Toye’s latest project, Wahala In Paradise, is an important addition to Afrobeats’ libraries at the time. The eight-tracker is an intimate and introspective Alternative RnB/Pop fusion where Toye champions his distinct artistry.

On the EP, the Nigerian-American singer unfurls his most tedious early adulthood experiences, including migrating back to Lagos. From the synthesizer-heavy duet with Cruel Santino, “Faaji Jackson”, to the somber ballad, “Human”, Toye shines with his feel-good musical style.

He describes his creative process as typically unpredictable, but always laser-focused on a story. “ If you listen enough, you can hear a story going on,” he says. And when he isn’t making music, he’s gathering ideas from living life itself. He traces his come-up journey in this special sit-down with Guardian Music, while breaking down his creative muses, experiences and visions; as well as his mission to make music that’s not only relatable, but also reflects his most tender yearnings.

Congratulations on Wahala in Paradise. What does this project mean to you?
So, I feel like this project is a collection of experiences that I’ve had, a diary, essentially, just stamping each moment that I felt within the last two years. I moved from Atlanta back to Lagos, and I felt like I needed a way to kind of showcase the experience that I had in ATL.

So, those experiences were your Wahala in Paradise?
I won’t say all of them were. I think the body of work in totality was, you know, Wahala In paradise.

Tell us about some key records from the project like “Faaji Jackson” with Cruel Santino.
For “Faaji Jackson”, that record was just vibes. I felt like we needed to tap into a different space for Afrobeats. It’s only a few people that have realized it has to be right now, and the only way to express that is by releasing music that shows the headspace, that reflects that the people are ready for something different, for something new. And that’s my contribution into that, into that space where we’re just experimenting and having fun with the music, where it’s not so calculated.

Tell us about the track “Quarter Life Crisis”.
That song is just me pouring my heart out in a way; it’s just me talking to God. It’s just me pouring my heart out and speaking for me, just me speaking my reality, just me saying exactly how I feel, exactly what is going on, exactly how it is. That song was basically my observation at that point in time. And you know, because there is a lot of crisis all around us in Nigeria.

How did you start your music journey?
Okay, so my name Toye came about because I wanted to make music, but I didn’t want my mom to know that it was me singing. So, I still wanted to keep my real name Toyin, which is Oluwatoyin, but at the same time, I didn’t want to make it obvious. I just switched the spelling. So my biggest influences were the big three – Wizkid, Davido and Burna Boy – at that point in time. To be honest, at that time, I didn’t have any money; I was just looking for creative ways to spread my message across. However, I was lucky enough because I went to university in ATL and people started supporting me out there. So I started doing club gigs. So that was what really helped me.

How did you juggle being in the diaspora and making Afrobeats-focused music?
I think a big part of it was just to keep in touch with my roots. I still watch lots of Yoruba movies. It’s not like before, where there weren’t really any smartphones. So most of my friends were Nigerian, and aside from that everything around me was still Nigerian, but it’s just the environment that looked American. But just that the infrastructure is working.

You wrote a couple of songs for big names like Davido. Tell us about that journey.
Myself and Davido have our own relationship. But at the time, I just wanted to try something different. So he was working on his album. Then I showed him the song. And then he recorded it, and that’s how, a week later, Chris Brown and Young Thug are on the record. Sometimes, there’s always that divine thing that happens when you’re doing what you’re supposed to do, or when you’ve done exactly what you’re supposed to do.

Musically, what is your creative process like?
I’m the kind of person who is very big on observing. I’m very big on just living life and then putting that out in my music in whichever way that comes out, basically just saying what I see and what I experience, you know. So I feel like I’m very big on storytelling. If you listen enough, you can hear a story going on.

Among the other class of contemporary musicians, who are the people you could likely make music with?
I’m very big on energy. I enjoy everybody’s music that I enjoy, but I’m a very big fan of Rema and Asake. I love those two.

Tell us about your favourite songs from the project right now.
My current favourite right now is “Human”. I was very vulnerable on that record. I really gravitate towards it, to be a stamp in their life at that point in time. I want it to be the soundtrack of their life, or whenever they even find the song that’s going to be the soundtrack of whatever they’re going through. You know, because you, if you understand what I’m talking about, there’s always songs that are the soundtrack to your life at a certain point in time.

So tell us about yourself a bit when you’re not making music.
When I am not making music, I love TV shows. I love movies. I’ve started getting back into video games. I like streaming. I like playing basketball. I like sports. You know, I go to the gym to clear my head too.

So, what’s next for you?
I think it’s just going to be another body of work that shows life after a crisis, basically what I’m experiencing at this point in time right now. I’m not really looking too far ahead. I want to be here in a minute.

Finally, what would you say is the vision for your artistry?
I’m only trying to appease my 10 year old self. My vision is looking back at what I want. I’m just trying to appease my inner child. Everything I do. It’s just to appease that version of myself.