Kanye West Hosts Teyana Taylor’s Album Listening Party: ‘We Had To Fight For This Sh-t’

Close friends, family and industry elite gathered at Siren Studios in Hollywood, to celebrate the upcoming release of Tey’s new album VII, which is currently sitting at #5 on the R&B Albums chart due to a high number of pre-orders.  The guest list of supporters was a who’s who and included E! News host Terrence J, YG, Nelly, Shantel Jackson, Chris Brown, Karrueche Tran, Big Sean and Michael B. Jordan.  Before cuing the music, Teyana explained how Kanye had phoned her up one day to come listen to his Dark Fantasy, and in her mind she said, ‘I’m getting on this album!!’  So she rushed down to the studio and laid some background vocals on a few of his songs, and afterward he was so impressed that he asked her what her label situation was. The rest is GOOD music signing history.

Meanwhile, Kanye, who was the host of the evening and was accompanied by his wife Kim Kardashian, grabbed the mic for a soft intro to Teyana’s album, but decided later that night, after a few records had spun that he wanted to say something more passionate.  He revealed that Def Jam (which houses G.O.O.D Music) actually wanted to drop Big Sean and Teyana Taylor but that he fought for his artists and their vision.

What I want to say is, she bust her ass and this is her album. She put all her work into this music. Sometimes, I be a little bit less expressive because motherf*ckers want to ‘Michael Jackson’ me to death and sh*t and act like I don’t do nothing positive and all and attack me so I be scared to turn up.

Teyana provides something that is so R&B, so Black, so hood, so like missing, so necessary in the marketplace and that was what was extremely interesting about what she did on Dark Fantasy.  A lot of people argue that she had the hottest joint on Cruel Summer. So the fact that she was able to finally come out with a whole album (hesitates) — I’mma just go ahead and say what I was gonna say in the first place- f*ck everybody and sh*t- motherf*ckers always want to drop Big Sean and motherf-ckers wanted to drop Teyana- everybody always wanna drop somebody and sh*t and not believe in somebody all the way through, so I’ma just go ahead and be ‘Ye and [you can] put this sh*t on ‘E! News’ and try to say I’m a crazy motherf*cker and sh*t.

But you know what? This is about artistry and fighting for artists to get their vision out. Like it says [in] the name of the label – Getting Out Our Dreams- it’s a collective of motherf*ckers who believe in real music and there’s never been someone on the label that has had to take something into their own hands quite as much as Teyana had to do.

So I really want y’all to give her her credit for fighting against an entire system.  Sometimes I don’t talk in the the most politically correct- whatever type of way and sh*t- but I felt like I really [had to] express how proud I was of this person, of this human being that had to fight, of this artist that’s fighting to make something she really feels that really connects in this generation. And I’m just really proud to see her tonight dropping her album because we had to fight for this sh*t.

And uh- yeah, I just felt like I had to turn up a little bit. F*ck it.

Teyana’s new album VII will hit iTunes and stores nationwide on November 4.

Tracklisting

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1. “Outta My League Interlude”
2. “Just Different”
3. “Request”
4. “Do Not Disturb” (Feat. Chris Brown)
5. “Broken Hearted Girl” (Feat. Fabolous)
6. “It Could Just Be Love Interlude”
7. “Put Your Love On”
8. “Maybe” (Feat. Pusha T & Yo Gotti)
9. “Dreams”
10. “Sorry”
11. “Business”
12. “In the Air”

Deluxe Edition:
13. “Outta My League”
14. “It Could Just Be Love”

Video: Brokenhearted Girl