“I Was Prepared to Die”: Tems Shares With Kendrick Lamar Why She Ditched Afrobeat for R&B
- Internationally recognised Nigerian singer Tems recently gave an insight into her journey as an artist while speaking with American rapper Kendrick Lamar
- The singer, who rarely speaks about herself in the media, shared what it was like for her to ditch Afrobeat for R&B
- Tems also shared with Kendrick how she deals with the pressure that comes with fame and fortune
Multi-talented Nigerian Grammy award-winning singer Temilade Openiyi, better known as Tems, was recently in London, where she had an interview with famous American rapper Kendrick Lamar.
Tems, for the first time, shared so much about her personal life and what it has been like going through the different phases of fortune, fame and success so quickly.
Source: Instagram
She also talked about her music career and what it was like to ditch Afrobeat for R&B despite many people advising her not to do it because Nigerians wouldn't like it.
It's like being in a zoo - Tems talks about dealing with fame
The Grammy award-winning singer noted that the best way she has dealt with fame is by being herself and sticking to who she truly is at her core.
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She said:
"When you become more known or seen, it’s very easy to get caught up in, “What do people expect of me now?” But for me, it’s like, “What do I expect of myself now?” Because you’re the one that has to live with yourself, the one that has to sleep with the decisions that you make. Trusting yourself is so key."
Tems continued, saying:
"It’s like being in a zoo. The animals don’t change their behaviour just because you’re looking at them. They’re always going to be who they are. So why should I change?"
Didn't give me stimulation I wanted - Tems on ditching Afrobeat for R&B
Temilade, during her conversation with Kendrick, shared why she decided to dump Afrobeats for R&B and why Celine Dion is her biggest inspiration.
"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 it is just ten people that hear this, it’s fine.”
The Rebel leader noted that Afrobeat doesn't give her the spiritual upliftment she usually yearns for in music. She said:
"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."
Tems also shared how she had to rebel against everyone who advised her to do Afrobeat during her transition to R&B.
"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. And that’s not a lie, and it’s not a bad thing. But I felt in my heart that that’s okay. I’m okay with no one liking it, I just want to make this music."
Billboard Best Songs of 2022: Tems debuts at no.9 as Wizkid and Burna Boy make the list
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that Afrobeat continues to put the music world in a chokehold, as the Billboard Best Songs of 2022 top 100 list confirms the growth once again and global recognition of the Nigerian music culture.
Nigerian female singer and songwriter Tems yet again earned herself more accolades with her song 'Free Mind' ranking at number nine on the Billboard Top 100 best songs of the year.
Billboard Afrobeat regulars Burna Boy and Wizkid completed the list of the African contingents on the top best songs of the year.
Source: Legit.ng
