- Tems, has thanked veteran singer Seyi Sodimu for letting her use his 1997 hit ‘Love Me Jeje’ in her Grammy-winning song of the same name.
- On Sunday, January 2, Tems’ song ‘Love Me Jeje’ took home the Best African Music Performance award at the 67th annual Grammy Awards.
- In her acceptance speech at the Crypto.com Arena, Tems honored her mother by dedicating her win to her just before her birthday.
R&B artist Temilade Openiyi, known as Tems, has thanked veteran singer Seyi Sodimu for letting her use his 1997 hit ‘Love Me Jeje’ in her Grammy-winning song of the same name.
On Sunday, January 2, Tems’ song ‘Love Me Jeje’ took home the Best African Music Performance award at the 67th annual Grammy Awards. It beat out songs like “Tomorrow” by Yemi Alade, “MMS” by Asake & Wizkid, “Sensational” featuring Davido & Lojay by Chris Brown, and “Higher” by Burna Boy.
In her acceptance speech at the Crypto.com Arena, Tems honored her mother by dedicating her win to her just before her birthday.
She thanked her team, including Muyiwa, Wale, and her stylist, saying, “Wow, dear God. Thank you so much for putting me on this stage and bringing me this team.”
“Tomorrow is my mum’s birthday, and this is her first Grammy. I just want to thank you, Ma, because she has really done a lot for me and my brother. Happy birthday, Mum.”
She concluded by saying, “To God be the glory. Honestly, He has changed my life so much.”
Following her speech, there was a lot of negative feedback on Instagram and X, as many wondered why she failed to recognize Seyi Sodimu.
On X, user brosaik expressed disappointment, writing, “I think it was a major faux pas for Tems to forget to mention Seyi Sodimu in her Grammy acceptance speech. The song ‘Love Me Jeje,’ which won in the Best African Music Performance category, originally belongs to Seyi Sodimu. Tems’ handlers made a big mistake.”
Another user, Jokotade, added, “I think Tems should have said thank you to Seyi Sodimu too, for inspiring the song she won a Grammy for.”
Shortly after, Tems posted on her X account on Monday to mark her Grammy achievement. She appreciated Sodimu for approving the sample. She called ‘Love Me Jeje’ a “timeless classic” and shared her excitement that the song is finally getting the recognition it deserves because of her remix. The two-time Grammy award winner wrote:
“I just want to thank the wonderful @seyimusic for his role in the support and clearing of his OG song Love me jeje. It’s brought the original song back to life for me and I’m glad that it’s getting it’s flowers today. A timeless classic.
“I appreciate you so much. Thank you for your love and support.”
