Fat Joe gives props to Nigerian singer Tems.
It’s almost the end of 2022, and the year-end lists of the best of the past 12 months continue to release. Fat Joe, who recently hopped on to his social media for an IG Live, reveals his favourite song this year. Joey Crack did a 2022 recap, and honoured Nigerian singer-producer-songwriter Tems for her song “Free Mind”.
“It’s the biggest in the game,” he said. “I played this because to me, this is the song of the year.” “Song of the Year to me, I don’t know about you,” he added.
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While Joe named the track best of 2022, it was actually released back in 2020 as the third song from her debut extended play “For Broken Ears”. The track beginning to rise on the charts this year after Tems’ mainstream success. On 21 June 2022, Free Mind peaked at number one on the US Afrobeats Songs chart, and in October 2022, reached number 46 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The song’s influence was nevertheless first felt early this year as a result of the singer’s increasing popular recognition as a result of high-profile pairings with artists like Future and Drake on “WAIT FOR U” and Wizkid on “Essence.”
After contributing to Rihanna’s return hit “Lift Me Up,” which is featured on the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever official soundtrack, Tems gained even more attention in October. “After speaking with Ryan and hearing his direction for the film and the song, I wanted to write something that portrays a warm embrace from all the people that I’ve lost in my life. I tried to imagine what it would feel like if I could sing to them now and express how much I miss them,” Tems said in a statement at the time. “Rihanna has been an inspiration to me so hearing her convey this song is a great honor.”
