lou Lets Loose on Vibrant EP 'Tobi Lou and the Juice'". Complex. Archived August 2, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
16. ^ "Tobi Lou | Biography, Music & News". Billboard. Archived April 25, 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
17. ^ Jay, Germaine (December 19, 2018). "PENOMECO gives a preview of 1st EP album 'Garden'". Allkpop. Archived July 19, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
18. ^ Hartshorn, Tori (Aug 20, 2018). "Rap Sensation KYLE Announces THE LIGHTSPEED World Tour". BroadwayWorld. Archived July 19, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
19. ^ Nunez, Steven (October 23, 2019). "Tobi lou wraps up sold-out tour with last stop in his hometown of Chicago". The Columbia Chronicle. Archived October 25, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
20. ^ Lodewick, Colin (August 8, 2019). "tobi lou: Live on Ice". Pitchfork. Archived August 8, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
21. ^ Scott, Sydney (2020-11-04). "Ryan Destiny Delivers With Long-Awaited Video For 'The Same'". Essence. Archived November 23, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-09-23.
22. ^ Scott, Ruby (May 22, 2020). "Kota the Friend Continues to Pave His Own Path in 'EVERYTHING'". Ones to Watch. Archived July 2, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-09-23.
23. ^ Caraan, Sophie (2020-07-09). "tobi lou Shares Cinematic "LINGO STARR" Visual". Hypebeast. Archived July 15, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
24. ^ Cho, Regina (2020-11-10). "Dreezy assists Tobi Lou on new single "OKAY"". Revolt. Archived January 21, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
25. ^ Strauss, Matthew (2020-11-25). "Saba Shares New Songs "So and So" and "Areyoudown? Pt. 2": Listen". Pitchfork. Archived November 25, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
26. ^ Duong, Paul (2021-04-02). "New Mixtape: Rockie Fresh 'Slide Thru Part 2' - Rap Radar". Rap Radar. Archived April 9, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
27. ^ Angan, Kara (2022-07-28). "Warren Hue Premieres Debut Album 'Boy Of The Year'". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on July 29, 2022. Retrieved 2023-09-23.
28. ^ Dale, Evan (July 18, 2023). "A Chicago Story // Chief Keef and Tobi Lou Got Each Other Back in their Experimental Bags". Rngldr Magazine. Archived September 28, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-09-23.
29. ^ Horvath, Zachary (2023-08-27). "Tobi Lou And FARADA Team Up For Another Project "Caturday"". HotNewHipHop. Archived August 28, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-09-23.
30. ^ Lee, Cydney & Rouhani, Neena (2023-05-08). "R&B/Hip-Hop Fresh Picks of the Week: JELEEL!, Kirby, BLK ODYSSY & More". Billboard. Archived May 9, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
31. ^ Corrine, Amber (2023-04-12). "T-Pain Announces Escape From Wiscansin: The Invasion Tour And 2nd Wiscansin Fest". Vibe. Archived 16 May 2026 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-09-23.
32. ^ Geiger, Amy (2023-08-02). "Tour news: Paul McCartney, tobi lou, Automatic, Mac Sabbath, more". BrooklynVegan. Archived August 3, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-09-23.
33. ^ Bras Nevares, Gabriel (2023-09-16). "tobi lou & Young Thug's "Cobra" Is Among The Waviest New Singles This Week". HotNewHipHop. Archived September 20, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-09-23.
34. ^ Horvath, Zachary (September 23, 2023). "Tobi Lou And FARADA Prove They Are A Great Duo With "Perish Blue (Fall Tour)"". HotNewHipHop. Archived September 28, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2026-02-20.
35. ^ Peters, Jay (2023-10-16). "The next League of Legends music group is a virtual boy band". The Verge. Archived October 16, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-10-31.
36. ^ Yeo, Gladys (2023-11-20). "Watch Heartsteel, NewJeans perform at the 2023 'League of Legends' World Championship". NME. Archived November 20, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2026-02-20.
37. ^ Horvath, Zachary (May 1, 2024). "Tobi Lou & FARADA Bolster Their Chemistry With "Young Bopalopalous" EP". HotNewHipHop. Archived 2026-05-16 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2026-02-20.
38. ^ Morton, Devin (May 27, 2025). "Tobi Lou Is Dynamic And "Diabolical <3" On His Latest Album". HotNewHipHop. Archived June 4, 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2026-02-20.
39. ^ Cole, Alexander (May 13, 2026). "Same Old Jeans (Ripped Jeans) - Album by tobi lou". HotNewHipHop. Archived May 14, 2026 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2026-05-16.
40. ^ Wally, Maxine (2020-11-12). "The "Buff Baby" TikTok Dance Gave Tobi Lou a Sign of Career Success". W Magazine. Archived November 13, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
41. ^ Thomas, Fred. "Tobi Lou Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Archived April 25, 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
42. ^ Hynes, Hayley (December 30, 2023). "tobi lou Is In His Bag On "Numbers (Solo Version)": Stream". HotNewHipHop. Archived December 31, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2026-02-20.