Birthday: December 10, 1990 (Sagittarius)
Born In: Harlem, New York, United States
Teyana Taylor is an American singer, actor, dancer, and model. Raised single-handedly by her mother, Teyana stepped into the entertainment industry quite young. She grew up with a passion for music and never had any stage fear. Teyana bagged quite a few significant projects in the initial stage of her career. She did well not just in the field of music, but in acting and modeling, too. The multitalented Teyana saw her fame shoot up after she began collaborating with Kanye West and his music label. However, she was first signed by Star Trak Entertainment, which was her stepping stone in the industry. Teyana's collaborations with artists such as Usher, Chris Brown, and Omarion, too, played a significant role in the success she has earned to date. From appearing in high-profile music videos to walking on runways during fashion weeks, Teyana Taylor has balanced her career perfectly. She is married to NBA star Iman Shumpert and has a daughter with him. The power couple made their debut as producers with their self-titled reality show.
Teyana Taylor has proved over the years that she was born to be a superstar. She started her career as a singer at 15, signing a record deal with Pharrell's Star Trak Entertainment.
Thereon, the multi-hyphenate starred on MTV's reality show My Super Sweet Sixteen, modeled in fashion shows, launched her all-female production company, The Aunties, and churned out hit albums and songs, including her 2014 debut album VII.
Undoubtedly, Taylor has remained on top of her game, whether it be as a singer, rapper, choreographer, model, or an all-around businesswoman.
And, while she has created the best out of her creative abilities, she has one particular person to be grateful for — her mother, Nikki Taylor. Nikki parented Taylor as a single mom and helped her figure out her creative side, even in the absence of her biological father.
Who Is Teyana Taylor Father?
Taylor's biological father is reportedly Tito Smith. According to her blog in Urban Newsroom, Taylor's father didn't have much of a role in her upbringing. Smith was apparently too invested in his other eventful romantic relationships.
Besides Taylor, he fathered two sons and a daughter with different women. Taylor, admittedly, was on good terms with all of her dad's baby mamas and her half-siblings, but she couldn't understand how her father could keep having babies when he couldn't even look after the ones he already had.
Probably because of his life choices, Taylor seemingly doesn't have a good relationship with her father. She has never mentioned him in her interviews or even on her socials.
Taylor's Mother Helped in Her Career
Despite the absence of her biological father, Taylor's mother did all she could to raise her well as a single parent in Harlem, New York. And when the 30-year-old found her passion for music at a young age, Nikki helped her perform at parties and sharpen her skills.
She became her manager and took care of her professional ventures while also supporting her as a mother.
Appreciating the selfless love, Taylor penned a brief, heartwarming message for her mother on her birthday that fell on August 19, 2021. The Harlem native posted a picture of her mom and wrote, "! I love you mama always and forever my lady."
Teyana Taylor Has a Father Figure
Although Taylor couldn't have the father-daughter rapport with her biological dad as she may have wanted, she found a father figure in her mother's long-time partner, Boe Daney. Taylor calls Daney her pops.
On Father's day 2020, she uploaded a picture of herself with Daney on Instagram and wished him in the caption. She penned, "Happy papa day to one of my favorite people in the whole wide world @boemoney_ I love you pops!"
Interestingly, Daney is one member of the Taylormade management group. A peek into his Instagram clarifies he looks after the technical aspects in Taylor's shows. He has actively taken part in Taylor's ongoing The Last Rose Petal Tour, a 12-city farewell for her retirement from music.
Singing, songwriting, dancing, acting, modeling — you name it, and Teyana Taylor can do it (and do it exceptionally well, for that matter)! She can trace her career in the public eye back to 2006 when she — at the age of 15 — was the choreographer for Beyoncé’s “Ring the Alarm” music video. And while that’s obviously impressive, Teyana has actually been performing ever since she was only 9 years old.
Teyana Taylor’s parents are Tito Smith and Nikki Taylor. Teyana’s mom, Nikki Taylor, is a celebrity stylist and fashion industry guru, while her father, Tito Smith, is said to be a musician who has had some troubles with the law.
Teyana Taylor was mostly raised by her mom, who encouraged her to explore her artistic talents. She did just that, and when her career started taking off, her mom also stepped in as her manager. Her mom put in a lot of hard work and helped her become the successful celebrity she is today.
Teyana Taylor and her mom remain close to this day and have walked the red carpet occasionally. Nikki Taylor also uses her social media pages to promote her daughter’s shows.
Teyana Taylor’s Mother, Nikki Taylor, is a Celebrity Stylist and Major Fashion Industry Figure
Teyana Taylor’s mom is named Nikki Taylor. Nikki has African-American and Trinidadian roots and was born in Harlem, New York. She hails from a tight-knit family whom she cherishes to this very day. For instance, Nikki Taylor has an elder sister named Tina Macon, who she often gets together with. She also never forgets to send Tina a shout-out on her birthdays and other important occasions.
