In his latest video, “Troop,” Chicago’s tobi lou shouts out all the cartoons and influences that made him the artist that he is today. Peep the video below.
Wow. There is so much going on in this video it’s difficult to find the right place to start. For one, the first half of the video plays out like a scene from That 70s Show with the hazy room and rotating camera in the center of the table. From there, we see Kanye’s cartoon bear, a nod to Cynthia from Rugrats, and even a cartoon version of tobi, himself.
Discussing the video, tobi said, “Not only did I grow up watching cartoons, but I still watch that shit. I don't know why, but my mind really reacts to animation. Hey Arnold! was one of my favorite all-time cartoons. I used to love Doug. And Avatar: The Last Airbender—I like anime, too. I just love animation. There's something about a world where anything is possible, and it can be as crazy as you want or as real as you want. BoJack Horseman is a really crazy show. I want my own cartoon. I want that shit so bad. It's what I'm building towards and why I’m incorporating all these worlds, sort of like Who Framed Roger Rabbit, where it blends cartoons and reality."
Clearly, the young artist has a knack for storytelling. Even after the scenes explained above, tobi takes it further and reveals to the audience that he’s actually in some psych ward getting cross-examined in a straight jacket. That is, at least, until his examiner snaps his neck and the video ends. Yikes, talk about a plot twist.
With a video as absurd (in a good way) as this, it’s great to see an artist putting in effort with his videos. And, let’s not forget that the song itself is more contagious than the flu. Good luck getting this one out of your head. Special shout out for Smino with the guest appearance as well. In typical Smi style he delivers another stellar verse.
“Troop” comes off of tobi’s tobi lou and the Moon EP which is available anywhere you stream music. So if you’re digging what you see above, be sure to pick up his project.
Connect with tobi lou: SoundCloud | Instagram | Twitter
Connect with Smino: SoundCloud | Instagram | Twitter
