A Chat with Temi T (05.09.25)
British-Nigerian spoken word artist Temi T brings raw honesty and lyrical depth to her music, weaving jazz, R&B, and hip-hop into her distinctive sound. With her latest single ‘Painted Intentions’, she transforms the pain of betrayal into a powerful piece of art that resonates both sonically and emotionally. We chat with Temi T to discuss the inspiration, process, and evolution behind this striking release.
OSR: Can you describe the inspiration behind ‘Painted Intentions’?
Temi T: The song is about a 10-year friendship that ended in betrayal. I’ve always written about romantic relationships ending, but this one really rocked me. The art is where I heal, so I knew I was going to create something from this.
OSR: How did your approach to writing this track differ from previous releases?
Temi T: My previous releases had more stripped-back production. I knew for this one that I wanted something more melodic and complex production-wise. I placed emphasis on creating this melody, so people can easily digest the track despite the heavy lyrics and sentiment behind it. You can choose to focus on the lyrics, or you can choose to focus on the flow; it’ll get you either way.
OSR: Spoken word is central to your artistry. How do you decide which stories become songs?
Temi T: It is! I tend to test out the spoken word piece with a live improvised band setup and see how it flows, and how it’s received. The ones that work best, we replicate the live improv in the studio, and it becomes the foundation for the production of the song itself. Other times, I take inspiration and go in a different direction with it.
OSR: Jazz, R&B, and hip-hop elements are all present in this track. How do you approach blending genres?
Temi T: I’m such a multifaceted individual that it’s mirrors in my work; I can’t fit into one genre. I grew up learning mainly jazz pieces on the piano, and I’ve always loved jazz. But growing up, my dad also played hip hop and R&B around me, so naturally, I relate with all these genres, and I think they can be fused beautifully. My producer also encouraged us to push the limits and boundaries of genres; there’s a great synergy there.
OSR: Was there a particular moment or lyric in the song that was the most challenging to capture?
Temi T: “Those aren’t your lovers in your bed, those aren’t your friends around the table, these are the things I can’t enable, this is the mess that they produced…” So not only did this require a lot of breath control, it also really echoes how I felt in the moment. It captures my frustration and betrayal; it was easy to write but hard to say out loud. It’s the things I never got to say to the person who was meant to hear it. It simultaneously speaks to me, the realisations I came to, and that’s heavy.
OSR: How do you navigate vulnerability in your music while maintaining artistic control?
Temi T: I actually try to maintain my vulnerability, because if I lose it, I lose the essence of my art. I always remember this is what drew people to me, so I write when I’m feeling vulnerable. To maintain artistic control, I take myself out of the mental space I was in when writing. I’m now focused on perfecting the sound. The emotional part is done, now it’s time to make it sound beautiful.
OSR: Which artists or movements have influenced your sound and storytelling approach?
Temi T: Nina Simone’s storytelling, and her interaction with crowd during live stages has definitely influenced me. More recently, I’ve also been inspired by Lil Simz. She has definitely inspired my sound and her style of rap feels like such a direct evolution of spoken word.
OSR: Can you walk us through your recording process for this single?
Temi T: The day we recorded this, I went to the studio without a plan. I got there and started venting to my producer Gustavo about a 10-year friendship that ended in betrayal. He said, “That’s what you’re going to write about today”. We started off creating the best, I knew it wanted a neo-soul/jazz type of vibe, so he got working. I also knew I wanted pockets that weren’t so full, for focus to be in the spoken word. I then wrote to the beat we had made, which is very different to how I usually write. I normally have my lyrics before stepping into the studio. A few months later, we had the finished track. The masterpiece that is.
OSR: How do you see spoken word evolving in contemporary music, and where do you see yourself within that landscape?
Temi T: Spoken word is already being given the spotlight it deserves in contemporary music. Many artists like Stormzy, Davido, Future and many others have featured spoken word in their music. I believe we will see more and more of this happening and spoken word slowly finds its way into the mainstream contemporary music space. Where I fit in? I’ll also be on those projects. My music itself is pushing the boundaries of spoken word, people that don’t know what spoken word is, have listened to my music. I see myself as one of the pioneers to push the art out there.
OSR: What personal or artistic growth do you hope listeners take away from ‘Painted Intentions’?
Temi T: In terms of personal growth, I hope listeners can relate and reflect. Whether they’re the betrayer or the betrayed, we’ve got to reflect on the choices we make and how we want to show up in the world. Artistically, I hope listeners can understand how versatile spoken word can be with music, and to just enjoy the vibe. The lyrics might be a bit heavy, but the track can most definitely be enjoyed.
Many thanks to Temi T for speaking with us. Find out more about Temi T on her official website, Instagram, TikTok, and Spotify
