Teyana Taylor Clarifies Retirement Claim: “I’m Tired”

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.