There’s magnificence in sampling. “Love Me, Jeje,” initially launched in 1997, received a Grammy twenty-eight years later.
PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that Nigerian singer, songwriter, and report producer Temilade ‘Tems’ Openiyi received the 67th Grammy Award for Finest African Music Efficiency.
Tems defeated sturdy contenders together with her love track ‘Love Me Jeje’ to safe the award at Sunday’s Crypto.com Area in Los Angeles.
In the meantime, the track’s title and its first stanza resonate deeply with music lovers who skilled the Nigerian music scene of the late Nineteen Nineties and early 2000s.
In 1997, when Nigerian music was nonetheless carving a distinct segment on the worldwide stage, U.S.-based Nigerian recording artiste Seyi Sodimu, popularly generally known as Mr Jeje, launched ‘Love Me, Jeje.’
The track, a monitor on his studio album ‘Born in Africa’, propelled Sodimu into the limelight and laid the inspiration for what would later be globally recognised as Afrobeats.
The monitor additionally showcased Afro-soul vocals from actress Shaffy Bello. An instantaneous traditional, ‘Love Me Jeje’ was a beloved love track within the 2000s that reshaped the Nigerian music trade.
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On 30 Might 2016, Sodimu launched a remix of the track that includes American singer Ok. Michelle, with manufacturing by Shizzi. The video for ‘Love Me Jeje (Remix)’, directed by Sesan Ogunro, was shot in Atlanta, U.S., and premiered on YouTube on the identical day.
Upon its launch, ‘Love Me Jeje’ turned an instantaneous hit, receiving widespread acclaim and big airplay from music lovers.
Tems’ model
A number of Nigerian artists have sampled the track through the years, most notably Tems, who integrated parts of the track into her 2024 single, ‘Love Me JeJe.’
The 29-year-old launched the track on 26 April 2024 through RCA Information. It’s the second single from her debut studio album, ‘Born within the Wild,’ whose title is just like Sodimu’s.
Produced by GuiltyBeatz and Spax, Tems reimagines the track inside an Afrobeats soundscape.
In the meantime, information of her Grammy-winning pattern unfold extensively on social media, drawing congratulations from politicians, together with President Bola Tinubu, Labour Occasion’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, and others.
As followers, fellow artistes, and family members continued to have a good time her, controversy emerged. Some critics accused her of being egocentric for not appropriately crediting Sodimu, the unique creator of the interpolated track.
Beneath are a number of the criticisms directed on the two-time Grammy winner.
I believe it was a serious fake pas for Tems to neglect to say Seyi Sodimu in her Grammy acceptance speech. The track “Love Me Jeje”, which received within the Finest African Music Efficiency class, initially belongs to Seyi Sodimu. Tems’ handlers made a giant mistake. pic.twitter.com/2bpWZc21wX
— Bros IK (@bros_aik) February 3, 2025
25 years in the past, Seyi Sodimu launched “Love Me Jeje,” and now Tems has sampled the identical track. It’s fascinating to listen to the identical tune, which was as soon as the most effective songs, being revisited. Tems’ model isn’t shocking, nevertheless it’s one thing we must always see extra from Gen Z, because it helps… pic.twitter.com/FrWIPeJea0
— Oyebanji Akins (@Oyebanji_akins) April 26, 2024
📍Tems is the most recent artiste to pattern an Afrobeat traditional and it’s none apart from ‘Love me Jeje’ by Seyi Sodimu which was first launched in 1999.Tems brings again the soothing refrain on her new single named after it ‘Love me Jeje’…Zino | Wunmi | Mohbad | Adekunle Gold pic.twitter.com/rOTc9TCYuZ
— Billboard Nigeria (@Ngnbillboard) April 26, 2024
I believe Tems ought to have mentioned thanks to Seyi sodimu too, for uplifting the track she received a Grammy for.
— Tender woman all yr spherical🌸🔮 (@Jokotade_ng) February 3, 2025
It might be wonderful if Tems introduced out Shaffy Bello and Seyi Sodimu on stage sooner or later.
— Chef Fregz (@Chef_Fregz) April 30, 2024
So I’ve heard a number of individuals say Tems sampled Seyi Sodimu’s “Love Me Jeje” in her new launch, when in actuality, it’s an interpolation and never a pattern.
Took me some time to grasp the distinction and I assumed I ought to simplify each phrases with this thread thread. 🧵
1/10
— Capt. James (@olusolatitiloye) April 28, 2024
Nevertheless, after criticisms of not acknowledging or thanking Sodimu after receiving the award, Tems made a U-turn in a put up on her X on Monday.
