Afropop star Tems says women in her industry are often not respected, and she wants to change that through her new project, The Leading Vibe Initiative.
The two-time Grammy winner told the BBC she struggled to be taken seriously when she started out. “I realised that there’s always a cost. There’s always a price that you pay. And a lot of those prices I wasn’t willing to pay and there wasn’t a lot of options,” she said.
Afropop has grown globally in the past decade but remains male-dominated. The genre’s biggest names — Burna Boy, Davido and Wizkid — are men, while female artists like Tiwa Savage and Yemi Alade have spoken about facing gender barriers.
Tems, known for hits such as Love Me Jeje and Free Mind, said her initiative will help young women in Africa’s music scene access platforms and reach bigger audiences. “I promised myself that if I get to a place where I can do more, I will make this initiative for women like me,” she said.
The programme launched on Friday in Lagos with workshops, masterclasses and panel discussions for vocalists, songwriters and producers. Tems advised young women entering music to know their boundaries. “What are the things that you wouldn’t do for fame and the things that you would do?” she asked.
Tems said passion is key. “It’s not everybody that sings that loves music. If I wasn’t famous, I would still be doing music. I would be in some kind of jazz club… randomly on a Friday night.”
Since her debut EP five years ago, Tems has collaborated with Beyoncé and Rihanna, gained over 17 million monthly Spotify listeners and headlined festivals worldwide. Next month, she will support Coldplay at Wembley Stadium.
Tems is also a part-owner of US football club San Diego FC, alongside Pave Investments, which has also backed the African Basketball League. “I don’t see myself as just a singer, just a musician, just an artist. I’m much more than that,” she said.
