Remembering That Time Teyana Taylor From Kanye West’s ‘Fade’ Video Once Appeared On ‘My Super Sweet 16’

Almost a decade before she dropped jaws on Sunday night at the 2016 VMAs as the sultry star of Kanye West’s music video premiere for “Fade” and far before she was a musician in her own right, Teyana Taylor was just a teenager with big dreams of making it in the music industry. Except that even back then, the artist had ties to MTV and appeared on the hit TV show, My Super Sweet 16.

Shortly after she signed to Pharrell Williams’ record label in 2007 (Note: She is now on Kanye’s GOOD Music label and Def Jam), Teyana appeared on the reality show during its fourth season of chronicling the ups and downs of privileged or famous teens — often the children of celebrities and/or aspiring celebrities themselves — as they planned extravagant birthday parties that were not without elevated teenage drama.

Before the episode aired, Teyana was described in its teaser as a “sassy, one-of-a-kind New Yorker” who was planning a 1980s, old-school hip-hop themed birthday party. Once the cameras got rolling, Teyana elaborated on her dream party, which included a marching band, a skateboard ramp and a graffiti artist who would depict her face on the walls. She squabbled with her mother over the venue, but eventually caved in. Compared to a lot of the episode’s stars, Teyana wasn’t insufferable and early on established herself as someone who knows what she wants, even if it’s a bit over the top compared to the rest of our lives.

https://twitter.com/kidzB0p/status/770077952092598272

You can watch the young Teyana’s episode on MTV.com

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