LAMAR: Speaking of the success that you had, do you feel any pressure to conform to what people may expect from you? Or do you still have that intuition to say, “I’m going to do what I feel regardless of how it pans out?”
TEMS: Yeah, you have to remember how you felt when you started as an artist, to understand the reason you’re doing what you’re doing. Yes, it’s to be seen, or to make a name for yourself, but beyond that, why are you doing it? Most of the time it’s because you have a story to share, a message to give. When you become more known or seen, it’s very easy to get caught up in, “What do people expect of me now?” But for me, it’s like, “What do I expect of myself now?” Because you’re the one that has to live with yourself, the one that has to sleep with the decisions that you make. Trusting yourself is so key, and I’m not going to stop trusting my guts just because people can see me now. It’s like being in a zoo. The animals don’t change their behavior just because you’re looking at them. They’re always going to be who they are. So why should I change?
LAMAR: And people can feel it, too. They know when something is authentic and when it’s not. With how you’re thinking you’ll be just fine. It’s tough for a lot of artists, man, to have that mindset, because there are so many pressures out here with all the politics and standards that we think we have to live up to, but to have the instincts that you have, that’s truly inspiring.
TEMS: What I’m concerned about is not being able to tap into that place anymore just because I betrayed myself, and that’s why I have to stick with my gut. Because how do you go back after betraying your trust?
LAMAR: Exactly. Do you feel you’ve made any mistakes or had any regrets along the journey within these last five years?
TEMS: So many things.
LAMAR: Do you try to throw it away and not put too much energy towards it? Or do you use it as fuel in order to make the next decision for yourself?
TEMS: I use it as fuel. Every time I feel like I shouldn’t have done something, I’ve noticed that things always sort themselves out. The thing about making mistakes is there’s grace. We’re all going to make mistakes, but what happens when you do?
LAMAR: That’s so true. I want to know, how do you distinguish between Tems the artist versus Tems the person in your daily life? Is it something new you’re still trying to figure out, or something you got a grasp on?
TEMS: When I started being a professional artist, I made an agreement with myself that I’m also Tems. Tems is Temilade. I’m both of them. There isn’t a distinction for me. I know to the outside world, it must be like, “There’s Tems the artist, and Temilade must be a dumbed-down version.” But I’m Tems all the time, and I’m Temilade all the time, because I’m not just one thing. I don’t distinguish them because that creates a cognitive dissonance.
LAMAR: That sounds like the Gemini talking right there. Loud and clear.
TEMS: Was it your birthday recently?
LAMAR: Yeah, June 17th. When was yours? Early June, right?
TEMS: June 11th.
LAMAR: That’s right. Happy belated.
TEMS: Same to you, man.
LAMAR: Now, I’ve always studied 50 Cent’s music and watched his interviews, and someone asked if he was a conscious artist. He said, “Yeah, I’m a conscious artist because I have a conscience.” That shyt blew me away. It gave me a different perspective—50 drops a lot of jewels that give me perspective, but that one right there gave me a sense of, okay, a lot of artists live and know how to project duality. That’s the true gift, because that’s what life is about in its wholeness. When I seen that I said, “I can relate to that,” and what you’re saying is confirmation that that’s still alive. It’s really dope to hear another artist say it. Lets us know we not crazy.
TEMS: Nah, we’re not. That’s why I’m always learning, because I want to know how to simplify things to the point where I have peace of mind. Your mind is the first place that you have to overcome.
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