Teyana Taylor facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Teyana Taylor
Taylor in April 2023
Born	Teyana Me Shay Jacqueline Taylor (1990-12-10) December 10, 1990 (age 34) New York City, U.S.
Other names	Spike Tee Jimmy Neutch
Occupation	Actress singer songwriter dancer model music video director choreographer
Years active	2005–present
Works	Discography filmography
Spouse(s)	Iman Shumpert ​ ​ (m. 2016; div. 2024)​
Children	2
Awards	Full list
Musical career
Genres	R&B hip hop pop
Instruments	Vocals
Labels	Def Jam GOOD Star Trak Interscope
Associated acts	Che Pope Fabolous Jazze Pha Kanye West Pharrell

Teyana Me Shay Jacqueli Taylor (born December 10, 1990) is a talented American artist. She is known for being a singer, songwriter, actress, model, dancer, and music video director.

Teyana first gained attention for her amazing dance skills. She choreographed a music video for Beyoncé in 2006. Soon after, she signed a music deal with Pharrell Williams' label, Star Trak Entertainment. She also appeared on MTV's My Super Sweet 16 show. Her first song, "Google Me," came out in 2008.

Later, Teyana worked with Kanye West on his 2010 album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. She then joined West's own record label, GOOD Music. Her first album, VII (2014), was very popular. Her later albums, K.T.S.E. (2018) and The Album (2020), also did well. The song "Gonna Love Me" from K.T.S.E. became a platinum hit.

As an actress, Teyana has been in several movies. These include Stomp the Yard: Homecoming (2010) and Madea's Big Happy Family (2011). She also had roles in the TV show Star and the movie Coming 2 America (2021). In 2023, she received great praise for her main role in the film A Thousand and One. She even won an award for her breakthrough performance in that movie.

Teyana also directs music videos under the name "Spike Tee." She has directed videos for artists like Diddy and Schoolboy Q. She won the BET Award for Video Director of the Year in both 2020 and 2023.

Early Life and Background

Teyana Taylor was born on December 10, 1990. Her parents are Nikki Taylor and Tito Smith. She grew up in Harlem, New York City. Teyana is of African American and Trinidadian heritage. She is her mother's only child. Her mother also works as her manager.

Music Career Highlights

Starting Out in Music (2006–2011)

Teyana Taylor in 2008

In September 2006, when Teyana was 15, she choreographed the music video for Beyoncé's song "Ring the Alarm." In January 2007, she signed a music deal with Pharrell Williams' Star Trak Entertainment. This label was part of Interscope Records.

In February 2007, Teyana became more widely known. She appeared on MTV's My Super Sweet 16. This show featured big birthday parties for teenagers. In 2007, she also appeared in Jay-Z's music video for "Blue Magic." She was seen dancing in the video.

Teyana released her first official song, "Google Me," in February 2008. This song was the main single from her first mixtape, From a Planet Called Harlem. The mixtape came out on August 16, 2009. It featured music produced by artists like Jazze Pha and Pharrell. "Google Me" reached number 90 on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

In August 2010, Teyana started acting. She appeared in the movie Stomp the Yard: Homecoming. She also appeared on the TV show House of Glam in October 2010.

In 2010, Teyana added her voice to Kanye West's album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. She sang on the songs "Dark Fantasy" and "Hell of a Life." She also contributed to a GOOD Music song called "Christmas In Harlem." This song featured Kanye West and Cyhi the Prynce.

In 2010, Teyana and rapper Bow Wow were cast in Tyler Perry's movie Madea's Big Happy Family. The movie was released on April 22, 2011.

Joining GOOD Music and Album Success (2012–2018)

In January 2012, Teyana left her contract with Interscope and Star Trak. She and Pharrell Williams remained friends. She felt it was important to be more independent in her music career. She said she wanted to "sing from her heart."

As an independent artist, she prepared her second mixtape, The Misunderstanding of Teyana Taylor. This mixtape was inspired by 1990s R&B artists like Lauryn Hill and Mary J. Blige. It was released in early 2012.

On June 14, 2012, Teyana signed a deal with Kanye West's label, GOOD Music. She appeared on the GOOD Music album Cruel Summer, released on September 18, 2012. She sang on several songs, including "To the World" with Kanye West and R. Kelly. She also sang a duet with John Legend called "Bliss."

Teyana then began working on her first major album, VII. She announced the album title on Twitter on July 27, 2014. It was released on November 4 through Def Jam and GOOD Music. The album reached number 19 on the Billboard 200 chart. It also topped the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

In 2015, Teyana was a judge on the TV show America's Best Dance Crew. On August 25, she released a mixtape called The Cassette Tape 1994. This mixtape paid tribute to the music style of the 1990s.

On June 17, 2016, Teyana released her song "Freak On." It featured Chris Brown and was produced by DJ Mustard. On August 28, 2016, Kanye West released the music video for his song "Fade." The video featured Teyana performing an energetic dance routine. Her dancing received a lot of praise. In 2017, she won the "Best Choreography" award at the MTV Video Music Awards for her work in the "Fade" video.

Teyana's album K.T.S.E. was released on June 22, 2018. The title stands for "keep that same energy."

Recent Music and Projects (2019–Present)

In November 2019, Teyana released a song called "Morning" with singer Kehlani. On December 6, 2019, she released "We Got Love."

On May 7, 2020, Teyana announced her third album, The Album. It was released on June 19, 2020. The album had 23 songs and featured artists like Erykah Badu and Lauryn Hill. It reached number 8 on the Billboard 200, which was her first album to reach the top 10.

In December 2020, Teyana shared her frustrations with her record label on Instagram. She felt they were not supporting her enough. She explained that her posts were about wanting to be released from her contract. She later clarified that she was not retiring from music for good.

In March 2025, Teyana was featured on Will Smith's album Based on a True Story.

Other Projects and Achievements

In 2013, Teyana signed a deal with Adidas to design sneakers. Her first pair, the Harlem GLC's, sold very quickly. They set a record for the fastest-selling sneakers in Adidas Originals history.

In March 2017, Teyana launched her "Fade 2 Fit" Workout Program. This program uses dance and fitness routines. It was inspired by her dancing in Kanye West's "Fade" music video. She also released a line of workout clothes.

In 2022, Teyana competed on The Masked Singer as "Firefly." She won the competition. At 31 years old, she became the youngest winner in the show's history at that time.

Personal Life

Teyana Taylor started dating basketball player Iman Shumpert around 2013. In 2015, she went into labor early, and Shumpert helped deliver their baby girl. They got married on October 1, 2016.

On June 12, 2020, Teyana announced her second pregnancy in her music video for "Wake Up Love." On September 17, 2023, Teyana and Shumpert announced they had separated. Their divorce was finalized in 2024.

In 2025, Teyana began dating English actor Aaron Pierre.

Discography

• VII (2014)
• K.T.S.E. (2018)
• The Album (2020)
• Escape Room (2025)

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Teyana Taylor para niños