In the pulsating heart of Lagos, where the air hums with the chaos of street vendors, thumping basslines, and unyielding ambition, Tems is more than a Grammy-winning artist. She’s a beacon.
On November 6, 2025, the Nigerian singer-songwriter, in partnership with Native Instruments, unveiled 72 Hours in Lagos. The project is a mini-documentary that captures the raw energy of three trailblazing female producers navigating the city’s relentless rhythm.
Saszy Afroshii, TinyBraz, and Gbots aren’t just making beats; they’re rewriting the rules in an industry long dominated by men. Through Tems’ Leading Vibe Initiative, this film isn’t just a snapshot—it’s a manifesto for change. It is an efffort for amplifying voices that have too often been sidelined.
From Self-Taught Dreamer to Global Icon: Tems’ Meteoric Rise
Tems’ journey from a quiet economics student in Johannesburg to Afrobeats royalty reads like a script from one of her soul-stirring tracks.
In fact, Tems was born Temilade Openiyi in Lagos in 1995. She discovered her love for music early, but it was a serendipitous pivot that ignited her ascent. Also, while studying at IIE MSA in South Africa, Tems taught herself production and engineering via YouTube tutorials, turning bedroom sketches into anthems that blended R&B, soul, and Afro-fusion.
Her breakthrough came in 2020 with a feature on Wizkid’s “Essence,” a sultry collaboration that catapulted her into the stratosphere, peaking at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earning her first Grammy nomination.
From there, accolades poured in: AFRIMA and Soundcity MVP awards, MTV Base nods, and a historic 2023 Grammy win for Best Melodic Rap Performance on “Wait for U” with Future and Drake.
What sets Tems apart isn’t just the hits: it’s her unapologetic authenticity. As she reflected in her 2025 Billboard cover story, self-producing allowed her to forge a sound that’s “genuine and distinctive,” free from the constraints of external beats.
From Lagos’ gritty streets to sold-out global tours, Tems has conquered without compromise, proving that African women can claim the world’s stage on their own terms.
Igniting Change: The Birth and Essence of Leading Vibe
Launched in August 2025 amid the inaugural Lagos edition, the Leading Vibe Initiative emerged from Tems’ own battles in a male-skewed industry. This isn’t a one-off event; it’s a deliberate ecosystem designed to “support, connect, and amplify the next generation of women in music.”
Kicking off with a two-day seminar for about 20 aspiring talents, it offered hands-on workshops, masterclasses, and panels with industry heavyweights, plus access to Native Instruments’ cutting-edge software and hardware. Tems, a member of the company’s prestigious artist board alongside Alicia Keys and Ludwig Göransson, infused the program with her ethos of self-reliance.
At its core, Leading Vibe is about dismantling barriers. The initiative quickly expanded to Nairobi in September 2025, blending mentorship with practical tools to foster independence.
As Tems shared in the documentary, producing her own music transformed her artistry. “It solidified my sound… more true to me,” she says. This philosophy pulses through every session, urging participants to own their narratives amid Lagos’ “chaotic” hustle. These words is echoed by all involved.
A Beacon in the Booth: Tems as Empowerment’s Anthem
Tems isn’t just succeeding; she’s redefining what victory looks like for women in entertainment. In a field where female producers are outliers, her story resonates like a bass drop at midnight. In addition is Saszy Afroshii, who has crafted tracks for other female Afrobeats sensations like Tiwa Savage and Fave, captures the daily grind: walking into sessions only to hear, “Where’s the producer?” before asserting, “Hi, I’m here.” It’s a mindset shift, she says, born from extra miles run in a “man’s world”. She credits Tems as paving the highway for the women folk.
TinyBraz (aka Purple Halo), a DJ-producer shedding the labels that once boxed her into “girly” confines, credits Tems’ mantra: “double down on what you believe in”, for her bold leap to independence. From her former “Purple Island” creative haven, she rebuilt, aligning with dancers, designers, and engineers who saw her full spectrum: androgynous, authentic, unbreakable. Gbots, founder of the We Are ProducHERS community and collaborator with Olamide and CKay, calls herself an “outlier” who once felt utterly alone. “Because you can do it, I can do it,” she affirms, echoing Tems’ ripple effect.
Also, through her vulnerability: admitting early frustrations and self-doubt, Tems embodies empowerment, not as a pedestal, but as a shared climb. She’s the proof that women can engineer their destinies, inspiring a sisterhood that turns isolation into amplification.
Spotlights in the Shadows: The Mini-Doc’s Promise
72 Hours in Lagos isn’t passive viewing; it’s a catalyst. Trailing Saszy, TinyBraz, and Gbots through the city’s veins. From makeshift studios to former sanctuaries, the film humanizes the hustle. It showcases inspiration striking amid traffic jams and power outages. By highlighting Leading Vibe’s inaugural run, it spotlights the initiative’s tangible wins: skill-building, networking, and that elusive sense of belonging.
What can it achieve? Visibility, for one: shattering stereotypes by putting female producers front and center, much like Tems’ own features did for her. It could spark applications for future cohorts, foster global collaborations, and normalize women in the booth. As Native Instruments backs the charge with tech and Tems’ star power, the doc serves as a recruitment reel and rallying cry. This move potentially multiplies the initiative’s reach and proving that support begets symphonies.
Horizons Unwritten: Tems’ Trajectory and Leading Vibe’s Global Wave
Looking ahead, Tems’ career is a canvas of bold strokes. Fresh off her 2024 album Born in the Wild, she’s eyeing expansions beyond the mic. She got part-ownership in a Major League Baseball franchise. This marks her as the first African woman to stake such a claim in U.S. sports. The move blends her influence across worlds. Expect more genre-bending collabs, perhaps with her Native Instruments board peers. There is also a deeper dive into production mentorship during her 2026 African tour. This is where Leading Vibe trainees will shadow her live.
For the initiative, the blueprint is continental conquest. After Lagos and Nairobi, rollouts are slated for more African cities in 2026. The blueprint has eyes on global hubs like London and New York by 2027. It’s envisioned as a “pipeline” for African women. The aim is to bridge gender gaps with scholarships, residencies, and a network that outlasts any single seminar. Tems envisions a future where these women don’t just enter the industry, they run it. They make their beats echo from Lagos to the world. In her words, it’s a wave. And it’s just cresting.
