Tems

Tems Drops Captivating New Single “Me & U” Alongside Mesmerizing Visual

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Tems Drops Captivating New Single "Me & U" Alongside Mesmerizing Visual

Lagos, Nigeria’s GRAMMY-Award-winning artist, Oscar-nominated singer, songwriter, and producer, Tems, has just unveiled her latest masterpiece. The track titled “Me & U” is now available, along with a mesmerizing visual, via Since ’93/RCA Records. This release is particularly noteworthy as it stands as her first solo venture since the launch of her If Orange Was A Place EP.v

“‘Me & U’ is about discovering the real me, building a genuine relationship with the Creator, and gaining a true perception of self,” Tems said.

“Me & U” is an intimate creation, with Tems lending her ethereal vocals and showcasing her songwriting skills by penning the lyrics entirely herself. The production of this soulful gem is a collaboration between Guiltybeatz and Tems herself.

To accompany this enchanting release, Tems has directed a captivating music video filmed in the picturesque setting of Malta. With “Me & U,” Tems continues to leave her mark on the global music scene, demonstrating her multifaceted talents as both an artist and visionary. This is another stellar addition to her growing repertoire, further solidifying her status as a musical force to be reckoned with.

The post Tems Drops Captivating New Single “Me & U” Alongside Mesmerizing Visual first appeared on The Source.

The post Tems Drops Captivating New Single “Me & U” Alongside Mesmerizing Visual appeared first on The Source.

Tems Aims To Discover Her True Self On The Buoyant ‘Me & U,’ Her First New Song In Two Years

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Tems is a credited co-writer on Rihanna’s “Lift Me Up,” arriving last October for the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack and earning Tems an Oscar nomination at this year’s ceremony. Still, Tems hadn’t released solo material since her 2021 EP If Orange Was A Place. That finally changed on Thursday morning, October 5, with “Me & U.” Tems gifted her patient fans with an accompanying video, directed by her.

“FIRST SINGLE IN TWO YEARS!” Tems posted across her social media profiles. “‘ME & U’ OUT EVERYWHERE So incredibly grateful for all your support! LET’S GO [Earth emoji, dove emoji, star emoji].”

In the video, Tems is found by the ocean. The serene environment is contrasted by Tems’ intense emotion. “This is my decision,” she sings. “I don’t think you listen, you listen / I don’t think you listen.” She asks to “give me something” in return because “I love you,” and “I don’t need nothing, you are my everything.” She dances in the water, atop a cliff, and at a gathering in the woods at night.

At one point, Tems is alone in a castle-like room, sitting in the middle of a circle of lit candles. She sings, “Make me your matter, make me your matter, make me your matter / Show me your substance, make me your person, make me your person /Give me one break, I need faith / Faith to believe you, faith to receive you / Give me something I’m lacking.”

By the video’s end, Tems illustrates her relinquishing of control by sprinting in the dark and falling backward into the ocean.

“Me & U” and its video — and the two-year gap between Tems’ singles — speak to something Tems told Kendrick Lamar for Interview Magazine this June (published in August), when Lamar asked whether she feels “pressure to conform to what people may expect” from her.

“Yeah, you have to remember how you felt when you started as an artist, to understand the reason you’re doing what you’re doing,” she said. “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.”

The Grammy winner continued, “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 behavior just because you’re looking at them. They’re always going to be who they are. So why should I change?”

Watch the “Me & U” video above.

Is Tems Pregnant With Future’s Baby?

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Tems 2021
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It takes very little to start a rumor on social media these days. It probably never took much to begin with, but thanks to platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter, one person’s private joke can spread like wildfire. Case in point: All it took to start the rumor that Nigerian Afrobeats star Tems was pregnant was a video of the star gripping the front of her coat.

The video, which appears to have been posted on her Instagram Story, sees the star greeting fans at an event, but observers online attributed the way she held the coat closed in front of her to hiding a baby bump. This quickly spun into some fans speculating that the father was her “Wait For U” collaborator Future.

Is Tems Pregnant With Future’s Baby?

The answer is very likely “no.” While Tems herself didn’t directly address the wild rumor (which seems mostly to be the result of several blogs reposting the same story quoting a handful of comments on the original video), she did subtly shoot it down on both Twitter and Instagram. “In conclusion, you people are all mad!!!” she wrote on Twitter (not X, which is a dumb name and no one should take it or its owner seriously). The star, who is used to criticism of her sartorial choices, clearly isn’t sweating the speculation.

