How I once broke my family's heart - Tems discloses

Grammy Award winning Nigerian singer, Tems has revealed in an interview with British GQ, the many hurdles she had to jump to get to where she is today.

According to her, she made lots of sacrifices and made certain decisions that broke her family's heart in order for her to fully pursue music.

Tems stated that she grew up as a regular child in Lagos with her elder brother. But she fell so much in love with music.

“It was that type of community where everybody knew everyone. We were Temi and Tunji from down the street,” she said.

Fast foward, Tems finished school and got an office job in digital marketing. But the job made her depressed.

“I was like, I can’t live a lie anymore,” she said.

She later on quit her job in 2018 to pursue music full time. That was what broke the heart of her family. Her career in music was uncertain at the time, and she was willing to sacrifice her only source of income to do music full time.

“You quit your job to sing?” Tems told British GQ, impersonating them, with raised eyebrows. “It was like, ‘You’re a woman. Do you want to sing at the bar?’” she continued.

“Think about it. I’m from Nigeria. I’m from Lagos. There’s nobody that I was like, Oh yes, she did this, so let me also go and do this.

“I couldn’t take care of anybody. There were times when I was not just broke – I was broke and hopeless. I used to steal food. I used to go to my aunty’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.

“I didn’t have any self-esteem. I didn’t think I was pretty. I didn’t even think of my voice as anything. I just thought, There are so many people that can sing, I’m not a model, I don’t dance, but whatever chance I have, I’ll take it.

“Even if I end up singing under a bridge somewhere, I’ll be the best under-the-bridge singer ever," she told British GQ.

Six years on, Tems is not the best under the bridge but one of the best in the world.