Nigerian singer Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has made history as the first female African artist to earn a Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) Diamond certification in the United States.
The milestone comes through her collaboration with American rapper Future and Canadian superstar Drake on the hit song “Wait For U,” which has now been certified 11-times Platinum (Diamond) by the RIAA after surpassing 10 million units in sales and streams across the United States.
Global music tracking platform Chart Data confirmed the achievement, revealing that the Grammy-winning track has sold more than 11 million units in the U.S.
Announcing the certification on X, Chart Data wrote: “US Certifications (@RIAA): Future (@1future) feat. @Drake & @temsbaby, WAIT FOR U — 11× Platinum (11,000,000).”
The achievement places Tems among a select group of African artists to receive a Diamond-certified single in the U.S.
She now joins Wizkid, who became the first African artist to earn an RIAA Diamond certification through his collaboration with Drake on the global hit “One Dance.”
The latest feat further strengthens Tems’ growing global reputation and underscores the increasing international influence of African music, particularly Afrobeats, on the world stage.
