TBJZL

Tobit John "Tobi" Brown, known professionally as TBJZL, is an English digital content creator, live streamer, and online personality born on April 8, 1993. He is widely recognized as a co-founding member of the prominent British YouTube group known as the Sidemen. Alongside his primary internet presence, he has expanded into various entrepreneurial, culinary, sports, and musical initiatives. By January 2025, his central YouTube channel had accumulated more than 5.01 million subscribers and generated over 567 million overall views.

Born in Hackney, London, Brown was raised in a working-class household of Nigerian heritage. He attended St. Dominic's Catholic Primary School from 1997 to 2004, after which he pursued his secondary studies at Bexley Grammar School. During his time there, he became friends with future Sidemen collaborator Josh Bradley. Following secondary school, Brown pursued higher education at Coventry University, where he completed an honours degree in computing.

While studying at university in 2011, Brown launched his YouTube channel after observing Bradley's early progress on the platform, committing to full-time content creation following his graduation. His uploads primarily featured video game commentaries—particularly focused on the FIFA and NBA 2K franchises—alongside real-life football challenges, vlogs, and comedic sketches. In October 2013, Brown co-founded an entertainment collective initially called the Ultimate Sidemen, which was later shortened to the Sidemen. By 2014, the team established a stable seven-member roster consisting of Brown, Josh Bradley, Vikram Barn, Harry Lewis, Simon Minter, Ethan Payne, and JJ Olatunji. Together, they create challenge videos, sketches, and gaming commentary.

Beyond online video production, Brown is a co-owner of several commercial enterprises established alongside his Sidemen colleagues. These projects include the brand Sidemen Clothing launched in 2014, the restaurant chain Sides established in late 2021, XIX Vodka introduced in 2022, and the breakfast cereal company Best Cereal (also known as Best Breakfasts) launched in early 2024. Independently, Brown founded his own streetwear clothing label, ILLVZN, in mid-2018, which officially debuted in early 2019.

Brown has also pursued a recording career as a solo and collaborative musical artist. In late 2019, he appeared on the Sidemen single "The Gift." In February 2020, he released his debut single "Destined for Greatness" featuring his brother Manny and sister Janellé, reaching number 30 on the UK Singles Chart as well as charting in Ireland, New Zealand, and Scotland. Over subsequent years, he released further music, including "Rhythm & Vibes" and "Keeper" with Manny, as well as collaborative tracks with artists such as DTG, P Money, and Silencer. In late 2022, his festive track "Christmas Drillings" with KSI, Vikkstar123, and Jme reached number 3 in the UK. He later created fast-paced track releases including "I Wanna" with Not3s in 2023, "Where We Go" with Day1 in 2024, and "Villain" following a 2026 Twitch stream featuring Not3s and Big Shaq.

In addition to digital entertainment, Brown has engaged in sports, podcasting, and charitable events. A fan of Manchester United F.C., he plays Sunday league football for Under The Radar FC. In early 2025, he became manager of VZN FC in the UK Baller League six-a-side competition broadcast on Sky Sports. In May 2025, he began co-hosting the podcast Family Ties with his brothers Manny and Jedidiah. Brown, who is Christian, also participated in the Match for Hope 2025 charity football game in Qatar, which raised more than $10.7 million.