Grace Omachoko
Nigerian singer, Temilade Opeyemi, popular known as Tems, has shared her journey of gaining recognition for her music as an artiste, even before she achieved international fame.
During an interview with Interview Magazine on tuesday, Tems spoke with American rapper Kendrick Lamar about her experiences as a new artist trying to find her place in the music world, particularly in Nigeria.
The singer noted that many people encouraged her to pursue mainstream Afrobeats music instead of the R&B genre that she was enthusiastic about.
Tems revealed that she was ready to die in order to pass her message across, despite uncertainty about whether her decision would bring her success or fame, she chose to follow her heart and it yielded.
She said she wanted her music to consistently provide the Celine Dion’s feeling, which she felt Afrobeats didn’t necessarily portray for her.
“I was prepared to die. I believed in myself so much that I didn’t really care if I never became anything or anyone. I just wanted to get a message out. I wanted to get my frequency out. And I was like, ‘Even if ten people hear this, it’s fine.’
“But also along the way, I used to listen to a lot of Nigerian music and I wasn’t getting a lot of spiritual—I love Celine Dion, so, I love that intense feeling of, I’m about to jump off a cliff.
“That’s how I want my music to feel all the time, and Afrobeats wasn’t necessarily giving me that type of stimulation.
“Everyone I asked for advice was like, ‘The only way you can do this is Afrobeats. It’s not that your music is bad, it’s just that it doesn’t fit in Nigeria. Nigerians don’t like this’.” she said
Further discussing her priorities, Tems admitted that, while earning money was good, she is more interested in “chasing a frequency”
“There’s artists I’ve loved all my life, that when they reach a certain stage, the music loses that frequency, it loses that touch they had. And I always wondered why.
“Why do I have to lose that touch? I don’t actually care where I end up. If I’m under a bridge and I have a way to make music, I’m going to be good.
“That’s what led me to meet the people that connected to that music. There was no indication that I would’ve ended up here. Nobody could have told me I would be sitting here in London speaking to you, Kendrick Lamar” she added.
Tems noted that her pursuit of this essence led her to connect with people who resonated with her music. Her success story took an unexpected turn when her collaboration with Wizkid, “Essence,” became a global hit in 2021. The song marked her debut on the Billboard Hot 100 at number nine.
Since then, Tems has achieved numerous records and received international awards and nominations.
She has made history as the first Nigerian female artist to win a Grammy award, specifically in the Best Melodic Rap Performance category in 2023 for her collaboration with Future and Drake on “Wait for U.”
