Grammy-winning Nigerian singer, Temilade Oyeniyi, popularly known as Tems has recounted how she was bullied while growing because of how her voice sounds.
Tems said to The Cut that singing came easy to her and that she did not learn to talk until she was three years old.
She said she grew up feeling self-conscious because “my voice had bass” and all the other girls had these sweet, high voices,”.
The singer noted she was bullied to the point of tears, adding that when she did try to make friends, she would make them sing her song.
“I was always in my own little world. I was not very social. When I did make friends, I would try to make them sing my songs,” she said.
“All the other girls had these sweet, high voices and my voice had a bass.”
Tems rose to international prominence in 2020 after collaborating with Wizkid on the song ‘Essence’.
She has subsequently made a reputation for herself in the Nigerian music industry, receiving numerous prizes and recognition.
In February 2023, the singer received her first Grammy.
She won the ‘Best Melodic Rap Performance’ award for her role in Future’s 2022 hit song ‘Wait for U’, which features Drake.