Teyana Taylor Dishes on New Job with G.O.O.D. Music Team
Teyana Taylor’s collaboration with Kanye West on 2010’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy earned the Harlem rapper/singer/actress a spot on the G.O.O.D. Music team. She spilled the beans with MTV on her appearance on the upcoming G.O.O.D. compilation album, the finalization of her addition to the Def Jam team, and how exactly she fits into the group dynamic.
Due to her longtime collaboration with West, it comes as a bit of a surprise that it took the rap icon so long to add her to the Def Jam roster. The deal was finalized in April, and Taylor explained that it was more of a formal move for a relationship that was already long in existence. “I had been actually working with the whole G.O.O.D. Music family for quite a while,” she said. “Around the time we did the ‘Dark Fantasy’ song, I was still in my contract with Star Trak/Interscope Records, and I asked for release because I wanted to find myself as an artist. I had options to go to different labels, but I felt like G.O.O.D. Music was where I wanted to be, where I fit in.”
Despite this, the 21-year-old Taylor is looking forward to her new home and family with G.O.O.D. Music. “This is the second go ’round for me, and hopefully, the second time’s the charm,” she continued. “I signed to Star Trak with Pharrell when I was 15, and now I’m at a new chapter in my life where I’m signed to G.O.O.D. Music, and I’m blessed and happy to be part of the team,” adding, “Being signed to G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam has opened more doors now that I finally have a team behind me that can push me to work harder.”
Elaborating on her experiences recording tracks for the upcoming G.O.O.D. Music album, Taylor chose to gush more about her new boss and the artists she gets to work with. “It was a great experience to be able to work with someone like Kanye and with Pusha T, Big Sean, Kid Cudi, Common and the whole G.O.O.D. family. When it’s time to do something, we all come together, we make it work, everyone’s focused.”
But with all of this humility, there’s got to be a little bit of bravado in there somewhere, right? Taylor is a hip-hop wunderkind, where’s the self-awareness? “I am the princess of G.O.O.D. Music, the first lady of G.O.O.D. Music, the baby of G.O.O.D. Music,” she joked. “I’m kinda the spoiled brat right now. I could get whatever I want.”
Ah, there it is.
