Today, Tobe Nwigwe’s theme song, “Lil Fish, Big Pond,” for AppleTV+ and A24’s documentary, Stephen Curry: Underrated, officially releases. We were fortunate enough to interview the incredible musician and actor. His song wonderfully captures the spirit of the film and during our interview, we learned about the parallels he discovered between him and Steph Curry as he was preparing to write the song.
“Lil Fish, Big Pond” – Tobe Nwigwe
For those who haven’t seen Stephen Curry: Underrated, Tobe Nwigwe’s song wonderfully captures the spirit of the documentary. Curry did not have a traditional or expected path to NBA superstardom, he was usually underrated and overlooked. He was the underdog in the big leagues or a little fish in a big pond. But he never failed to make a big splash. While it seems apparent “Lil Fish, Big Pond” embodies that spirit from the documentary, you might be surprised to know that Tobe Nwigwe had not seen the film before writing the song. We learned about that after asking if the song was already one he had been working on or if it was original for the documentary.
“Oh, they came to me. I didn’t watch the film. I just did my research on Steph, saw a trailer for the film, and then put my ideas down. Yeah, put my ideas together and just tried to bring it to life.”
-Tobe Nwigwe, Writer/Performer of “Lil Fish, Big Pond”-
The Parallels Between Tobe Nwigwe and Steph Curry
“Lil Fish, Big Pond,” is a very powerful track and feels not only like an embodiment of the film, but also heavily influenced by Tobe Nwigwe’s life. After finding out he had never seen the film before making the song, I asked if Tobe found parallels between himself and Steph Curry.
“100%. I feel like the entire story, the underdog story, the “nothing is going to be given to you” idea and you’re going to have to earn every aspect of your greatness through discipline, through perseverance, through consistency. You’re going to have to earn it all and I love the fact that nothing was given to Steph. He had to earn it. He developed a work ethic that is just greater than the majority of the league that he’s in because he wasn’t given anything so he had to develop things that other people who were given things wouldn’t necessarily have to develop.
And I feel like I’m the same way. The way I move and operate in the space that I’m in is completely different from the majority of people that are in the entertainment industry because they hadn’t necessarily had to do what I had to do.”
-Tobe Nwigwe, Writer/Performer of “Lil Fish, Big Pond”-
Tobe Nwigwe is having a tremendous summer. And his unique approach and creativity is reaching millions of new fans with every new project. It’s hard to imagine him as a Lil Fish, but for those who have been following him, he definitely was. It was truly a stroke of genius to have Tobe Nwigwe compose the song for the documentary.
Tobe Nwigwe’s “Lil Fish, Big Pond” is officially out now on all major streamers, and featured on Stephen Curry: Underrated now streaming on AppleTV+.
About Stephen Curry: Underrated
Release Date: July 21, 2023, exclusively on AppleTV+
Director: Peter Nicks
Producers: Peter Nicks, Ryan Coogler, Sean Havey, Erick Peyton, Marissa Torres, Ericson, Ben Cotner
Exec. Producers: Sev Ohanian, Zinzi Coogler, Emily Osborne
Synopsis
“Stephen Curry: Underrated” is the remarkable coming-of-age story of one of the most influential, dynamic and unexpected players in the history of basketball. This feature documentary — blending intimate cinéma vérité, archival footage and on camera interviews — documents Curry’s rise from an undersized college player at a small town Division I college to a four-time NBA champion, building one of the most dominant sports dynasties in the world.
“Stephen Curry: Underrated” is directed by Peter Nicks. The film is produced by Peter Nicks and Ryan Coogler through Proximity Media, Erick Peyton through Curry’s Unanimous Media and Sean Havey, Ben Cotner and Marissa Torres Ericson. Sev Ohanian, Zinzi Coogler and Emily Osborne are executive producing.
Have you watched Stephen Curry: Underrated? Did you listen to “Lil Fish, Big Pond”? How have you felt when you knew the real value of something that was widely undervalued? Let us know your thoughts on social media!
