Kate Tempest has announced they will be changing their name to Kae Tempest. From now on, they will be using the pronouns they/them, the rapper and poet revealed on social media.
“It’s pronounced like the letter K,” Kae wrote. “It’s an old English word that means Jay bird. Jays are associated with communication, curiosity, adaptation to new situations and COURAGE which is the name of the game at the moment. It can also mean jackdaw brought the rain. Which I love. It has its roots in the Latin word for rejoice, be glad and take pleasure. And I hope to live more that way each day.”
Regarding the change of pronouns, they added: “I have tried to be what I thought others wanted me to be so as not to risk rejection. This hiding from myself has led to all kinds of difficulties in my life. And this is a first step towards knowing and respecting myself better.”
Read Kae’s full statement below. Their most recent album was 2019’s The Book of Traps and Lessons, which we named one of the best albums of the year.
— kae tempest (@kaetempest) August 6, 2020