There's one Taylor whoKanye Westis quite fond of - and her name ain't Swift.
HarlemnativeTeyana Taylor, 19, was handpicked by the rap superstar to sing on his new album"My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy."She followed that up by stealing the show last week when she performed with West at theBowery Ballroomon the lower East Side.
Taylor, the Teyana version, described the controversial artist as a mentor, a big brother and fellow fashion fiend.
"We're good friends,"the rising star said of West."We're always talking about fashion. We love clothes."
Taylor slid easily into a chair atAmy Ruth's Restaurant, a soul food joint about 20 blocks from where she grew up. She chowed down on fried chicken wings and cornbread and deflected any talk of West's dark side.
"He's a genius,"she said, refusing to go down that road.
West became a hated man after he interrupted country singerTaylor Swift's acceptance speech at the 2009MTV Video Music Awards. He even suggested at the Bowery Ballroom show last week that the incident helped launch Swift to super-stardom.
Teyana Taylor defended him.
"He's the complete opposite of what everybody thinks,"she said.
Taylor, who now lives inLos Angeles, said she got an email from West to come to the studio one morning to hear some of the album before it was released. When she arrived, he asked her to lay down some last-minute background vocals for his album that was just hours away from completion.
Taylor jumped at the opportunity, and ended up doing more than West asked for. She sang the chorus for the opening track on his highly acclaimed album. Listeners hear Taylor on the album before hearing West.
"Can we get much higher? So high,"she sings on the track"Dark Fantasy."
"He loved it!"she said."I'm just so happy that he believed in me to give me that opportunity to open up his album. That's a big deal."
The singer, who gained initial popularity after being featured onMTV's Super Sweet 16, also picked up a vocal credit on West's song,"Hell of a Life."
If that wasn't a big break, luck would strike again when she was asked to join West for his album release show at the Bowery Ballroom.
Taylor, who grew up on W. 140th St. between Seventh and Lenox Aves., says she didn't know about the show until two days before the Tuesday night showcase.
"I came out {toNew York} for a photo shoot,"said the singer, who has been under contract with hip-hop producerPharrell Williams'Star Trak Entertainmentlabel for nearly five years.
But she ended up on stage at the Bowery Ballroom, delivering chilling opera-style background vocals on"Dark Fantasy"and"All of the Lights."
"I clearly did something right because just the next day me and 'Ye was back in the studio,"she said, hinting at an upcoming project.
Aside from singing, Taylor also is known for her dancing, which has led her to work with the likes of Beyoncé andJay-Z. She even dabbles in acting, appearing in"Stomp the Yard 2: Homecoming"and a role in the upcomingTyler Perrymovie,"Madea's Big Happy Family."
Although she has yet to release an album, Taylor predicts 2011 will be her year and she's grateful to West for opening new doors for her.
"He brought all my hard work to life,"she said."I thank Kanye every single day."
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