Happy Monday, PBM Disciples! Crazy weekend of football, lost bets, and triumphant performances in fantasy rival games for ya boy. A rollercoaster of emotion that I would ride again and again if it always concluded with me setting my landfill of an opponent ablaze in the fantasy league I care the most about. I contemplated staying up until 1201am just to talk shit until the day was over – then my 36 year-old mind and body took over and the pillows were hit.

I want to kick off this week with an artist spotlight much like the ones I used to blast out via the caboose. Today’s subject is Tobe Nwigwe, who popped onto my radar after he dropped this bomb in Sway’s Studio on Shade 45:

I can’t pronounce the dude’s name, but I know serious skill when I hear it. Tobe was born in Houston, and was a legit NFL prospect linebacker at North Texas before injuries derailed those ambitions. When you hear him, you hear Houston Hip Hop. You also can tell this man LOVES Outkast, as his flow is a blend of vintage ‘Kast (both Boi & Dre) mixed with Scarface mixed with Lecrae. I say Lecrae because this man is essentially a spirituality or faith based artist. His tracks have bars that on the surface seem to be brutalizing or meant to intimidate, but they’re all layered in a silver lining. They’re all about positivity. And they’re absolutely NEVER corny. This is his latest release, “Color.”

Lots of new school rappers proclaim their flow to be water – this man’s style truly encapsulates that proclamation. This flow is crystal clear Turks & Caicos water. If you could drink it, it’d be Smart Water. The guy is flat out, undeniably talented. Check this track, which is my personal favorite:

If you don’t hear a joint that is an expansion of “Aquemini,” I don’t know what you’re listening to. He drops hat tips and homages all over the lyrics in this record – all the while using a flow and style that is entirely his own and absurdly difficult to execute. This beat is brutal for someone who fancies themselves as a lyricist, and Tobe obliterates it.

That sample! Goddamn that sample. For a spiritual man such as Tobe to title a track “Murder,” you had to guess there was an iconic sample involved. The flow patterns in this song are out of this fucking world, and make me obscenely jealous of the dude’s talent. Not to mention I’ve almost given myself whiplash head nodding to this funk. Good lord is right, Tobe!

A little Southernplayalistic, yes? I believe so. I also hear a bunch of Goodie Mobb – particulary the “Still Standing” album. Last one below…

“In the SWAT, in the west, every bar I spit is for the oppressed.” That’s just one bar out of at least twenty that are PERFECTLY executed in this track. Do yourself a favor and fuck with a man who will never use the word “fuck” on his joints. You won’t regret it.