10 things to know know about Tems, the Nigerian singer-songwriter who went viral at the Oscars…

 

Tems, whose real name is Temilade Openiyi, was born in Lagos, Nigeria, in 1995 to a Nigerian mother and a British-Nigerian father.

She moved to the United Kingdom with her parents shortly after being born, but after they divorced when she was 5 years old, she returned to Nigeria with her mother.

She studied economics at college.

According to GQ, Tems studied economics at Monash University South Africa in Johannesburg.

While at college, she wrote music in her spare time and taught herself how to make beats by watching YouTube videos.

She released her debut project in 2020.

Tems released her debut EP “For Broken Ears” in September 2020, with its lead single “Damages” reaching No. 1 on the Nigerian Apple Music chart.

The following month, she received international acclaim for her appearance on Wizkid’s “Essence,” earning a Grammy nomination for best global music performance. The song was later reworked to also feature Justin Bieber.

She’s since worked with superstars such as Drake, Future, and Beyoncé, but has yet to release her debut album.

She’s already won a Grammy.

In February 2023, Tems became the first female Nigerian artist to win a Grammy as she won the award for best melodic rap performance alongside Drake and Future for their song “Wait for U.”

The 27-year-old star has also scooped prizes at the Soul Train Music Awards, the BET Awards, and the American Music Awards.

And been nominated for an Oscar.

As well as being a singer, Tems is also an accomplished songwriter.

She cowrote Rihanna’s hit song “Lift Me Up,” which was featured on the soundtrack to 2022’s “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”

The song was nominated for best original song at this year’s Oscars.

 

She lists Alicia Keys, Burna Boy, and Lauryn Hill among her inspirations.

“My mum wasn’t a player of music, she didn’t listen to music apart from Christian music,” Tems told The Fader in 2020.

“Then I grew older and started getting CDs for my Walkman. I had Destiny’s Child, Lil Wayne — he’s like my idol — and Aaliyah. The first song I learned how to properly sing is Alicia Keys, ‘If I Ain’t Got You,’ at 12. When I had more options of music I started listening to Burna Boy, Asa, Lauryn Hill, Adele.”

 

She featured her mom on her debut EP.

Having been raised mainly by her mother, Tems showed her appreciation by featuring her voice on “Témìládè Interlude” from “For Broken Ears.”

On the interlude, Tems’ mother can be heard talking about a maternal instinct reassuring her that she was to bear a daughter.

She cooked for Drake when they first met.

 

Tems featured on the song “Fountains” from Drake’s 2021 studio album “Certified Lover Boy.”

Speaking to Cool FM last year, Tems said the collaboration came about after Drake messaged her on Instagram. When they subsequently met, she cooked the Canadian star and his team dinner.

“I cooked chicken stew and rice for them, the pepper choke them small, but they loved it,” she tweeted after being asked by a fan to describe the meeting.

She’s been to prison in Uganda.

In December 2020, Tems was arrested alongside fellow Nigerian singer Omah Lay after they performed at a show in Uganda. According to BBC Pidgin, the Ugandan police said the pair had violated COVID-19 lockdown rules.

She and Omah Lay spent two days behind bars in Uganda before being released, after which the charges were dropped and the Ugandan government apologized for their arrests.

She has a presidential stamp of approval.

 

Barack Obama is a big fan of Tems.

The former United States president included Wizkid’s “Essence” featuring Tems on his favorite music of 2020 playlist. Last year, he also included Tems’ “Vibe Out” on his summer playlist.

 

Read the original article on Insider