You know, I’ve always believed that success should echo beyond you. That it should touch people who may never even meet you, but feel your impact because you chose to leave the door open behind you and honestly, that’s what Tems is doing and it’s such a beautiful thing to witness.
Let me tell you a story.
Tems! yes, the same Tems that gave us “Free Mind,” wrote for Beyoncé, stood next to global giants like Wizkid and Future, and held her own success. She didn’t have it easy. She taught herself music production because she couldn’t afford studio time. She was told she didn’t “look” or “sound” like what the industry wanted. She was misunderstood, often overlooked, and still she rose.
Now here’s where the story gets even more powerful, instead of hoarding that spotlight, Tems is turning around and lighting torches for others. She just launched something called the Leading Vibe Initiative, and I love the name already ,it feels like it was born from the very core of her. It’s a program designed to support and develop young women in music , the same girls who were told to “soften their sound” or “be more marketable.” The same girls who are producing beats in their rooms, writing verses on their books or journals and praying someone sees them.
Tems sees them because she was them and I think that’s what makes this initiative different , it’s not charity. It's a memory. It’s rooted in remembrance. Tems is creating the exact thing she once needed. She’s giving these women access, mentorship, resources but more than that, she’s giving them belief. I know we all talk about “reaching back” and “giving back,” or being a "philanthropist "but not everyone actually does it.
Not everyone remembers what it felt like to be invisible once they become seen. Tems does and instead of gatekeeping the knowledge or staying quiet in her comfort, she’s chosen impact. She’s chosen legacy.
Now imagine a world where every woman who finally "makes it" turns around and creates a path for others. Imagine how quickly things would shift. That’s what the Leading Vibe Initiative is modeling , it’s saying, “You don’t have to wait to be chosen. You can be bold, you can be different, and you can belong in this industry and I think that’s the message I want every woman and man to carry from this story , that when your breakthrough comes, and it will, don’t just celebrate. Create space because someone out there is praying for the very thing you’ve now stepped into.
Tems is teaching us that success means more when it lifts others too.So yeah when you finally make it, like really make it, I hope you remember this story and I hope you’re brave enough to be someone else’s Tems.