Teyana Taylor
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Teyana Me Shay Jacqueli Taylor (; born December 10, 1990) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, model, dancer, choreographer, and music video director. At age 15, she choreographed the video for "Ring the Alarm" by Beyoncé, and signed a recording contract with the Neptunes' Star Trak Entertainment, an imprint of Interscope Records. During this period, Taylor was featured as a dancer in the video for "Blue Magic" by Jay-Z and released her debut single, "Google Me." She gained wider recognition for guest appearances on Kanye West's "Dark Fantasy" and "Hell of a Life", both from his album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010). Taylor parted ways with Star Trak and Interscope in 2012, signing with West's GOOD Music, an imprint of Def Jam Recordings. That year, she appeared on the label's compilation album, Cruel Summer, which peaked at number two on the Billboard 200. She released her debut studio album, VII, in 2014, followed by K.T.S.E. (2018). Furthermore, Taylor starred in and co-choreographed "Fade" by Kanye West, earning her the MTV Video Music Award for Best Choreography. Her third studio album, The Album (2020), entered the top ten on the Billboard 200 and featured collaborations with Missy Elliott and Lauryn Hill. Her fourth album, Escape Room (2025), received a Grammy Award nomination for Best R&B Album. As an actress, Taylor appeared in early film roles including Stomp the Yard: Homecoming (2010) and Madea's Big Happy Family (2011). She later starred in the comedy sequel Coming 2 America (2021). Her portrayal of Inez in the 2023 film A Thousand and One earned her the National Board of Review Award for Breakthrough Performance. In 2025, Taylor starred opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in the film One Battle After Another, for which she received a Golden Globe Award nomination. On television, she appeared in the Fox music drama series Star (2017–18) and later starred in the Ryan Murphy legal drama All's Fair (2025). She is set to appear in the action mystery film The Rip (2026), produced by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. Taylor has also pursued projects in fashion and creative direction. She has collaborated with sneaker brands including Adidas and Air Jordan. Under the directing name "Spike Tee", she has directed music videos for herself and several other artists, winning the BET Award for Video Director of the Year in 2020 and 2023.