Teyana Taylor Clarifies Retirement Claim: "I'm Tired"

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Teyana Taylor reveals she asked Def Jam to drop her from the label on 10 different occasions.

As artists and blogs began sharing 2020 Spotify's Wrapped statistics, Teyana Taylor dropped a bomb on her fans. The multi-hyphenate shared a statement that suggested she was retiring from music. She wrote, "I’m retiring this chapter of my story with the comfort that i can depart with peace of mind seeing that all the hard work & passion put in was indeed loved & supported somewhere in the world!"

Plenty of people, including Cardi B and The Game, expressed their support for her but apparently, her "retirement" isn't necessarily an actual exit from the game but rather, a boycott of sorts. During an Instagram Live stream, Taylor went into detail about her grievances with the music industry, namely her label, Def Jam.

"I asked Def Jam to drop me on almost 10 different occasions. Straight to the face. Up in the building," she said. "At this point, I can't let this kill me. Granted, to my fans, I think that, you know -- and I can see how my message can come across but at the same time, I feel like it's a tiny bit selfish to say, 'What about your fans? Do it for your fans.' Baby, I gotta do it for my mental health. I have to do it for my emotional health. I have to do it for my kids so I can stay alive for my kids."

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She added that she's been doing this for a long time, and feels like she never received the support from her label that she deserved. Even in the wake of her back-and-forth with Mykki Blanco, she said that she was taking the hit for an issue Def Jam should've handled. 

"I constantly get attacked for all the fuck shit the label do and, y'all know me, I stay quiet. But, it's so much I can take. So maybe, if I retire, n***as will let me go. Drop me, fam. Let me be free," she said. "I'm tired... Baby, I've been doing this since I was 15 years old. I'm about to be 30. And besides performing for my real fans and actually being in a booth, nothing else about music makes me happy. Period."

Check out her Instagram Live below. 


About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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