A recently surfaced clip has sparked nostalgia as Seyi Sodimu opened up about the challenges he faced while trying to market his timeless hit ‘Love Me Jeje’ in the United States.
The clip, originally recorded in 2004 and shared on social media by Nigerian music executive and historian Ayo Shonaiye, reveals how Sodimu struggled to get American record labels to accept his sound.
Rejected for Sounding ‘Too African’
Sodimu shared that after recording Love Me Jeje, he delayed its release for two years while attempting to break into the American music market.
“I didn’t release it for about two years because I tried to market it in New York. I went to a lot of record companies and record labels… They told me it was hard to market me because I look American but sound African.”
This is Afrobeats artiste Seyi Sodimu during the #Grammy weekend in Los Angeles in the year 2004, talking about how his evergreen song Love Me Jeje was rejected by major labels in America because he sounded “African”…
— Ayo Shonaiya (@AyoShonaiya) February 3, 2025
Who knew that 20yrs later, a song by another Nigerian… pic.twitter.com/3Nng6jQy31
After facing repeated rejections, he returned to Nigeria and took the song to Ray Power radio, which helped promote it. The track soon became a massive hit, dominating Nigerian airwaves and solidifying its place as a classic.
‘Love Me Jeje’ Lives On Through Tems
27 years later, the same song that was deemed unmarketable in the U.S. has received a fresh wave of recognition after Tems sampled it on her debut album Born In The Wild.
Tems’ version of the song became a global success, and at the 67th Grammy Awards, it made history when she won Best African Music Performance, marking her second Grammy win.
In a heartfelt post on X (formerly Twitter), Tems thanked Seyi Sodimu for making the sample clearance process seamless, calling Love Me Jeje a “timeless classic.”
I just want to thank the wonderful @seyimusic for his role in the support and clearing of his OG song Love me jeje. It’s brought the original song back to life for me and I’m glad that it’s getting it’s flowers today. A timeless classic.
— TEMS (@temsbaby) February 3, 2025
I appreciate you so much. Thank you for… pic.twitter.com/4srX5DhKCz
The journey of Love Me Jeje serves as a powerful reminder that great music transcends time and borders, proving that what was once rejected can later be celebrated on the world stage.
