Photo: NdaniTV / CC BY 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Tems is, to my ear, the most distinctive voice to come out of Lagos in a generation. Essence made her a global name, but what keeps me listening is that smoky lower register and her refusal to chase trends; she produces her own records, which means the sound you hear is genuinely hers. The trophy shelf, from BET and Soul Train to an NAACP Image Award and a Grammy nomination, feels less like a peak than a down payment. I see her as a central figure in the worldwide Afrobeats moment, and the rare featured artist who instantly became bigger than the feature itself.
Overview
Temilade Openiyi ( ; born 11 June 1995), known professionally as Tems, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, and record producer. She rose to prominence after being featured on Wizkid's 2020 single "Essence", which peaked at number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart following the release of the remix version with Justin Bieber. The song earned her a Grammy Award nomination.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Tems
- Name (Japanese)
- テムズ
- Reading
- てむず
- Born
- June 11, 1995 (age 31)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Gemini / Boar
- Origin
- Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- singer-songwriter / record producer
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Dowen College
Awards & achievements
- 2022 BET Award for Best Collaboration
- 2022 BET Award for Best International Act
- 2021 Soul Train Music Award for Best Collaboration
- 2022 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Music Video
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Essence | — |
6. Links
- Official sitehttps://www.leadingvibe.com/
- Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/temsbaby/
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tems
Singer-songwriter — see all → · Record producer — see all → · More people from Nigeria →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-10
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.