Filed under: Exclusives, Interviews, Movies
The 19-year-old personality makes her acting debut in the Rain Forest Films/Sony straight-to-DVD feature, 'Stomp the Yard: Homecoming' alongside Pooch Hall, Collins Pennie, Tika Sumpter, Keith David, Stephen "tWitch" Boss and Kiely Williams.
(Read: 'Teyana Taylor: 'Google Me' Girl Joins Stomp The Yard Cast')
BV Buzz caught up with the Harlem-bred star in Atlanta where we talked about all things Teyana!
How does it feel to add "actor" to the long list of titles you already have?
It feels great, man. My character, Rena that I play is so similar to me so it's good that I can bring out the fun side and bring out the swag. I'm pretty excited. Hopef
ully, I'll get a lot of offers and get to the point where I don't even have to audition all the time and they can just say, 'we want Teyana Taylor for the part.' I ain't there yet, but I'm very excited and want to do some more stuff. I want to start playing some characters that are very opposite of me so that I can start showing my talent. How was it getting adapted to life on the set and meeting your cast and crew?
My cast is great. Working with Rob Hardy and Will Packer- they are so cool and it doesn't get any better than that. They are so cool and down to earth that they make you feel when you come to the movie set you're coming home and that makes you want to do your job even more. The people around me have just been so amazing. The cast could have been cocky, but we all vibe out and our chemistry is just so crazy.
This movie shows life in college, though you haven't been yet. Is it giving you a foretaste of what's to come?
It feels great because I just graduated high school [not too long ago]. I can't really go to college right now because I'm singing, but I am gonna go. I want to go to Clark Atlanta University and it feels good to have that early start of how college feels so when I do go it will be just as exciting.
Tell me about your music. It's been a long time in the making.
Musically, I've just been putting a lot out on the Internet because that is where the majority of my fans are. You can't go wrong with the Internet so I've been putting out a lot of music on the Internet. I am launching my lip gloss line, which is called Dope Lips. I'm very excited and I have a lot going on. I have been writing and I'm about to start working with a lot of great people.
Musically, I am still working with Star Trek/Interscope. I have just been recording some stuff while I've been in the studio and just creating new stuff on the side.
You got this crew you roll with and you guys love to compete to see who has the best abs.
Me, Omarion, Chris [Brown] and Bow Wow have always been close. After the whole Chris and Rihanna situation, it really brought our circle closer and it showed that we were really his friends and really there for him. Everything happens for a reason and it definitely brought us a lot closer.
Everyone is trying to figure out how you became a socialite. Is your daddy rich? Are you some trust fund baby? Explain it to me.
Daddy doesn't have money; daddy has a lot of kids! Mommy works hard and daughter works hard. You see what I'm doing? We work hard and hard work pays off! It's definitely not a daddy thing.
![Omarion, Teyana Taylor, Chris Brown & another friend show off abs]()
You've become known as a trendsetter for your unique style and fashion forward wardrobe choices, where do you draw inspiration for that?
It's weird because my style has always been kinda natural for me. I used to not wear anything but black. If it wasn't black, I wasn't wearing it. My mom told me that I was such a biker chick. I have a picture from when I was like four and I had on some black Ray-Bans with my black motorcycle jacket and black spandex that looked like jeans because they were so big and I was so little. I had the black 5411's and a black v-neck and I was murdering it. I've been doing the fashion thing and my mom is a little fashionista herself and she styles as well. Growing up around her and her dope fashion sense just rubbed off on me.
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'Stomp the Yard: The Homecoming' is available starting today in a Blu-ray and DVD combo pack.
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For related stories, read also: 'Stephen 'tWitch' Boss: 'So You Think You Can' Act'
'Tika Sumpter: Soap Siren Stars in 'Stomp the Yard' Sequel'
& 'Pooch Hall: Talks 'Stomp The Yard 2' & Whether 'The Game' Will Air On BET'