I was okay with people not liking my music – Tems
Temilade Opeyemi, a Nigerian singer and producer known as Tems, has spoken of the need to gain acceptance for her music, years before she became an international star.
In a conversation published Tuesday via Interview Magazine, the musician spoke with superstar rapper Kendrick Lamar about her experience as an up-and-coming artist whose sound had yet to capture an audience in her home country.
According to her, many people advised her to join the mainstream Afrobeats genre as opposed to the R&B that she was passionate about. The "Crazy Tings" singer said she chose to follow her heart even though she wasn't sure it would bring her money or fame.
“I was ready to die,” she said. “I believed in myself so much that I really didn't care if I ever became something or someone. I just wanted to send a message. I wanted to get my frequency out. And I was like, “Even if ten people hear this, that's good. But also, along the way, I was listening to a lot of Nigerian music and not getting a lot of spirituality - I love Celine Dion, so I love that intense feeling of "I'm about to jump out of here." 'a cliff.
“That’s how I want my music to feel at all times, and Afrobeats didn’t necessarily give me that kind of stimulation. Everyone I asked for advice said, “The only way to do this is Afrobeats. It's not that your music is bad, it's just that it has no place in Nigeria. Nigerians don't like that. »
Tems also admitted that while making money was a good thing, she was more interested in "chasing a frequency"
“There are artists that I have loved all my life who, when they reach a certain stage, the music loses that frequency, it loses that touch that they had. And I always wondered why. Why do I have to lose this contact? In fact, I don't care where I end up. If I'm under a bridge and have a way of making music, I'll be good.
“That was what led me to meet the people who were connected to this music. There was no indication that I would end up here. Nobody could have told me that I would be sitting here in London talking to you, Kendrick Lamar," she continued.
Openiyi has been on a winning streak since collaborating with Wizkid, “Essence” became an international hit in 2021. The song earned Tems his first feature on the Billboard Hot 100 at number nine.
Since then, she has broken records and earned several nominations and victories at international awards. Most notably, she made history as the first Nigerian artist to win a Grammy after winning Best Melodic Rap Performance in 2023 for her collaboration with Future and Drake, “Wait for U”.
Tems also made Billboard history with 'Wait for U' as the first Nigerian artist to debut atop the Hot 100 charts in April 2022.
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Temilade Opeyemi, a Nigerian singer and producer known as Tems, has spoken of the need to gain acceptance for her music, years before she became an international star.
In a conversation published Tuesday via Interview Magazine, the musician spoke with superstar rapper Kendrick Lamar about her experience as an up-and-coming artist whose sound had yet to capture an audience in her home country.
According to her, many people advised her to join the mainstream Afrobeats genre as opposed to the R&B that she was passionate about. The "Crazy Tings" singer said she chose to follow her heart even though she wasn't sure it would bring her money or fame.
“I was ready to die,” she said. “I believed in myself so much that I really didn't care if I ever became something or someone. I just wanted to send a message. I wanted to get my frequency out. And I was like, “Even if ten people hear this, that's good. But also, along the way, I was listening to a lot of Nigerian music and not getting a lot of spirituality - I love Celine Dion, so I love that intense feeling of "I'm about to jump out of here." 'a cliff.
“That’s how I want my music to feel at all times, and Afrobeats didn’t necessarily give me that kind of stimulation. Everyone I asked for advice said, “The only way to do this is Afrobeats. It's not that your music is bad, it's just that it has no place in Nigeria. Nigerians don't like that. »
Tems also admitted that while making money was a good thing, she was more interested in "chasing a frequency"
“There are artists that I have loved all my life who, when they reach a certain stage, the music loses that frequency, it loses that touch that they had. And I always wondered why. Why do I have to lose this contact? In fact, I don't care where I end up. If I'm under a bridge and have a way of making music, I'll be good.
“That was what led me to meet the people who were connected to this music. There was no indication that I would end up here. Nobody could have told me that I would be sitting here in London talking to you, Kendrick Lamar," she continued.
Openiyi has been on a winning streak since collaborating with Wizkid, “Essence” became an international hit in 2021. The song earned Tems his first feature on the Billboard Hot 100 at number nine.
Since then, she has broken records and earned several nominations and victories at international awards. Most notably, she made history as the first Nigerian artist to win a Grammy after winning Best Melodic Rap Performance in 2023 for her collaboration with Future and Drake, “Wait for U”.
Tems also made Billboard history with 'Wait for U' as the first Nigerian artist to debut atop the Hot 100 charts in April 2022.
Please share this story:
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