What most people are interested in is Tems net worth, and that’s cool. However, if you’re just 27 with only a few years in the music industry but have had duets with A-list artists and strings of awards to boot, would ‘Tems’ net worth’ be how you’d love to be searched online?
But then, that’s beyond her control.
What makes her stand out is in her hands: that voice. Rich. Resonant. If you listen to Try Me, you might be called back to the old and glorious days of R&B. Only that this is not R&B.
It’s a series of interrelated poems rendered rhythmically, replete with catchy choruses and rumbling percussions. You can call it a fusion of Afrobeat, R&B, and alternative sounds.
Who’s the beauty and brain behind this? We present Tems unplugged!
Tems real name
Her stage name is a fraction of her name, Temilade, the daughter of Openiyi. Phonologically, Temilade means Mine is the Crown. But The Crown is Mine, is more like it.
Birth
Tems was born on June 11th, 1995, in Lagos to a Nigerian mother and a British-Nigerian father. The family moved to the United Kingdom shortly after her birth. At five, her parents went their separate ways.
Tems moved to Nigeria with her mother and brother and lived in Ilupeju, 8.9km from Ikeja. The trio later moved to Lekki, then Ajah
She attended Dowen College, Lekki, for her secondary school education. Her teacher noticed her musical talent and encouraged her to play the piano. At home, she sang with her brother and often used his guitar to practice.
She studied Economics at Monash University (now The Independent Institute of Education), Johannesburg, South Africa. She wrote songs in her spare time while teaching herself how to make beats by watching YouTube videos.
“I think the experience in university helped me become who I am today,” she said.
“It was an entire world of its own and different things happened there. It was like a preparation for me; for the total chaos that is happening now. University was crazy for me. I just learned how to stay chilled. Where I’m from, you had to do something serious that would make you money. Academics was like a big thing. Everyone had to go to school; get a high-paying job.”
Tems returned to Lagos and got a high-paying job in digital marketing. But she found it depressing. She eventually quit the job to pursue music. But it wasn’t a bed of roses.
“There were times when I was not just broke – I was broke and hopeless,” she said.
“I used to steal food. I used to go to my aunt’s house just so she could give me food to take home. I just felt like, ‘what is the point of me existing right now’? You have to remember those times. Because that person does not exist anymore.”
Tems Career
Can you talk about Tems Net worth without talking about her career?
Her journey into the music industry started when she was 20. In 2013, she released her first EP, Time Swap. Mr Rebel, her first successful single, got over 200,000 views on YouTube. It came after her album Illumination in 2018.
Looku Looku, which enjoyed a huge play on air, came next. She followed it up with another hit single, Try Me, which brought her to the limelight.
Her voice can be described as deep and androgynous, but velvety.
We present a timeline of her career.
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Tems career timeline
Still on Tems net worth, displayed below is her career timeline:
- 2018 – quit her job to pursue a career in music
- July 18th 2018 – released her debut single Mr Rebel, a self-produced track
- August 7th 2019 – released the single ‘Try Me’
- 2019 – nominated for the Best Vocal Performance (female) and Best Alternative Song for her single Mr. Rebel in the Headies award
- 2020 – BBC DJ Edu chose her as one of ’10 artists to watch’
- April 23rd 2020 – featured alongside Davido on a reworked version of Khalid and Disclosure’s single, ‘Know Your Worth’
- September 25th 2020 – released her debut extended play, ‘For Broken Ears’
- October 30th 2020 – featured on Wizkid’s single Essence, from his fourth studio album, Made in Lagos
- 2020 – the song earned her a number one spot on BBC 1Xtra AirPlay Chart and also her first career entry on Billboard Hot 100 at number 9
- 2020 – won a Soul Train Music Award, two NAACP Image Awards, and a Grammy Award nomination for Best Global Music Performance
- 2020 – collaborated with DJ Khalid on a single titled Know Your Worth. The track also featured Davido and Disclosure. It made Barack Obama’s playlist for summer 2020
- November 8th 2020 – was included in The Future Awards Africa: Class of 2020
