Kanye West, Chris Brown, & Big Sean Join Teyana Taylor at 'VII' Listening Party
Teyana Taylor has been patiently waiting for her moment and it finally arrived last night. The Harlem singer was surrounded by friends and family as she celebrated her debut album VII in Hollywood.
Produced by MVD Inc and DONDA, the intimate listening event brought out stars including Kanye West, Kim Kardashian West, Chris Brown, Big Sean, Nelly, YG, Michael B. Jordan, and more.
Guests filled the red-lit soundstage before Kanye and No I.D. got on the mic to introduce G.O.O.D. Music’s First Lady. “I’m really proud of a lot of the artists on this label, like how far they’ve taken it and there’s been so many moments where people doubted a lot of the choices made,” said ‘Ye, “and I love it when an artist can turn around and have like a No. 1 single like Teyana has and make me look really smart.”
Teyana fought back tears as she thanked her team. “I just want to thank everyone standing here right now because they played a big part in finally getting this moment, and it’s been a long time coming,” she said, while acknowledging ‘Ye. “It feels good to be signed to someone who understands me.”
She also got on her knees to express her gratitude to her mother/manager Nikki Taylor. “I love you so much and if I had a ring, I’d ask you to marry me,” she joked. “This woman, I put her through so much. Seventy-two hours of labor and some more shit.”
Yeezy got back on the mic to say a few more words (via MTV News). “If you remember with Pusha T, I turned up and everybody thought I was crazy. Then he came out and did that buck-twenty and ni**as were like, ‘Aw, man. Maybe the shit was good.’ But what I’m saying is Teyana provides something that’s so R&B, so black, so ‘hood, so missing, and so necessary in the marketplace.”
“Motherfu**ers wanted to drop Big Sean, motherfuckers wanted to drop Teyana and motherfu**ers wanted to drop Pusha,” he added. “Everybody always wanna be late or motherfu**ers drop somebody and shit and not believe in somebody all the way through. Now, I’m just gonna go ahead and be ‘Ye and they’re gonna put this shit on ‘E! News’ and try to say I’m a crazy motherfu**er and shit. But, you know what? This is about artistry and fighting for artists to get their visions out, like it says in the name of the label, Getting Out Our Dreams. It’s a collective of motherfu**ers who believe in real music and there’s never been someone on the label that has had to take something into her hands quite as much as this girl has had to do. So, I really want y’all to give her her credit for fighting against an entire system…I’m just really proud to see her tonight, dropping her album. We had to fight for this.”
Check out footage from the G.O.O.D. night below.
Photo credit: Chelsea Lauren