After a long process, Teyana Taylor will finally release her debut album VII on November 4th. Leading up to the release, Taylor was mostly known as solely a socialite more famous for Twitter beefs with Rihanna and who she’s dating.
But with the LP’s release, Teyana is determined to make a name for herself for something other than gossip, which is what she’s been chasing since she was a child from Harlem. And when you’re signed under Kanye West’s label G.O.O.D Music and cosign by Pharrell (originally being signed to his Star Trak Label), you have some major play to boost a musical career. Teyana spoke with Rolling Out Magazine about everything, including her debut effort, the rumors, and her love life.
About the album VII, Taylor says, “Seven is the number of completion. …I’ve been in the business for seven years and [there have] been a lot of bumpy roads and detours and all types of stuff going on within those seven years. But now in the seventh year, everything is finally completed and is coming together. It’s done and I can give you a full body of work. So that number means a lot to me and this year is very important to me.”
When it comes to people sounding off about her on social media (especially when it came to her Rihanna beef and ex-boyfriend Brandon Jennings), the singer says the way she got over it by simply seeing the brighter side of things.
“It’s a give and take. If you can take compliments, then you should be able to take when people have negative things to say….It will be that one negative comment that will really have you pissed off. But once you relax a little bit and calm down and think about the good, then it makes you feel better and you go about your day.”
Now, with her very public relationship to NBA player Iman Shumpert, (which is often played out on each other’s social media accounts), Taylor says she carries that positive thinking into her relationship. “When you have a peace of mind, which is your companion, you listen to your man so when he’s telling you to calm down, then eventually you let it go….it takes your mind off all the negativity and all the people that [are] trying to bother you.”
Remember Teyana as an outspoken teen on MTV's Sweet 16? She knew what she wanted, even back then. Good to see that determination pull her dream through!
Click below to view more photos, and go here for the rest of Teyana's Rolling Out feature.
