“When I listen to Nigerian music, it sounded so plain and basic, and there was nothing spiritual about it that I could connect to,” —Tems tells Kendrick Lamar.
In a recent interview on ‘Interwine’ with legendary American rapper Kendrick Lamar, Grammy award-winning Nigerian singer Tems told Kendrick Lamar that she decided to pursue classic R&B instead of Afrobeats, which is more popular in Nigeria.
The singer explained that when she used to listen to Nigerian music, it sounded plain and basic to her. She didn’t feel any substance or anything spiritual she could connect with in Afrobeat songs, as she was more familiar with the type of music associated with artists like Celine Dion.
Tems wanted to make a difference by producing music that would touch souls and connect with people. This is why she chose to focus more on creating R&B music.
She also added that most of the producers she worked with were more into Afrobeat and could not really do well with the sound she wanted to put out that is why she learned to produce herself.
