Watch Tobi's arresting cover of Joni Mitchell's 'Big Yellow Taxi'
The Toronto rapper takes on the 1970 classic to kick off our new series, the Juno Sessions
The 2024 Juno Awards are upon us, and to celebrate we recorded the Juno Sessions: a series where past and present Juno Award nominees and winners cover songs by musicians who have been inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.
Tobi won his first Juno Award in 2021 for his album Elements Vol. 1, and is up for two more Junos this year. For the first instalment of the Juno Sessions, the Toronto rapper chose to cover Joni Mitchell's 1970 folk classic "Big Yellow Taxi."
"My favourite moment in 'Big Yellow Taxi' is the line, 'Farmer, farmer put away the DDT,' because to me, that serves as a historical landmark, right?" Tobi explained. "It shows the power of social progress and policy. So that song, even though that lyric isn't particularly relevant nowadays, to know that it was at a certain time and she took that risk to speak on it on a record, you know, that empowers me as an artist to do the same in this era."
Mitchell, who recently performed "Both Sides Now" at the Grammys, was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1981. She's been nominated for 17 Junos, and has won three.
Watch Tobi's stripped-down piano cover of Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi" above, and keep an eye on cbcmusic.ca/junos for further Juno Sessions covers.
Host Nelly Furtado is bringing the party to the 2024 Juno Awards on Sunday, March 24, at 8 p.m ET. Tune in on CBC-TV, CBC Gem, CBC Radio One, CBC Music and CBC Listen, and stream globally on cbcmusic.ca/junos.
The Canadian Music Hall of Fame was established by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences in 1978 to acknowledge artists who have made a remarkable impact on Canadian music, both nationally and internationally. It is housed in Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre in Calgary. The next multiple-induction ceremony will take place in October 2024, and will see inductees join the ranks of Canada's most esteemed talent including Oscar Peterson, Leonard Cohen, Alanis Morissette, Trooper, Shania Twain, Deborah Cox, the Tragically Hip, Rush and more. Visit canadianmusichalloffame.ca for more information.