Meanwhile, on Instagram, she posted a string of side profile photos in the same outfit — ostensibly taken on the same day — that show no bump to be seen. The star also reposted a supporter’s epic clapback at one skeptical commenter’s insistence that she’s lying. To be fair… he kinda asked for it. Just goes to show: Never stick your nose into conversations where it doesn’t belong.

And if there’s any big takeaway here, it’s not to believe everything (or anything, really) you see online. People just be making stuff up sometimes.

Tems Caught Wind Of Rumors That Claimed She Was Pregnant With Future’s Baby And Offered A Simple Response

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Tems
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Nigerian recording artist Tems is many things. A songwriter, singer, chart-topper, and Oscar Award nominee, yes. But, the “Crazy Tings” musician is not a mother to rapper Future’s next child, despite the bubbling rumors. Today (September 22), Tems caught wind of the online claim and immediately offered a simple response.

“In conclusion, you people are all mad,” wrote Tems in a post on her official X page (formerly Twitter).

The whispers result from a viral video posted yesterday (September 21) of the entertainer attending Burberry’s Summer 2024 fashion show in London. In the clip, Tems is tugging on her jacket to seemingly hide her midriff from the paparazzi outside of the venue.

Tems took it a step further by uploading a series of photos from the same day to her Instagram Stories to dispel any lingering doubt.

Tems shut downs pregancy rumors Instagram Stories 09222022
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Tems shut downs pregancy rumors Instagram Stories 09222022
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Tems shut downs pregancy rumors Instagram Stories 09222022
Instagram

It is unclear why online users gathered that Tems and Future were romantically linked. Their only documented connection is by way of Future’s 2022 song “Wait For U,” which sampled Tems’ “Higher (Live).”

In a string of posts last year, Future spoke about his decision to use the track: “Soon as I heard the Tems sample over ATL Jacob, Instantly connected to my soul. Tems’ voice is amazing. Even though ‘Wait For U’ is a sample and not an original recording, I still put featuring Tems [in case others] weren’t familiar with her work. Thank you, Tems.”

Also, based on singer Ciara’s (who is the ex-finance of Future and mother to his son) response to questions by The Shade Room on September 13 about their co-parenting relationship, it’s probably best that Tems keeps it strictly professional with Future.

Kendrick Lamar Reveals Who Kept Him Sane During Studio Sessions

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Earlier this week Kendrick Lamar sat down with breakout Nigerian singer Tems for a conversation in Interview Magazine. Since then, both artist’s fanbases have been pouring through the conversation trying to unpack every single relevant detail. One of the details that got people’s attention was Lamar’s obsession with 50 Cent. “Now, I’ve always studied 50 Cent’s music and watched his interviews,” Kendrick explained. Though fans online noted just how different the two rappers’ styles are others pointed out that Kendrick has long had very versatile taste.

Another detail that fans are pointing out comes from a portion of the interview where the pair discuss who holds them down. “I’m the kind of person that if you leave me in the studio by myself for like two days, I turn into one of those mad scientists in a cartoon,” Tems began. “I’m the same way. I call it the Pinky and the Brain syndrome,” Kendrick responds referencing the beloved cartoon. He went on to explain that you need someone around you to keep you sane during studio sessions. “You need at least one or two people that you really trust to be like, ‘You know what? You’re going crazy.’”

Read More: Kendrick Lamar Albums Done In Eminem’s Style In New Reddit Post

Kendrick Lamar Credits Dave Free And Sounwave For Keeping Him Sane

Kendrick Lamar didn’t have to think very long to remember the people who kept his head straight. “I can relate to that, because my boy, Dave [Free] my partner, actually — he started as one of my managers, but he was a creative also. Along with my producer Sounwave, I kind of lean on him to know if I’m going the right way.” The two collaborators he mentions have been working with Lamar for a while, so it’s no surprise that he trusts them.

Earlier this month, Kendrick Lamar was announced as one of the headliners at Tyler, The Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw festival later this year. He joins a stacked lineup that includes SZA, Clipse, Earl Sweatshirt, Ice Spice, and many more. What do you think of Kendrick and Tems new interview? Let us know in the comment section below.

