Tems speaks to Kendrick Lamar about artistic integrity and her career

The exchange, which took place in June, was published on 29 August and finds the two Grammy winners, who have soundtracked Marvel superhero franchise Black Panther, discussing their shared passion for music and artistic integrity.

The conversation starts out with Tems’ initial foray into the music industry, citing Celine Dion as an early influence. “I was an extreme introvert when I was younger,” she said. “I found myself loving the radio, and I used to hear Celine Dion. Nigerians love Celine Dion. Her songs are very emotional, jump-off-a-cliff-type songs. They entered my soul. I think that’s where my love for music started.”

Tems, who shot to fame after appearing on Wizkid’s chart-topping single ‘Essence’, also stress the significance of staying true to one’s artistic vision, regardless of external pressures. “You have to remember how you felt when you started as an artist, to understand the reason you’re doing what you’re doing … Trusting yourself is so key, and I’m not going to stop trusting my guts just because people can see me now. The animals don’t change their behaviour just because you’re looking at them. They’re always going to be who they are. So why should I change?”

Addressing her identity as an R&B artist, Tems speaks about her determination to express her message truthfully. “I believed in myself so much that I didn’t really care if I never became anything or anyone … I felt in my heart that that’s okay. I’m okay with no one liking it, I just want to make this music. I want to make music that makes me pull my heart out, and if I can’t do that, I don’t want anything. I would rather do that and be broke than compromise.”

Lamar echoes similar sentiments, sharing his experiences with songwriting and melody, with both artists agreeing that the most profound music arises from a space of uninhibited creation, detached from preconceived notions of success.

The chat then delves into the challenge of capturing fleeting moments of inspiration in music. The artists also celebrate the magic of spontaneity, which can lead to transformative creative breakthroughs. Tems, a producer herself, explains that this side of her was developed while she was in college: “When I was in uni I only had songs on the piano and the guitar, I never entered the studio. We didn’t really have access to things like that back home, and I wanted something more. Like, ‘How do I go to the next level of musicality?’ I asked a friend, and they were like, ‘You need a beat, I’ll get you this producer.’ Lots of producers I met back then, it was just Afrobeats, the main genre of Nigeria. Afrobeats is very good, but there’s a frequency I was trying to access that I wasn’t getting from them. The long and short is that I felt like I had to do it myself. Part of it also was, when you struggle to find people that believe in you, you go extra hard.”

The two also touch on the power of duality in music, with Lamar emphasising the importance of projecting authenticity and navigating the complexities of life through his art.

Tems notes: “You have to remember how you felt when you started as an artist, to understand the reason you’re doing what you’re doing. Yes, it’s to be seen, or to make a name for yourself, but beyond that, why are you doing it? Most of the time it’s because you have a story to share, a message to give. When you become more known or seen, it’s very easy to get caught up in, ‘What do people expect of me now?’

“But for me, it’s like, ‘What do I expect of myself now?’ Because you’re the one that has to live with yourself, the one that has to sleep with the decisions that you make. Trusting yourself is so key, and I’m not going to stop trusting my guts just because people can see me now. It’s like being in a zoo. The animals don’t change their behaviour just because you’re looking at them. They’re always going to be who they are. So why should I change?”

Read the full interview here.