- August 13th 2021 – a reworked version of Essence, which contains an additional feature from Justin Bieber, was released
- 2021 – the song got to number nine on the Billboard Hot 100
- September 3rd 2021 – was featured on rapper and singer Drake’s song, Fountains, from his sixth studio album, Certified Lover Boy. The song debuted at number 26 on the Hot 100
- September 10th 2021 – released the single, Crazy Things. It peaked at number three on the UK Afrobeats Singles Chart, reached number one on the Billboard Next Big Sound chart, and the Billboard Emerging Artists chart
- September 15th 2021 – released her second extended play, If Orange Was a Place, after being signed to RCA Records
- March 31st 2022 – Apple Music 1 Launched Leading Vibe Radio Show With Tems
- April 29th 2022 – featured alongside Drake on American rapper Future’s single, Wait for U, from his ninth studio album, I Never Liked You. The song debuted atop the Hot 100, making Tems the first African female artist to top the chart and debut atop the chart. The song samples the song ‘Higher’ from For Broken Ears
- July 2022 – was part of Bob Marley’s No Woman, No Cry for the upcoming Marvel movie Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack
- July 26th 2022 – gained her fourth Hot 100 with her song, Free Mind, from For Broken Ears
- July 2022 – announced as a guest artist on Beyoncé’s album Renaissance
- July 2022 – collaborated on the song Move with Grace Jones, becoming her fifth entry on the Hot 100
- October 2022 – co-wrote Rihanna’s song Lift Me Up for the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack
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Tems Songs
She hit the limelight with her 2019 soar away song, Try Me. Here’s a list of some songs she has released or featured:
- Mr Rebel
- Looku Looku
- Try Me
- Come Inn
- These Days
- If U then I
- Oldschool
- Plunge Down the Cascades
- Cruising
- Epiphany
- Diss for Lil’ProkS
- Ultra Happiness
- Ghost Detain
- Love Me Down
- Falling
- Twisted Tilde
- Tales By Moonlight
- Time Swap
- Good Time
- These Days
- Drop
- Skills
- Too Bad
- Know your Worth – DJ Khalid ft Davido, Disclosure.
Her first EP titled ‘For broken ears’ contains the following songs:
- Damages
- Free mind
- Ice T
- The Key
- Interference
- High key
Tems Essence
Well, not really hers, but she rode on Wizkid’s 2021 buzz following their joint hit song ‘Essence’, but she embodied magic of her own on the track.
The song, which was nominated in the ‘Best Global Music Performance’ category, has enjoyed widespread acceptance, with prominent entertainers dancing to its rhythms. It gained more international prominence after Wizkid released a remix featuring Justin Bieber.
Kanye West called it the “best song in the history of music to date”. It made Barack Obama’s annual list of favourite songs for 2020.
Tems, however, said she could have done better.
“Even the day I recorded that I was still like, ‘I can do better. I think I can do better,” she said.
“Send me the beat and then let me do it again’. And they were like, ‘no, this is great’. And I was like, ‘yeah, but I want to add some more’. I was still even trying to top it and they didn’t let me. I was happy with it. I always like to challenge myself.”
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Tems Forever!
Tems co-wrote Lift Me Up with R&B star Rihanna, which featured in the new Marvel movie ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The album was produced by Ryan Coogler, Ludwig Göransson, Archie Davis, and Dave Jordan.
Lift Me Up is a tribute to Chadwick Boseman, the star of the first Black Panther film, who died in 2020 at 43.
Tems spoke about the inspiration behind the song.
“After speaking with Ryan and hearing his direction for the film and the song, I wanted to write something that portrays a warm embrace from all the people that I’ve lost in my life,” she said.
“I tried to imagine what it would feel like if I could sing to them now and express how much I miss them. Rihanna has been an inspiration to me, so hearing her convey this song is a great honour.”
In September 2021, the duo connected in Los Angeles at an event to promote Rihanna’s lingerie collection.
The Barbadian singer screamed, “Oh my God” as she hugged Tems.
It wouldn’t be the first time Tems would work with an industry bigshot following her meteoric rise to fame. She featured in Certified Lover Boy, the studio album by Drake, the American rapper. They both appeared in Wait For You, a hit song by Future, another US singer.
