A brief overview of Tobi's introspective Polaris-shortlisted album, Panic

Juno-winning rapper Tobi's album Panic, is one of this year's 10 Polaris Music Prize-nominated albums, and CBC Music's Shortlist Shortcut series is back to help music fans learn the key details about the shortlisted record.

Dig into the stories behind the album, the tracks you need to know, and the perfect summer activities to complement your listening. You can also listen to The Ten radio special on Panic here.

Artist:

Tobi.

Album:

Panic.

Polaris Music Prize history: 

This is Tobi's second album and second time on the short list: Elements Vol. 1 was previously shortlisted in 2021.

Story behind the nominated album: 

Tobi spent four years crafting his second album, and during that time, he reflected on his personal life while making "unapologetic soul music." "I think you could rap, you could sing, you could scat, whatever, as long as it's a true form of self-expression — to me, that's soul music," he told Nuvo Magazine. This term is one that Tobi has used for years, but his desire to remain true to himself has never felt more realized than on Panic. The diaristic album spotlights sharp lyricism and nostalgic sampling, while incorporating soul, jazz, R&B and even some gospel into its simmering blend. The mix of sounds result in a project that's thoughtful and direct: Panic is an authentic portrait of an inquisitive singer and rapper who is taking a tender approach to songwriting.

In Exclaim!, Tobi noted that the "blissful ecstasy" of falling in love was one influence, along with his upbringing, which contained a lot of love, but also toxic masculinity and trauma — sources of anxiousness, or panic. It's that emotional through-line that became the project's name.

The sweeping opener on Panic, "Someone I Knew," teases out ideas about growing up and grieving in a racist society: "Treat men like villains that's based off pigment, gotta be kidding," he raps. By the time it reaches the brassy album closer, "How Much Longer," which contains the same echoing choir that appears on "Someone I Knew," it becomes a full-circle listen about the inner fabric of Tobi's world. While anxiety might have fuelled Tobi's introspective lyrics on each track, Panic is truly about embracing self-love, and Tobi shows his appreciation for life's peaks and valleys with radical transparency.

Tobi previously won the Juno Award in 2023 for rap album/EP of the year, and won again in the same category in 2024 for Panic. In his heartfelt acceptance speech, he noted how justice was an important theme across his craft while thanking his mother, demonstrating how the album's subjects (family, love and healing) continue to inform his creative practice.

Notable players:

There are several collaborations on the album: rapper Kenny Mason features on "Flatline;" rapper/singer Topaz Jones features on "All Night Long;" and rapper Mavi features on "Flowers." But one collaboration that Tobi noted as being particularly substantive, was with Phil Ranelin, the famed trombonist, jazz composer and bandleader who contributed to the album's intro and outro. Tobi told Complex he was in the studio while Ranelin recorded his parts for Panic and said it was "one of the best experiences I've ever had in my life."

Standout songs: 

'Someone I Knew'

"Someone I Knew" opens with jazzy horns and paints a bleak picture of death and violence, before a choir of voices sings "How much longer till' we're through?" as if pleading for someone to save them. Then, Tobi begins to rap, in a way that feels precise and measured, like a distance runner tapping into their endurance to cross the finish line. He raps swiftly about balancing his career and his personal life as he lays out his hopes for creating his legacy. It's done with love yet there's a hunger in him as he yearns to be the best artist and person he can, and the two driving forces collide in a beautiful way as he powers through the track.

Tobi told Kolor Magazine that song was the most difficult song to make, but that it's the most personal one on the project: "I did so many takes before I got the right one that felt the best," he said. "It was an emotionally overwhelming experience."

'Flatline'

There's a driving piano riff that repeats on "Flatline," a bold, anthemic callout about power and privilege that might just be Tobi's most confident release yet. Vivid lyrical references to Batman and police brutality fill the verses, as Tobi and Kenny Mason unite to show how they've found strength amid personal and systemic setbacks. The hook is a delicious flex, as Tobi repeats: "Gold cufflinks, f--k cuffs on wrists," giving a kiss-off to the haters.

'Keep From Falling'

Across his entire discography, Tobi has shown that he's just as adept at singing as he is at rapping, and his vision of unapologetic soul music is fully realized on "Keep From Falling." Starting as a slow burn that swells into a gospel-infused chorus of warm harmonies, the song examines Tobi's heartbreak. It begins with him reflecting on how close he was with a past love interest before flipping to the present day when he sings that they're both better off alone.

Recommended if you like:

Mick Jenkins, Anderson. Paak, J. Cole.

Summer activity pairing:

Fire up the BBQ and groove along to the smooth rhythms as you grill.

Don't miss Shortlist Summer: a season-long showcase of the 10 albums shortlisted for the 2024 Polaris Music Prize. Read the weekly Polaris Shortlist Shortcut feature at cbcmusic.ca/polaris and tune into The Ten radio special every Sunday night at cbc.ca/listen.