Another family member that Nikki Taylor loves dearly is her mom. On the occasion of her mom’s birthday on the 16th of September 2021, she described her as my favorite girl in the whole wide world and stated that she loved her beyond words could express.
Teyana Taylor’s mom, Nikki Taylor, spent her formative years in New York and completed a reasonable level of education there. After that, she made her way into the fashion industry and showbiz generally. She became a celebrity stylist and worked for some well-known figures. She also built up a reputation in the fashion industry.
Teyana Taylor’s Father is Tito Smith
Teyana Taylor’s biological father is named Tito Smith. Smith has African American ethnicity and American nationality. He is a native of New York. There is a paucity of details about Tito Smith’s background, occupation, and educational history. He is also not active on social media, which makes it difficult to decipher who he is.
This has led to many rumors, including speculations that he is a musician. It is also said that he has been in jail multiple times for different law violations. One thing that is certain about Tito Smith is that Teyana Taylor is not his only child. He has about four other children, two daughters and two sons, from different baby mamas.
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Teyana Taylor’s Parents Were Never Married, and She Was Largely Raised by Her Mom
Teyana Taylor’s parents were never married. They dated sometime in the late 80s and welcomed Taylor on the 10th of December 1990. The couple made their home in Harlem and jointly cared for their daughter for the first few years of her life. Things later soured between them, and Teyena’s father moved out. He tried to maintain a constant presence in his daughter’s life, but the primary responsibility of raising the young girl fell to her mom, Nikki Taylor.
Nikki Taylor was up to the task and ensured her daughter got a good education. She also encouraged her daughter to explore her different artistic talents, including acting, dancing, and singing. Taylor also inspired her daughter’s love for music, so when the little girl grew up and started hankering for a career in showbiz, she supported her wholeheartedly.
Her Mom also Managed her Career for Several Years
When Nikki Taylor discovered that her daughter had genuine showbiz talents, she enrolled her in several talent hunt competitions. This served as Teyena’s gateway into the industry, and by the age of 15, she had already worked as a choreographer for Beyoncé. By 16, she landed a record deal and was featured on the MTV reality TV series, My Super Sweet Sixteen.
All this helped to announce Teyana Taylor to the world, and she has never looked back since then. She has gone on to release multiple albums and hit songs. She has also featured in several movies, including Madea’s Big Happy Family, Coming 2 America, and Cruel Summer. Teyana Taylor has also featured in TV shows such as The Masked Singer.
Her career has not been all rosy. It has been full of several disappointments, but one person that helped her to navigate it all is her mom, Nikki Taylor. Nikki managed her daughter’s career for several years and even set up her own management company known as Taylormade Enterprises.
Teyana Taylor’s Mother Remains her Manager to Date
Teyana Taylor’s mom still manages her career to date. She coordinates her gigs, endorsements, and the likes. She also helps to put out any potential fires. For instance, in 2020, Teyana Taylor publicly feuded with singer Mykki Blanco after the latter claimed that they had not been paid for the work they did on Teyena’s 2018 song – WTP.
Blanco accused Taylor of trying to rip them off and disrespecting the LGBTQ community. In her defense, Teyana Taylor stated that she was unaware that Blanco had not been paid. She later disclosed the message that Blanco’s manager sent to her own manager/mom, which showed that the whole mix-up was not her (Teyena’s) fault but rather the record label’s.
Here’s a email that was just sent From @MykkiBlanco manager David Swartz to my mom/manager. I appreciate David for trying to fix this but unfortunately unnecessary damage has been done. Myself & my team names has been slandered & defamed & lied on Publicly. 🤦🏾♀️ not cool. pic.twitter.com/Mp3nR1xnwi
— TEYANA M.J. SHUMPERT (@TEYANATAYLOR) July 17, 2020
Nikki Taylor and Teyana Taylor Remain Quite Close Till Date
Nikki Taylor and Teyana Taylor are quite close to each other to date. They have avoided the infighting and acrimony that usually occur when parents manage their children’s careers and have a good relationship. A trip to Nikki Taylor’s Instagram page will show dozens of pictures of her hanging out with her daughter or grandchildren.
She also uses her Instagram pages to promote her daughter’s activities and praise her for her achievements. Teyana Taylor has also spoken glowingly about her mom in interviews. The actress-cum-singer has revealed that she learned great parenting lessons from her mom and is now applying it to her own family.
Teyana Taylor is also on Good Terms with her Father
Even though he wasn’t always there for her while she was growing up, Teyana Taylor is on amicable terms with her dad. She has never spoken ill of him in interviews. She tries to maintain a good relationship with him. Teyana Taylor has a great father figure in her mother’s longtime partner, Boe Daney. She has been pictured with him and her mom at several industry events, including the Petit Fashion Week of 2021.