Teyana Taylor

Teyana Taylor
Taylor in April 2023
Born
Teyana Me Shay Jacqueli Taylor[1]

(1990-12-10) December 10, 1990 (age 33)
New York City, U.S.
Other names
Occupations
  • Actress
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • dancer
  • model
  • music video director
  • choreographer
Years active2005–present
Works
Spouse
​
​
(m. 2016; sep. 2023)​
Children2
AwardsFull list
Musical career
Genres
InstrumentVocals
Labels
Websiteteyanataylor.com

Teyana Me Shay Jacqueli Shumpert (née Taylor; born December 10, 1990)[8] is an American singer, songwriter, actress, model, dancer, choreographer, and music video director.[9] After choreographing the video for Beyoncé's 2006 single "Ring the Alarm," she signed a recording contract with the Neptunes' Star Trak Entertainment, an imprint of Interscope Records the following year. Taylor appeared on MTV's My Super Sweet 16 prior to the release of her 2008 debut single, "Google Me." She gained further attention for her uncredited guest performances on Kanye West's 2010 songs "Dark Fantasy" and "Hell of a Life" — both from his album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010). She parted ways with Star Trak and Interscope in favor of West's GOOD Music, an imprint of Def Jam Recordings two years later.

In 2011, she appeared on the GOOD Music compilation album Cruel Summer (2012), which peaked at number two on the Billboard 200. Her debut studio album, VII (2014) received positive critical response and peaked within the top 20 of the Billboard 200, along with her second and third studio albums, K.T.S.E. (2018) and The Album (2020); the latter peaked in the top ten of the chart, while K.T.S.E. spawned the single "Gonna Love Me" (remixed featuring Ghostface Killah, Method Man, and Raekwon), which received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

In her acting career, Taylor made her film debut in the 2010 dance drama Stomp the Yard: Homecoming, and appeared in the Tyler Perry film, Madea's Big Happy Family the following year.[10] Taylor had roles in two seasons of the Lee Daniels television series Star (2017–18), and the Amazon Prime film Coming 2 America (2021).[11] She and Iman Shumpert, her husband at the time, were given the reality television series Teyana and Iman by VH1, which aired from 2020 until 2023. She received critical acclaim and the breakthrough performance award from the National Board of Review for her starring performance in the 2023 film A Thousand and One.[12][13][14]

In other ventures, Taylor has been credited with music video directing under the name "Spike Tee". She has done so for artists including herself, Diddy, Schoolboy Q, and Queen Naija. She won the BET Award for Video Director of the Year in 2020 and 2023.[15]

  1. ^ Taylor in Teyana Taylor Asks Iman Shumpert 30 Questions (YouTube). GQ. July 23, 2019. Event occurs at 10:08. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved October 29, 2020. What is my middle name? Me Shay Jacqueli.
  2. ^ Aaron A. (August 1, 2019). "ScHoolboy Q, YG & Ty Dolla $ign Turn Up The Drive-In For "Lies" Video". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on August 1, 2019. Retrieved August 1, 2019.
  3. ^ "Teyana Taylor and Iman Shumpert's Relationship Timeline".
  4. ^ Mitchell, Gail (November 12, 2020). "Kehlani, Jhené Aiko, Teyana Taylor and Summer Walker on the State of R&B". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  5. ^ "Teyana Taylor". TimeOut. Sydney. April 30, 2019. Archived from the original on July 20, 2021. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  6. ^ Rose, Anna (December 5, 2020). "Teyana Taylor has announced her retirement from music". NME. Archived from the original on July 20, 2021. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  7. ^ "Please Take A Look Inside Teyana Taylor, And Imman Shumpert's Glamorous World With A Sneak Peek At Their New E! Show". Amico Hoops. June 21, 2021. Archived from the original on July 20, 2021. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  8. ^ "Happy Birthday To New Rochelles Teyana Taylor". New Rochelle Daily Voice. Archived from the original on August 9, 2018. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  9. ^ Petrarca, Emilia. "Everything You Need to Know About Teyana Taylor, the Dancer in Kanye West's "Fade" She is also famous for her brand new movie in the Eddie Murphy film Coming 2 America as Bopoto Izzi Video". W Magazine. Archived from the original on July 9, 2018. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  10. ^ "Teyana Taylor Signs to Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music". Rap-Up.com. May 14, 2012. Archived from the original on July 11, 2018. Retrieved July 23, 2012.
  11. ^ "Final Oscar Predictions: Best Actress – In the Closest Acting Race, Lily Gladstone Could Emerge Victorious and Make Academy History". Variety. March 7, 2024. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  12. ^ "Edgemagazinesite Resources and Information". Ww1.edgemagazinesite.com. Archived from the original on November 23, 2020. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
  13. ^ "Teyana Taylor's new album features collaborations with Erykah Badu, Missy Elliott and more". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on August 4, 2022. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  14. ^ "Career 4". Urbanewsroom.com. Archived from the original on June 23, 2015. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
  15. ^ Meara, Paul (June 23, 2023). "BET Awards 2023: Teyana 'Spike Tey' Taylor Wins Video Director Of The Year, Accepts After Mom Calls Her on Video Chat". BET.com.