Speaking of her feature in the album, Tems said: “It’s unbelievable, literally.
“When I said I wanted to work with Drake, I just said it. I wasn’t thinking about it. I used to listen to Drake all the time when I was in high school and growing up, and it was just the first thing that came to my mind.
“And for me to actually meet him, work with him, it’s just crazy. I can’t quantify how grateful I am, because it’s not anything I did. I’m just making music. And it just seems like I’m attracting all these people. I’m just so grateful.”
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Tems Net worth
Record sales, proceeds from music concerts, collaboration with top artistes like Wizkid, DJ Khalid, Drake, Rihanna, etc., her endorsements with Reebok and Tommy Hilfiger, not forgetting other unknown business ventures and investments minus are liabilities makeup Tems net worth. We reckon it’s near $500,000.
Tems Awards & Achievements
- Nominated as Best Vocal Performing (Female) by The Headies, 2019
- Nominated as Next Rated Artist (Female) by City People Music Award
- Nominated for Best Breakthrough Act by MTV Africa Music Award
- Won ‘Best New Artiste’ at Soul Train Awards, 2022
- ‘Essence’, the chart-topping hit by Wizkid featuring Tems, sold over 3 million units in the United States to be certified triple platinum
- The song became the first Nigerian song to crack the Billboard Hot 100 as well as the third from Africa
Tems Social Media Handles
You can connect with Tems on
- Instagram: @TemsBaby
- Twitter: @TemsBaby
Tems Car
This article on Tems net worth wont be complete, if we don’t look at the number of cars the iconic music Goddess has.
Tem’s Range Rover will always remain one of the coveted vehicles by any accomplished individual, and Tems is no exception. With basic features like full matrix LED headlights, panoramic glass roof, auto lights and wipers, hands-free split power tailgate, centre armrest cooler, Wi-Fi hotspot, etc., the car is a statement of wealth and class.
Tems House
Though she lives in Lagos, it’s unknown if she owns the apartment. Kudos to her for keeping this out of the public glare.
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Tems Arrest
On December 12, 2020, Tems was arrested with fellow Nigerian singer Omah Lay alongside four Ugandans after they performed at a concert in Ddungu Resort in Munyonyo, Kampala, Uganda. The Uganda Police Force identified violation of Covid-19 lockdown protocols as the reason for their arrests.
The development generated controversies on social media with many Nigerians, including celebrities, calling for their release from the custody of Ugandan police.
During the ordeal, Tems went on a hunger strike. In a video, which appeared to have been taken inside the courtroom, a woman could be seen pleading with her to eat.
“It’s my body, what if l want to die, then you don’t have a say,” she could be heard saying.
“I don’t want to eat; you can’t be forcing food down my throat. I have not eaten for the past 24 hours and l won’t eat for the next 48 hours.”
“What if I want to die?”
She didn’t die, though. Two days later, the Ugandan government apologised for the arrests, dropped the charges and released them.
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Is Tems Married?
If, yes, who’s Tems husband? You may well call him Mr Anonymous because she’s still single, though we can’t beat our chest that she’s searching. But then, let’s assume she’s in the ‘labour market’. Do you have what it takes? You might be tall, dark, handsome, rich, and socially secure but still come short as she’s, in a way, sapios3xual.
“You have to be really smart,” she said.
“You have to outsmart me and not necessarily in terms of knowledge, but in terms of life. You have to make me feel I can’t manipulate you.”
Still interested?
Wish you all the best.
Conclusion
From global recognition to collaborations with music heavyweights, Tems has etched her name on the hearts of several music lovers. And she’s on course for greatness. No?
“I don’t really think everything is because of me,” she said.
“I know that I’m talented and I have a great sound. I know that I do what I do. But honestly, it’s more than just the music and there’s so many people involved.
“Honestly, God has been in control of everything and I just like to live my life. So, I don’t even think of it, I just see it as such an exciting life that I’m just enjoying, rather than like trying to control it or take all the credit.”
She deserves all the credit, though.
On a final note, we hope this article on Tems net worth has been an eye-opener for you, always check back for more updates.
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