Teyana Taylor

Teyana Taylor (also known as Teyana Me Shay Jacqueli Shumpert and “Spike Tee”) is a Harlem-born American screen artist whose career bridges acting, music, dance, and choreography. Born on December 10, 1990, she first broke through in the mid-2000s, signing with Pharrell Williams’ Star Trak imprint and quickly earning industry attention for her movement-driven creativity, including high-profile choreography work.

Before her acting profile rose, Taylor built momentum as a performer and recording artist, releasing early singles and contributing—sometimes without credit—to major hip-hop projects. Her behind-the-scenes skill set and on-camera presence made her a natural fit for film and TV, where she brought the same precision and charisma that defined her work in music.

As an actress, Taylor has appeared across series and features, with notable roles including Brotherly Love (Zip), White Men Can't Jump (Imani), Miracles Across 125th Street (Tammy), and The Love Section (Steph). She also lends her voice to animation in Entergalactic and appears as herself in Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé, while continuing to expand her filmography with projects such as The Book of Clarence (Mary Magdalene) and One Battle After Another (Perfidia).

Beyond scripted work, Taylor’s pop-culture reach includes reality TV and a headline-making win on The Masked Singer, underscoring her versatility as an entertainer and performer.