‘I really want to meet Lil Wayne’ – Tems reveals

In a recent interview with The Cruz Show, Nigerian Grammy-winning sensation Tems shared a glimpse into her early musical influences, revealing her enduring admiration for iconic US rapper Lil Wayne.

Known for hits like Love Me Jeje, the 29-year-old singer explained that her passion for hip hop and rap began during her childhood, introduced to the genre by her brother.

Tems nostalgically recalled mimicking Lil Wayne as a young girl, sharing that she would often pretend to be him, a memory that highlights her deep-rooted respect for the rapper.

Now an acclaimed artist herself, Tems expressed excitement and anticipation at the possibility of meeting her longtime idol soon.

“Hip-hop is my thing. I used to pretend to be a rapper when I was younger,” she said.

“I love Lil Wayne. I used to pretend to be him when I was younger. My brother actually is the one who introduced me to rap because he used to listen to a lot of rap.

“He used to download song off the internet like Lil Wayne’s and that is how I got influenced.

“… I haven’t met Wayne and I want to meet him so bad but very soon I know I am going to meet him.”

Tems also mentioned her deep, slightly cringe-worthy rap voice. “my rap voice is really deep and slightly cringe,” she said.

This is not the first time Tems would be expressing her admiration for a US rapper.

In September, she said she loves Kanye West and relate to him sometimes.

Born Temilade Openiyi, Tems gained popularity in 2020, courtesy of her collaboration with Wizkid, the Afrobeats singer, on the song ‘Essence’.

The same year, she released her debut extended play (EP) titled ‘For Broken Ears’.

Tems has received several awards and broken several records.

The singer won a ‘Best Melodic Rap Performance’ Grammy award in 2023 for her collaboration on ‘Wait For U’ with Future and Drake.

Lil Wayne, born Dwayne Carter, is regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artistes of his generation. He is also widely considered one of the greatest rappers of all time.