A public relations expert Chidi Okereke has recounted how singer Temilade Openiyi popularly known as Tems was rejected by a record label because she sounded too ‘RnB’.
Mr. Okereke disclosed this in a Twitter post on Thursday, he also shared a WhatsApp conversation with the manager of the record label.
“July 2018, Tems messaged me about promoting her music. I checked her out and liked the songs so much that I reached a friend who was managing an indie label. But the label owner said she sounded too R&B and declined. Today Tems is global, rolling with Wizkid, Drake and Rihanna.
“I don’t blame him, to be honest. He’d been around enough to know that her sound was going to be hard to sell. Just sharing this conversation because it’s a reminder that if we believe strongly in ourselves, we should keep striving. The world will catch up to our gift,” he wrote.
Tems gained international recognition after her collaboration with Wizkid on the hit song ‘Essence’, she also featured on Drake’s new album Certified Lover Boy.
The 26-year-old also met American singer Rihanna on Wednesday at an event in Los Angeles.