Whereas appreciating Sodimu, she described his Love Me Jeje as a timeless traditional.
Tems wrote: “I simply wish to thank the great Seyi Sodimu for supporting and clearing his OG track Love Me, Jeje.
“It’s introduced the unique track again to life for me, and I’m glad it’s getting its flowers at the moment—a timeless traditional.
I admire you a lot. Thanks in your love and assist.”
I simply wish to thank the great @seyimusic for his function within the assist and clearing of his OG track Love me jeje. It’s introduced the unique track again to life for me and I’m glad that it’s getting it’s flowers at the moment. A timeless traditional.I admire you a lot. Thanks for… pic.twitter.com/4srX5DhKCz
— TEMS (@temsbaby) February 3, 2025
Rejection
Sodimu revealed throughout a 2004 interview on the Grammy Weekend in Los Angeles that main American report labels rejected the track.
The Lagos-born artiste defined that trade executives rejected it whereas making an attempt to market the monitor in Los Angeles.
He recounted returning to Nigeria, the place the track ultimately gained traction. Earlier than leaving for the U.S., he recalled, the monitor had already began gaining airplay on Ray Energy FM, and upon his return, it turned a marriage favorite throughout the nation.
He mentioned: “I needed to take voice classes. I discovered the way to sing after which went to the studio—that’s how I recorded ‘Love Me, Jeje.’ I didn’t launch it for about two years as a result of I first tried to promote it in New York. I approached a number of report firms, however they instructed me the problem was the way to market me—I regarded American however sounded African.
“Once I took it to Nigeria, I believe Ray Energy FM had simply launched on the time, and inside two weeks, the track took off. Earlier than I left Nigeria, the primary track performed at each wedding ceremony I attended. It was a blessing.”
Seyi Sodimu
Born right into a household from Abeokuta, Ogun State, Sodimu was raised in Lagos. He attended The Fountain College, Surulere, for his elementary training earlier than finishing his secondary training at Igbobi Faculty, Yaba.
Within the late Eighties, he travelled to the US to additional his training. He enrolled at Prince George’s Group Faculty in Maryland and earned an affiliate diploma in Pc Info Programs.
Whereas in school, Sodimu started writing poems and tales for the varsity journal, incomes commendation from his professors and friends. This encouragement impressed him to transition into songwriting.
Decided to refine his craft, he later took voice and piano classes. Throughout this era, he befriended Carl Bassey, an American part-time DJ from Howard College in Washington, D.C. The duo collaborated, with Bassey co-producing a few of Sodimu’s songs.
Profession
His music profession took off in 1998 with the discharge of his debut album, ‘Born in Africa’ below Shakara Leisure. The album featured the hit track ‘Love Me Jeje’, which topped the charts on Ray Energy 100 FM in Nigeria and offered over 30,000 copies inside the first few weeks of its launch.
The album’s success additionally earned him a number of nominations and awards in Nigeria.
READ ALSO: Grammys 2025: The rise and rise of Tems, Afrobeats’ poster woman
In 2003, Sodimu launched his sophomore album, ‘State of Thoughts’, below Goodlife Leisure. The album featured the hit ‘Cash Man’ and ‘Fela the King’, a tribute to Fela Kuti.
‘Cash Man’ topped Nigerian charts and acquired important airplay, together with heavy rotation on Alternative FM radio in London.
In 2007, Sodimu collaborated with reggae star Wayne Marvel on ‘Subtle Woman.’ The next yr, he launched ‘Set Me Free’ together with a music video directed by Ayoola Daramola.
He launched new music, dropping the only ‘GBEDU’ in 2012. In 2014, he reimagined Ebenezer Obey’s traditional ‘Ore Mi Se Pele Pele’, titling his model ‘Pele Pele’.
Produced by Lagos hitmaker Shizzi, the track’s music video was shot in London and directed by Sesan Ogunro of Movie Manufacturing facility.
Past music, Sodimu ventured into numerous enterprise sectors, together with actual property, trend, and the automotive trade.
In the meantime, Sony Music Publishing, West Africa, congratulated Tems, Sodimu and Music Producer GuiltyBeatz for profitable Finest African Music Efficiency with Love Me Jeje.
It’s additionally noteworthy that GuiltyBeatz produced 90% of Tems’ ‘Born within the Wild’ album.
Hyperlink to Sodimu’s Love Me Jeje video
Hyperlink to Tems’ Love Me Jeje video
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