Tems Baby: The Future

Yeah you bring the lighter, the lighter

Yeah roll me in rizzla, in rizzla

And set me on fire, on fire

– Try Me, 2019

The voice! The lyrics! The flow! In fact, the ‘aroma’ of the song rudely interrupted my concentration that bright afternoon just after my lunch.

Who is the person with this amazing voice, I was literally as curious as the cat, and this curiosity lead me to Shazam where I found this awesome, dazzling and charming lady called Tems. Then I flashed back to the 2019 edition of Gidi Fest where we first met, little did I know I was standing just beside the next big thing in the industry.

Looku Looku had just been released and she performed both, including her debut track, Mr Rebel.

Fast forward to 2021, you can’t overrate how amazing the 25 year old is, because she’s on her way to being the biggest female alté artist in the country, and she’s definitely not stopping there.

Just before the release of her EP (For Broken Ears) in 2020, the two time Headies nominee was featured alongside Davido on Khalid’s Know Your Worth remix.

While I believe her biggest flex is yet to come, she was nominated at the 2019 Headies with her debut single, Mr Rebel – and guess what, in two categories – Best Vocal Performance and Best Alternative Song. Amazing, isn’t it? In the just concluded Headies award, she was also nominated as Next Rated artist alongside Omah Lay, Oxlade and Bella Shmurda. Tems also featured on ‘Essense’, a track on Wizkid’s Made In Lagos album.

Fans of Tems are automatic members of the ‘Rebel Gang’. Are you a Rebel?