Tobe Nwigwe (pronounced Nuh-wee-gweh) is a 33-year-old Houston-based rapper who spreads inspirational and meaningful messages through his music. He states that his aim is to ‘make music popular’.
Tobe is very easily recognizable by his deep and gentle voice, topped off with his agile rhyming. Nwigwe is a very prolific artist and releases songs and videos regularly, often with his wife Ivory Rogers (known as Fat) and producer LaNell Grant. His songs have been featured on releases such as 2018’s The Originals.
Quick Facts and Information on Tobe Nwigwe
Full Name / Real Name | Tobe (Tobechukwu) Nwigwe |
Birthday / Date of Birth | March 8, 1987 |
Age | 33 |
Birth Sign | Pisces |
Born Country | America |
Nationality | American |
Hometown | Houston |
Ethnicity | Nigerian |
Profession | Rapper/Motivational Speaker |
Education (High School / College / University) | University of North Texas |
Marital Status | Married |
Wife / Husband | Ivory Rogers |
Children (Son, Daughter) | Two Daughters |
Social Media | Facebook / Twitter / Instagram |
Net Worth & Salary | $2 Million |
Height | 6’2” |
Tobe Nwigwe’s Early Life And Family
Nwigwe is a first-generation Nigerian-American and was born in Alief, Texas – A suburb in Houston. Tobe attended the University of North Texas and was a star linebacker for the University’s football team. He soon had to leave the team because of a foot injury.
Before Nwigwe came into this world, his parents used to live in a small Nigerian village. Nwigwe’s parents are named Cyril and Victoria Nwigwe, and he has four siblings. After moving out of Nigeria, his parents wanted all of their five children to find jobs in the medical sector, but they understood and accepted that their son Tobe probably wouldn’t become a doctor.
According to Nwigwe, his rapping style comes from his ethnicity. His mother is from Uturu, and father from Awkwa. However, Tobe himself identifies as Igbo (south-eastern Nigerian). His family grew up in one of the poorest parts of Houston. His family lived in the Winfield apartment complex, a tightly packed area of apartments.
Tobe Nwigwe’s College Football Stats
Before the University of North Texas, Nwigwe was selected to the Greater Houston Area Class 5A All-Area Team by Texas Prep Xtra. He was listed as a player to watch on 5ATexasFootball.com’s super list.
After joining the University of North Texas, Nwigwe became a rising star in the college football team. Many observers and analysts thought that Nwigwe had a big chance of being drafted into the NFL. Nwigwe was also confident about going pro in football at the time. He had the size, speed, and instinct. Former UNI college football coach, Darrell Dickey, also talked about this.
“He did a lot of things naturally that you don’t necessarily teach. He could tell where the play was going”
Tobe Nwigwe himself also said,
“My dream was football, NFL. I always loved music, and I’ve always been very eclectic, but I never thought about doing music for myself”
In his 4 years of playing football for UTA, he easily had over 50 tackles. By the end of his first year, he was already ranked 10th in his team. In his first season, he played 11 out of 12 games and ended the year with 35 total tackles. Likewise, in his last season, Nwigwe racked up more than 30 tackles over four games. He also got his career-high record of 15 tackles in one game.
Finally, during a game against the Florida Atlantic University, a teammate landed on Nwigwe’s left foot, rolling it to the side. Initially, Nwigwe said he experience just a bit of discomfort, but he continued playing and he felt a “pop”. Nwigwe didn’t realize it at the time, but his football career was now over.
Tobe Nwigwe’s Entry Into His Music Career
After his University life, Tobe founded the nonprofit “edutainment” company named Team Gini. Nwigwe says that this company is the “nucleus” of all his business and life ventures. Nwigwe started his company with the goal of helping individuals find their purpose. Because of this, Tobe started working as a motivational speaker for the youth of Houston’s neighborhoods.
During this time, Tobe had no aspirations of being a musician. However, Nwigwe eventually caught the attention of Eric Thomas, the “Hip-hop Preacher”. Eventually, Tobe became the first musician to be signed with Eric’s ETA Record Label and he started creating his music in the subgenre of hip-hop which Nwigwe calls “LIFE music”.
Tobe first received attention in 2014 for singles like “Been Grinding” and “Coulda Woulda Shoulda”, which appeared on his EP Pardon My Lateness. Nwigwe became heavily productive starting in 2017, releasing two mixtapes over the course of this year. He also released a vast number of singles and videos that appeared throughout 2018.
Some people have said that he incorporates religion into his rap. However, it’s known that he’s not a religious rapper. Nwigwe just happens to be a religious man, who raps. Nwigwe’s evangelical messages represented by his religious interpretations and vocabularies are very noticeable. Tobe has also confirmed that he is not a Christian nor a gospel rapper. His message just happens to take the turn towards religion, but he raps for the world and not the church.
Tobe Nwigwe’s Net Worth
Nwigwe has earned $65,000 from his YouTube channel so far. Additionally, he also earns most of his net worth from his record sales as well as mech sales. Sadly, the exact figure of his net worth is not available to the public. But, as of 2020, Tobe Nwigwe’s net worth is estimated to be somewhere around $2 Million.
Also, considering the fact that Tobe has a very thriving career ahead of him; his net worth figure is highly likely to multiply by folds in the years to come.
Tobe Nwigwe Wife / Married Life / Kids
Apart from his striving career what is more intriguing is- Tobe Nwigwe’s personal life. Tobe is currently in a blissful relationship with his wife, whom he adores a lot.
Nwigwe is happily married to Ivory Rogers (Fat) for almost 3 years now. Tobe exchanged vows with his wife on 16th December 2017 and they will soon celebrate their 3rd wedding anniversary in 2020.
Out of their blossoming marriage, Tobe and his wife have two children. The couple refers to their oldest daughter as “Baby Fat”. An adorable nickname for an adorable baby. Five months after the couple had their first baby, Tobe in an interview said that his family is now the reason for him to be consistent.
“I’m gonna continue to be as consistent as I have been. My family is growing. I’m a daddy. I got a daughter now. This is the happiest season of my life.”
The couple has named their first daughter Ivory Nwigwe whereas their second daughter is named Isioma Nwigwe.