- Tems has expressed her unreserved gratitude to Seyi Sodimu, following her second win at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles
- The singer clinched her second win at the 67th annual Grammy Awards with her remix of classic song Love Me Jeje.
R&B star, Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has appreciated veteran singer, Seyi Sodimu, for allowing her to sample his 1997 classic ‘Love Me Jeje’ in her Grammy-winning song of the same title.
On Sunday, January 2, Tems’ ‘Love Me Jeje’ won the Best African Music Performance award over “Tomorrow” (Yemi Alade), “MMS” (Asake & Wizkid), “Sensational” (Chris Brown featuring Davido & Lojay), and “Higher” (Burna Boy), at the 67th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday.
During her acceptance speech at the Crypto.com Arena, Tems dedicated her win to her mother, ahead of 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.”
However, her speech prompted backlash on both Instagram and the microblogging X platform, with many questioning why she didn’t acknowledge 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 took to her X handle on Monday to celebrate her Grammy triumph, appreciating Sodimu for approving the sample. She described Sodimu’s ‘Love Me Jeje’ as a “timeless classic,” stressing that she’s excited that the song is finally receiving accolades due to 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.”
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