Tems Becomes First Female African Artiste To Earn Diamond Single In The U.S

Nigerian singer Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has made history as the first female African artiste to earn a Diamond-certified single in the United States.

The milestone was achieved through her collaboration with Future and Drake on the hit song “Wait For U,” which has now been certified 11× Platinum (Diamond) by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) after selling more than 11 million units in the United States.

Global music tracking platform Chart Data announced the achievement on X, writing:

“US Certifications (@RIAA): Future (@1future) Feat. @Drake & @temsbaby, WAIT FOR U 11x Platinum (11,000,000).”

With the achievement, Tems becomes the first female African artiste to receive a Diamond certification in the U.S.

She also joins Wizkid as one of the few African artistes to earn a Diamond-certified single in the United States. Wizkid became the first African artiste to reach the milestone through his collaboration with Drake on the global hit “One Dance.”

The latest achievement further strengthens Tems’ growing global reputation as one of Africa’s biggest music exports, following a series of international awards, chart successes, and record-breaking milestones.