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  Top Nigerian artists have joined music fans from around the world to congratulate singer Tems on winning a Grammy award. She won the Best Melodic Rap Performance category for her contribution to the hit song Wait for U with Future and Drake. They defeated a strong field that included Kendrick Lamar and DJ Khaled. Artists like Tiwa Savage, Waje and Omowunmi have posted messages congratulating Tems.
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“It’s Tems’ time. No one can make her shine. Superstar,” Afrobeats singer Olamide posted. Some fans on Twitter have hailed her as the first Nigerian female artist to win a Grammy. However, others claim that the historic scoop was achieved by British-Nigerian singer Sade, whose real name is Helen Folasade Adu. She won the award four times. 27-year-old Tems, whose real name is Temilade Openiyi, has had a remarkable rise. She self-produced her debut single “Mr Rebel” in 2018, which resulted in an almost instant fan base called Rebel Gang, who appreciated her unique sound and faster pace compared to other Nigerian singers. A little over four years later, she’s a Grammy winner with a list of collaborations with notable international artists. Inclusion on WizKid’s 2020 single Essence helped her gain global fame when the song reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Dubbed the song of the summer, their fan base expanded beyond Africa.
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She’s reportedly working on collaborations with several megastars, including Beyoncé and Rihanna. Her singing talents have been praised by fellow artists. DJ Edu, the presenter of the BBC music show This Is Africa, said Tems had a “unique” style.
“It’s great to see Tems getting this recognition. She’s always stood out from the crowd, being true to her unique sound and style, and I’m really happy she’s achieved such heights without having to conform,”
he told BBC News.
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“I nominated her as one to watch in 2020 so I’m basking in her success,” he added. Meanwhile, South Africans Wouter Kellerman, Zakes Bantwini and Nomcebo Zikode also won a Grammy Award – for Best Global Music Performance for their collaboration with Bayethe. Featured Image Source: Vogue
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This article was first published on 6th February 2023 and updated on February 7th, 2023 at 4:54 pm

nnaemeka-emmanuel

Nnaemeka is an academic scholar with a degree in History and International Studies from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He is also a creative writer, content creator, storyteller, and social analyst.

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