Teyana Me Shay Jacqueli Shumpert ( Taylor; born December 10, 1990) is an American singer, actress, model, dancer and choreographer. In 2007, she signed a record deal with Pharrell Williams' Star Trak Entertainment imprint. Afterwards, she choreographed the music video for "Ring the Alarm" by Beyoncé. Taylor would then appear on MTV's My Super Sweet 16, prior to the 2008 release of her debut single "Google Me". Soon after, she landed (uncredited) guest features on the songs "Dark Fantasy" and "Hell of a Life" by Kanye West, from his album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010).
In 2011, Taylor starred as Sabrina in the Tyler Perry film Madea's Big Happy Family. After asking to be released from her recording contract with Star Trak, she signed to Kanye West's GOOD Music label through Def Jam; she appeared on the GOOD Music compilation album Cruel Summer (2012), which reached number two on the Billboard 200 chart. In 2014, Taylor released her debut album VII, and followed it with the studio albums K.T.S.E. (2018) and The Album (2020), with the latter charting in the top ten of the Billboard 200.
As an actress, Taylor has acted in the VH1 television series The Breaks, Lee Daniels' Star, and the Amazon Prime film Coming 2 America. Additionally, she starred in the VH1 reality show Teyana and Iman with her husband, basketball player Iman Shumpert. Taylor has collaborated with musicians such as Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, and Missy Elliott, and has co-written songs for several artists, including Usher, Chris Brown, and Omarion.
Early life
Teyana Taylor was born on December 10, 1990, to Nikki Taylor and Tito Smith, in Harlem, New York City. She is of African American and Trinidadian descent. Taylor is her mother's only child, while her father has two sons and another daughter from a different relationship. Her mother raised her and is currently her manager.
Career
2006–2011: Early career
In September 2006, 15-year-old Teyana Taylor was credited as the choreographer on the music video for American entertainer Beyoncé's hit single, "Ring the Alarm". In January 2007, Taylor was offered a contract to join American recording artist and record producer Pharrell Williams' Star Trak Entertainment label, through Interscope Records. In February 2007, Taylor first entered into the public sphere through an episode on MTV's My Super Sweet Sixteen, a show depicting over-the-top birthday parties for rich—and typically “spoiled” and confrontational—teenagers. In 2007, Taylor appeared in the music video for Jay-Z's single, "Blue Magic", where she can be seen dancing and popping.
In February 2008, Taylor released her commercial debut single, "Google Me". The song was released as the lead single from her full-length debut mixtape, titled From a Planet Called Harlem. The mixtape, released August 16, 2009, features production from Jazze Pha, Pharrell, Mad Scientist, Frost, Shondre and Hit-Boy, among others. Sing365 says that the record’s "…[a] mix of throwback break beats, futuristic boom bap, and melodic renderings is the perfect backdrop for the starlet's musical mayhem." "Google Me" debuted at number 90 on US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The mixtape was also released for free download, billed as "the mixtape before her debut album".
In August 2010, Taylor expanded her career into acting, appearing in the sequel to Stomp the Yard, Stomp the Yard: Homecoming. She also appeared on the debut episode of House of Glam on Oxygen in October 2010.
In 2010, just hours before Kanye West's fifth album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was due to be turned in, West called Taylor into the studio to look over some of her fashion pieces. While in the studio, Taylor was determined to make an appearance on West's album. She purposely hummed along with the tracks he played for her, to get his attention. He eventually took notice, and asked to put her vocals on a few tracks, notably "Dark Fantasy" and "Hell of a Life". Upon recalling the experience of recording "Dark Fantasy", Taylor stated that "at the time it was pretty empty, just verses." She remembers that West "put [her] in another room by [herself] and said, 'Go'." Taylor came back with the "intro and chorus," and "did all the scratches and the cuts [herself]." She admitted that she was nervous upon letting West hear her contributions to the tracks, trying to cover her nervousness by stating that she "hadn't been in the studio for so long."