In July 2018, the singer born Temilade Openiyi hesitatingly released “Mr Rebel” as her first song online after a long bout of clandestine creation uncertain of her voice\u2019s distinctive sound. The cut, which she describes as \u201cthe worst song on my laptop that I could release comfortably and know it wouldn’t be so big as it’s not that great\u201d was instantly met with critical acclaim. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Growing up listening to the likes of Amy Winehouse, Asa, Frank Ocean, Beyonce, Tems<\/a>\u2019 desire to fully take on music did not crystallize until her teenage years. Though her parents insisted she continue her Economics studies in South Africa, Tems casually made music on the side and even opened for South African rapper, Cassper Nyovest<\/a>. Her penchant for self-production stemmed from a lingering discontent with other producers\u2019 results, \u201cI wanted to have my own sound wholly. I needed to share what I feel music means to me and the only way I could do that to the fullest is learning how to produce.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Records like “Looku Looku”, “Damages” depicts Tems\u2019 knack for conveying emotions through anecdotes and personal experiences. \u201cAll my songs represent different seasons of my life that I\u2019ve experienced and I want to share that with my listeners or anyone going through anything and needs some type of healing,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n