TAYLOR MADE
‘Teyana & Iman’ lifts the curtain on celeb couple’s life
TEYANA Taylor, who rose to fame on “My Super Sweet Sixteen” over 10 years ago, is now starring in her own reality series on VH1. “Teyana & Iman” features Taylor, her husband — NBA star Iman Shumpert — and their two-year-old daughter, Iman “Junie” Shumpert Jr., as cameras follow the family around and track their everyday lives. Taylor says she’s doingg the reality series in order to shshow her fans a different sideside ofof her life — anand to answer one big question.
“I just want people to really know more,” says Taylor. “The questionquest is, ‘Why is she always around and she hhas no music out?’ What does she do?’ I feel like a lot of my fans are thinking I’m sitting back not doing anything. But it’s a proceprocess. I have a whole album in the works.”
The Harlem-born Taylor, 27, has been performing since the age of ninnine and was already signed to Pharrell Williams’ Star Trak Entertainment labellabel when she appeared, in 2007, on “My SuperSup Sweet Sixteen,” MTV’s reality showshow ddocumentingingg the lives of wealthy teenagteenagers.
That, in turn, led Taylor to other recording, choreography and acting opportunities; over the years, she’s worked with Beyonce, Usher, Chris Brown and Omarion (among many others) and, in 2012, inked a deal with Kanye West’s GOOD Music label (which released her album, “VII,” in 2014).
Taylor says she and Shumpert — the ex-Knick now playing for the Sacramento Kings — started off as friends, and never thought their relationship would turn serious.
“Iman and I were listening to ’90s records. I went to see him because he was injured ... He touched my knee and I felt butterflies in my stomach instantly,” she says. s “I never had that feeling before for anybody. a So I was not going to run away from fr that. I was going to follow my gut — literally.”
“Teyana and Iman” will also give viewers e an inside look at Taylor’s ’90s-themed Harlem H nail salon, “Junie Bee Nails.”
“Nails are one of the most important things th for girls, at least where I’m from,” she s says. “[The nail salon] is like the barber b shop for women. It’s very New York, and we even have a staged subway in there.”
As far as starring in “Teyana and Iman” with Shumpert, Taylor says she’s aware of other reality show couples who’ve broken up u once their shows have aired.
“I’m not afraid of that reality curse,” she says. “The only people that can ruin a relationship are the people in the relationship. The TV [show] will just be a part of the th many things we do. As long as we stay true tr to ourselves, we will never get caught up u about what people have to say.”
She also has a message for critics who question q her talent. “I wouldn’t say the world was slow with catching on,” she says. “I just think they’re not aware yet.” “Teyana & Iman” airs 9 p.m. Monday on VH1. V