Discover Tomi Agape, The Carefree Nigerian UK-based Soul Singer With Killer Style
After having released several singles this year, the UK-based soul singer Tomi Agape has made her mark as a wonderful new addition to the Nigerian music industry.
Playing to no rules, her distinct style and sound defines her as an artist who is unwilling to shrink herself to any (read Nigerian) standards or expectations. This is evident in her recently released micro-song “She (Sativa)” where she sings about a free-spirited woman who refuses to be tied down.
High off this brilliant new song, we had a chat with the singer about being a woman in the music industry and her distinct style.
On being a woman in the music industry
“I mean, it’s a male-dominated industry so it can be kind of funny at times but you just have to respect yourself and your craft.
Work hard and prove to yourself over and over again that you deserve to be right where you are.
My main goal is to get to a point where my gender is irrelevant – on a Beyoncé and Rihanna p. Who’s going to tell them anything?”
On her work ethic
“I believe that perseverance, persistence and hard work are strong contributing factors to success. You have to really want it, even when it’s hard.
I don’t know how qualified I am to give advice but if I had to, I’d say that it’s going to be tough, and you have to know how badly you want it.
There’s a clear difference between people who do it because it’s something to do and people who do this like their life depends on it.”
On her growth in the industry
“I feel like from when I first started until now, I can measure my growth as an artiste even down to the little things like the way I choose to flow on a song or how I go about writing about a topic. I still have so much growing to do and I’m excited about it.”
On her style and sound
“You have to take yourself seriously for other people to take you seriously. When you respect yourself and your craft they have no choice but to respect you.
They might not want to at first, but trust me they’re going to have to. Your look, sound and aura are all part of your brand. It’s important because it’s part of what defines you.
When people think about you, there should be something they’re left with.”
Tomi doesn’t have a major project out yet but she is gaining more and more attention with every release. While we wait for a debut project of sorts, we will continue to listen to her string of singles, unleashing our inner carefree black girl.
