Tuji – “Summertime Love” / “62”
Tuji – “Summertime Love” / “62” – Singles Review
This dude has lived quite the life already, and he’s still got his best days in front of him.
To summarize his bio briefly for ya, Tuji’s been in the game since he was about twelve years old, way back when he first started realizing he could rap. Flash forward to today, the man’s become an all-around entertainer with a resume that includes singing, rapping, songwriting, production…all the right ingredients to give him full control over the kind of music he wants to make. Originally born in Nigeria, he spent time in Greece before eventually moving to Toronto, where he now resides in Canada. After all that worldly experience, he’s able to rap & sing in four languages, bringing a level of diversity to his work that would be seriously tough to compete with. Respect Tuji, respect. He’s got a lot going for him.
He’s also got two new singles dropping just around the corner…”Summertime Love” and “62” are both launching online on August 25th. I put on “Summertime Love” first, and it didn’t take more than mere seconds to hear the quality that this artist is rockin’ with…Tuji’s professional without a doubt, and he knows how to execute at a very high level. As bright as you’d want to hear a song with a title that references the hottest season of the year, it’s pretty easy to imagine cars with the top down jamming “Summertime Love” as they cruise down the road towards the nearest beach. It works…it’s a stylistic track that has the right energy & relevant sound…Tuji’s versatile skills produce results, straight up. If you’re asking me where his real strengths are…I’m probably gonna argue that he’s an even better singer than he is a rapper, but I ain’t really complaining about either of the modes you’ll find him taking the lead in. I do think he’s probably best off playing to that strength though, if I’m being truthful with ya. I think the rapping will get him some street cred over there in T-dot, and he’s actually got a sound/style that’s very well suited to what Canada tends to come out with in its Hip-Hop/Rap…but as a singer, I’m pretty convinced this dude could slay most, if not all, the competition out there. The main issue with him going that route is completely apparent in these two singles I’ve got here – both “Summertime Love” and “62” make it clear that Tuji would likely rather be known for his rap skills than anything else. He might tell ya different, and perhaps different songs would reveal a different balance of strengths – but right now, what I’m hearing is a genuine superstar when it comes to how he sings, combined with the skills of a rapper that can certainly hold his own. So it’s really all about what Tuji wants to put out there and what he wants to do with his career…his singing will take him down an easy path if he wants to go the Pop/Soul/R&B route, or he can take the more challenging path and keep the Rap as a main feature. I listen to a track like “Summertime Love” and the spot-on tone & hooks he’s worked into this song from the lead to the background, and there’s not a doubt in my mind that when Tuji sings, every person within earshot is guaranteed to give him their attention. The Rap is strong enough that I can appreciate why he’d want to do it, but again, if we’re talking about the main attribute and skills that’ll lead him towards the top of the charts, it’s his vocals when he’s singing. Take “Summertime Love” for example…it might take you a dozen spins to remember a bit of the Rap, but you’ll be singing along with the hooks in no time at all. That’s smart songwriting for sure, but it’s also the magnetic pull of his voice.
Ultimately, it’s fair to say that Tuji is following the playbook of his own influences and heroes in music, and I think that despite the multiple-language advantage he has, he’s still got some work to be done in order to establish the uniqueness and identity within his sound overall…but I like where he’s going with it so far. If we’re looking at him primarily as a rapper, then “62” is probably the stronger of the two tracks, just by a fraction…I think you get a bit more of the man’s personality in this cut, which gives it the edge for me. All-in-all, we’re splitting hairs when it comes right down to it…Tuji keeps the quality up in the music he makes, and either of these two singles could be your own favorite of the two. If we’re talking about the two songs by comparison overall, then to me, “Summertime Love” has a much more accessible vibe and undeniably universal hooks, but again, it’s not like “62” is all that far behind. I really dig the amount of detail he puts into his music…both these singles prove the work has been put in when you listen to what’s happening in the layers of his vocals and the background of his songs. I dig that he gets a bit more wild with his lead on “62” and I completely appreciate the fact that you can hear how much Tuji commits to the moment when it comes time to record…he’s got the right instincts, and ultimately, he’s got the right talent to match. That being said, I still felt like he’s carrying his Rap alongside the strengths of his singing…and he might have to reckon with that one day in his future. Both songs prove that he CAN rap, yes – but they also both confirm he’s a naturally gifted singer that has the kind of talent most artists would kill to have. The question becomes, is it better to keep the angle of diversity and give listeners a bit of both worlds with each release – or is it better to play to his main strengths and simply start singing full-time instead? Like I said…I can hear desire – that’s audible to me in every artist & band I listen to…I know that Tuji wants to establish his name as a rapper and that this is important to him…I just don’t know if that’s going to be his easiest way to the top is all. When I hear this guy sing, it’s like hearing someone doing what they were always meant to do, you feel me? I’m just thinking out loud I suppose…this guy’s got a solid future no matter which way he chooses to take his music and he’s got two really high quality cuts in these new singles. No reason to complain about’em, and I’m not – both these tunes are solid. I’m simply saying he’s got one road that’ll take him to the top exponentially quicker than the other career-wise, and there’s another road that he’d probably rather take instead. It’s the age old question of who we’re making music for…is it about pleasing the masses, or staying true to ourselves? Time will tell which kind of artist Tuji will become, but at the very least, he’s got plenty of options and multiple paths to success based on all that I’ve heard.
Find out more about Tuji from his official page at Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tujimusic
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