What Teyana Taylor Has Said About Kanye West Over the Years
Teyana Taylor and Kanye “Ye” West share a long and complex history that began in the late 2000s, evolving from a professional connection into a close personal bond. West first brought Taylor into his creative orbit when she contributed vocals to his My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy era and later signed her to his G.O.O.D. Music label in 2012. In recent years, even as West’s public controversies have sparked widespread debate, Taylor has made clear she won’t “abandon” him. Here’s what she’s said about her relationship with West through the years.
Teyana Taylor said she was ‘nervous’ about Kanye West’s five-album rollout in 2018
Teyana Taylor’s connection with Kanye West began long before she became a household name in music and film. The pair first crossed paths in 2008 during West’s Glow in the Dark tour. Taylor was signed to Pharrell Williams’s Star Trak label, and West took notice of her fashion sense, leading to early conversations about style and creative ideas. Their friendship grew organically. West soon invited her into the studio while working on his critically acclaimed My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy album. Taylor contributed background vocals to the album. This collaboration paved the way for Taylor to leave Star Trak and sign with West’s G.O.O.D. Music imprint in 2012, according to People.
Early in her career, Taylor admitted she was nervous about West’s ambitious five-album rollout plan in 2018, which was part of his Wyoming Sessions. In interviews, she explained that the pace and scale of releasing multiple albums in consecutive weeks felt overwhelming. The projects included albums from Pusha T, Kid Cudi, Nas, and her own K.T.S.E. She described feeling uncertain about where she fit into the process and whether her work would get the attention it deserved, though she ultimately trusted West’s vision.
“At first, I didn’t really know that it was going to be the five-album thing until we had our last meeting,” she told Hot 97 at the time, according to Billboard. “Once [West] said his [album] and everybody else, I was a little nervous at first. I was like, ‘Y’all n***** is legends, I ain’t trying to be up in the middle of all of that.'”
She said she ‘appreciated’ Kanye West for helping her produce her ‘most vulnerable’ work
In 2018, Teyana Taylor expressed how she felt some disappointment with a few changes that Kanye West made to her album, K.T.S.E. After her comments went viral, she noted that she never meant for her comments to appear angry. Instead, she felt “hurt.”
“Though a shortened version shocked me upon its released date, I appreciate my brother Ye for helping me produce my most vulnerable, personal, and soulful album to date,” she clarified on social media, according to The Jasmine Brand.
“I think that our collaboration on this album shows and proves to add to the culture we creatives promise to push forward!” Taylor continued. “I never meant for my passion to be mistaken for ungratefulness, however, I’m always open to agreeing to disagree, that doesn’t take away from the bond I share with not only Ye but all of my G.O.O.D Music family.”
Teyana Taylor said the artist thinks she’s ‘so swaggy’
In a 2018 interview with Refinery29, Teyana Taylor said Kanye West has something nice to say about her personal style “all the time.”
“When I see him, he’s always like, ‘Yo, T, you’re so swaggy,'” she said. Taylor then noted that West greatly “values” her ideas, which she considers the nicest part of their relationship.
“I think that’s pretty cool,” she said. “He values my opinion.”
She called Kanye West a ‘workaholic’ who needs to take care of himself
Kanye West was hospitalized in 2016, later revealing his bipolar diagnosis. At the time, Teyana Taylor spoke about the medical emergency with the Associated Press.
“Take however much time you need, you know,” she said, referencing West, according to Billboard. “Time heals all.”
“He’s a workaholic,” she continued. “He worked his (expletive) off. And if he needs to get his mind right, then I think everybody should respect that and let him do that.”
Taylor noted that she remained in touch with West at the time. “That’s what family is supposed to do,” she continued. “He definitely knows that his friends and his family’s in his corner for sure.”
Teyana Taylor said that the mogul having kids ‘changed him’
Teyana Taylor spoke about starring in Kanye West’s “Fade” music video. She noted that he and Kim Kardashian starting a family “changed him.”
“Even with him, his relationship with Kim is so dope,” Taylor told Vogue. “They have kids, they’re married, they have a friendship. Even Kanye having kids has changed him a lot.”
As for the music video, she said she put all of her trust in her mentor.
“I trusted Kanye 100%,” she continued. “I was like, ‘You want a shower scene? Cool.’ What makes it even doper is that he didn’t put me in a position where I was with a male model or male actor. There was trust and comfort and protection because I knew I was with a person that I’m already becoming one with.”
In 2026, Teyana Taylor won’t cut ties with Kanye West
Teyana Taylor addressed Kanye West’s reputation in a 2026 interview with Vanity Fair. While she doesn’t agree with everything he’s expressed, she noted that she won’t abandon him. These comments also follow previous commentary she made about feeling underappreciated by his G.O.O.D. music label.
“I don’t have to agree with everything that he do or say, but I’m not going to, like, abandon him and be like, ‘Yeah, eff that motherf***er,'” Taylor expressed. “My brothers do s*** that I don’t agree with…. I don’t get into none of that.”