Read More: Kendrick Lamar Prepping To Buy A Condo In Brooklyn For $9 Million

[Via]

The post Kendrick Lamar Reveals Who Kept Him Sane During Studio Sessions appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Kendrick Lamar & Tems Discuss Artistry, Mental Health, And More In Powerful New Interview

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When it comes to artist interviews, some of the best are usually done by their contemporaries, or at least others who are familiar with the workings of their industry. Interview Magazine is notorious for pairing the perfect celebrities together, most recently nabbing Kendrick Lamar to chat with Nigerian superstar Tems ahead of her debut album. The pair discussed everything from staying sane while in the studio to other creatives who have influenced them in the powerful new conversation.

“I’m not sure when the first time I heard music was, but I found myself loving the radio, and I used to hear Celine Dion. Nigerians love Celine Dion,” the 28-year-old shared with the DAMN hitmaker. “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.” Elsewhere, Tems mentioned buying a fake Destiny’s Child CD as a core memory from her youth, noting that it didn’t take long before she learned all 30 songs on the project.

Read More: Tems Claps Back At Critics Slamming Her New Cover Shoot: “Not Your Christian Saviour”

Tems Reveals Her Early Musical Influences

As her star continues to shine brighter, the African songbird noted that she wants to remain grounded in her roots. “You have to remember how you felt when you started as an artist, to understand the reason you’re doing what you’re doing,” Tems insisted. “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.”

Lamar had plenty of wisdom to contribute to the conversation as well, notably crediting Curtis Jackson with making him look at things differently in one of the New Yorker’s past interviews. “I’ve always studied 50 Cent’s music and watched his interviews, and someone asked if he was a conscious artist,” the Pulitzer Prize winner reflected. “He said, ‘Yeah, I’m a conscious artist because I have a conscience.’”

Read More: 50 Cent Explains The Difference Between Him & Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar Gives 50 Cent His Flowers

“That s**t blew me away. It gave me a different perspective – 50 drops a lot of jewels that give me perspective, but that one right there gave me a sense of, okay, a lot of artists live and know how to project duality. That’s the true gift because that’s what life is about in its wholeness,” Lamar told Tems of Fif’s perspective. Read their full Interview Magazine story here, and check back later for more hip-hop/pop culture news updates.

[Via]

The post Kendrick Lamar & Tems Discuss Artistry, Mental Health, And More In Powerful New Interview appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

T.I. Set To Honor Hip-Hop’s 50th Anniversary At ESSENCE Festival Of Culture

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TI

T.I. is gearing up to commemorate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop at the ESSENCE Festival of Culture. In New Orleans from June 29 to July 3, the festival’s evening concert series will showcase a lineup of prominent hip-hop artists. The Atlanta rapper will be part of a special performance curated by producer Jermaine Dupri, representing […]

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SZA And Lizzo Headline The Sprawling Made In America 2023 Lineup With Miguel, Tems, Ice Spice, And More

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sza
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Made In America Festival is returning in 2023 with a sprawling lineup headlined by Lizzo and SZA and featuring a who’s-who of music’s hottest names. Included on the bill are Miguel, Tems, Metro Boomin, Ice Spice, Coi Leray, Latto, Lil Yachty, Doechii, Lola Brooke, Coco Jones, and more. Of special interest is the sheer number of women performing, as well as a joint set by Harlem stars turned podcast heroes Cam’Ron and Mase.

The festival is billed for September 2-3 at Philadelphia’s Benjamin Franklin Parkway, with tickets already on sale. You can get more info here.

Made In America 2023 will also feature what is apparently the first festival performance for LSU basketball star Flau’Jae Johnson, who has garnered plenty of attention as a rapper in the wake of her team’s national championship. Meanwhile, breakout stars like Doechii, Lola Brooke, and TiaCorine are also getting a huge opportunity after racking up viral hits in the past year.

Made In America Festival 2022 was headlined by Bad Bunny and Tyler The Creator. They were joined by a rap-heavy lineup featuring Don Toliver, Key Glock, Kodak Black, Lil Uzi Vert, and Pusha T, although Afrobeats star Burna Boy and pop singer Tate McRae offered some variety along with R&B singers Jazmine Sullivan, Snoh Aalegra, and Victoria Monét.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.