Tyga facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tyga
Tyga in 2019
Born	Micheal Ray Stevenson (1989-11-19) November 19, 1989 (age 35) Compton, California, U.S.
Other names	T-Raww
Occupation	Rapper singer songwriter actor
Years active	2004–present
Works	Discography filmography
Spouse(s)	Jordan Craig ​ ​ (m. 2010; div. 2011)​
Partner(s)	Blac Chyna (2011–2014) Kylie Jenner (2014–2017)
Children	1
Awards	Full list
Musical career
Origin	Gardena, California, U.S.
Genres	West Coast hip hop pop rap
Labels	Columbia Last Kings EMPIRE GOOD Interscope Cash Money Young Money Republic G.E.D Inc. Decaydance
Signature

Micheal Ray Stevenson (born November 19, 1989), known as Tyga, is an American rapper and singer. His stage name is a backronym for "Thank You God Always."

Tyga started his music career with independent releases. In 2008, he signed with Lil Wayne's Young Money Entertainment. This label is part of Cash Money Records and Republic Records.

His second album, Careless World: Rise of the Last King (2012), was a big success. It reached number four on the Billboard 200 chart. The album also earned a platinum award. It featured popular songs like "Rack City" and "Faded."

Later albums, like Hotel California (2013) and Fan of a Fan: The Album (2015) with Chris Brown, also did well. After some disagreements, Tyga released his fourth album, The Gold Album: 18th Dynasty (2015), independently.

In 2018, his song "Taste" featuring Offset became a huge hit. It reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100. This song helped Tyga return to the top of the music charts. His seventh album, Legendary, came out in 2019.

Early Life and Beginnings

Micheal Ray Stevenson was born on November 19, 1989. He grew up in Compton, California, until he was about 11 or 12 years old. Then, his family moved to Gardena.

His parents are from Jamaica and Vietnam. His mother, Pasionaye Nicole Nguyen, was born in Vietnam. Tyga enjoyed listening to artists like Fabolous, Lil Wayne, and Eminem when he was young.

In 2012, there was some discussion about Tyga's childhood. He had said he grew up in a tough area of Compton. However, in an old TV show clip, he mentioned growing up in a "well-to-do" home. Tyga later explained that the TV show was scripted. He said that when you are 14 and ambitious, you don't care about anything.

Tyga's Music Journey

Starting with Mixtapes and First Album

Tyga began his career by releasing many demo tapes and mixtapes. His first mixtape, Young On Probation (2007), caught the attention of rapper Travie McCoy. McCoy helped Tyga sign with Pete Wentz's label, Decaydence Records.

Tyga performed with Fall Out Boy and Lil Wayne at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards. McCoy also mentored him. Tyga released his first studio album, No Introduction, on June 10, 2008. The song "Coconut Juice" from this album was his first to appear on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

A song called "Diamond Life" from the album was used in video games like Need for Speed: Undercover. It was also featured in the 2009 film Fighting. Around this time, Tyga also started his own record label, G.E.D. Inc.

Tyga in 2008

In late 2008, Tyga signed with Lil Wayne's Young Money Entertainment. He appeared on the hit song "Bedrock" soon after. He then released the mixtape Fan of a Fan with singer Chris Brown. The song "Deuces" from this mixtape was very popular. It reached number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Careless World: Rise of the Last King Success

Tyga in 2012

Tyga's second studio album, Careless World: Rise of the Last King, was released on February 21, 2012. This album showed a change in his music style. Tyga said the album showed he had grown up but still connected with young people.

The album had four popular singles. "Far Away" and "Still Got It" both charted on the Billboard Hot 100. His third single, "Rack City", became a top ten hit. The fourth single, "Faded", also reached the top 40.

Throughout 2012, Tyga also appeared on other artists' songs. These included "Snitches Ain't…" by YG and "Ayy Ladies" by Travis Porter. He also released the mixtape Well Done 3, which included the song "Do My Dance".

Hotel California and New Music

Tyga in 2013

Tyga's third studio album, Hotel California, came out on April 9, 2013. The first single featured Rick Ross. Before the album, Tyga released a mixtape called 187.

The album featured many guest artists like Lil Wayne, Chris Brown, and Nicki Minaj. Hotel California received mixed reviews from music critics. It debuted at number seven on the Billboard 200 chart.

Independent Releases and Collaborations

On August 27, 2013, Tyga released a new song called "Throw It Up." He also announced he was working on new mixtapes and The Gold Album. In October 2013, he released "Wait for a Minute" featuring Justin Bieber.

Tyga said his new album would be "way less commercial" and "straight rap." On April 9, 2014, he released "Hookah" with Young Thug. Kanye West was an executive producer for The Gold Album.

Tyga also appeared on Chris Brown's hit single "Loyal." In October 2014, Tyga said his record label was holding his music "hostage." He later announced that The Gold Album: 18th Dynasty would be released independently.

In February 2015, Tyga released a joint album with Chris Brown called Fan of a Fan: The Album. This album included the popular song "Ayo." The Gold Album was released in June 2015. It was his lowest-selling album at that time.

His reality show, Kingin' with Tyga, started on MTV2 in July 2015.

New Labels and Comeback Success

On September 7, 2016, Kanye West announced that Tyga had signed with his GOOD Music label. In July 2017, Tyga joined the TV series Scream as Jamal Elliot.

On July 21, 2017, Tyga released his fifth studio album, BitchImTheShit2. His sixth album, Kyoto, came out on February 16, 2018.

On May 16, 2018, Tyga released the single "Taste" featuring Offset. This song became a huge hit and marked Tyga's return to mainstream music. It was certified 9x platinum.

After "Taste," Tyga released other successful singles like "Swish" and "Dip" featuring Nicki Minaj. His seventh album, Legendary, was released in June 2019.

In 2020, Tyga launched a virtual kitchen brand called Tyga Bites. This service delivers boneless chicken wings. In 2021, Tyga appeared on The Masked Singer as "Dalmatian." His eighth studio album, NSFW, was released in February 2025.

Personal Life

Tyga was briefly married to Jordan Craig in 2010-2011.

He met model Blac Chyna in 2011. They had a son named King Cairo in October 2012. The couple separated in 2014.

Tyga later dated reality star Kylie Jenner from 2014 to 2017. He also dated British model Demi Rose in 2016. In 2021, he was in a relationship with Camaryn Swanson. In 2023, Tyga dated Canadian singer Avril Lavigne.

On February 21, 2025, Tyga shared that his mother, Pasionaye Nicole Nguyen, had passed away in January.

Discography

Studio albums

• No Introduction (2008)
• Careless World: Rise of the Last King (2012)
• Hotel California (2013)
• The Gold Album: 18th Dynasty (2015)
• BitchImTheShit2 (2017)
• Kyoto (2018)
• Legendary (2019)
• NSFW (2025)

Collaborative albums

• Fan of a Fan: The Album (with Chris Brown) (2015)
• Hit Me When U Leave the Klub: The Playlist (with YG) (2023)

Tours

Opening act

• F.A.M.E. Tour (with Chris Brown) (2011)
• Between the Sheets Tour (with Chris Brown and Trey Songz) (2015)
• Pink Friday 2 World Tour (with Nicki Minaj) (2024)

Filmography (selected)

Awards and Nominations

Images for kids

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  Tyga in 2008

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  Tyga in 2012

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  Tyga in 2013

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  Tyga in 2018

See also

In Spanish: Tyga para niños