Tyga is an American rapper best known for being signed by Lil Wayne's Young Money Entertainment and having dated reality star Kylie Jenner.
Following early success as a rock-and-pop influenced rapper, Tyga released his debut album in 2008, and then joined Lil Wayne's Young Money Entertainment label. More success followed, including high-profile collaborations with Rick Ross, Chris Brown and others, before he was let go from Young Money. He has recently signed to Kanye West’s GOOD Music imprint. Tyga dated reality star Kylie Jenner from 2014 to 2017.
Tyga was born Michael Ray Stevenson on November 19, 1989, in Compton, California, although his Vietnamese and Jamaican parents moved him to Gardena, California around the turn of the millennium. Inspired by listening to Fabolous, Eminem, Cam'ron and other rappers, he entered rap contests with friends from school and often posted songs that he made up in online chat rooms.
His cousin, Travis McCoy, was a member of Gym Class Heroes and exposed him to a lot of music. He would eventually tour with the group, all the while making underground mixtapes. McCoy got Tyga his first record deal, sharing his music with Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy, who told MTV News: “I liked Tyga’s voice a lot and his flow. I couldn’t believe he was related to Travis, because Travis is pretty geeky.” Wentz signed him to Bat Squad records, part of his Decaydance label, and executive produced Tyga’s first album in 2008, No Introduction.
Three singles were released from that album, and while they received little critical or commercial attention, a remix of one, "Coconut Juice" featured a guest verse from Lil Wayne, who was looking to sign him to Young Money Entertainment. It would take Tyga – an acronym for Thank You God Always – four years to release his first studio album for the label, but a number of mixtapes and singles kept him in the public eye and raised his profile. He collaborated with Chris Brown on the single "Deuces," which would reach No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2010. It would go on to receive a Grammy nomination.
Biography
Tyga is an American rapper best known for being signed by Lil Wayne's Young Money Entertainment and having dated reality star Kylie Jenner.
Following early success as a rock-and-pop influenced rapper, Tyga released his debut album in 2008, and then joined Lil Wayne's Young Money Entertainment label. More success followed, including high-profile collaborations with Rick Ross, Chris Brown and others, before he was let go from Young Money. He has recently signed to Kanye West’s GOOD Music imprint. Tyga dated reality star Kylie Jenner from 2014 to 2017.
Tyga was born Michael Ray Stevenson on November 19, 1989, in Compton, California, although his Vietnamese and Jamaican parents moved him to Gardena, California around the turn of the millennium. Inspired by listening to Fabolous, Eminem, Cam'ron and other rappers, he entered rap contests with friends from school and often posted songs that he made up in online chat rooms.
His cousin, Travis McCoy, was a member of Gym Class Heroes and exposed him to a lot of music. He would eventually tour with the group, all the while making underground mixtapes. McCoy got Tyga his first record deal, sharing his music with Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy, who told MTV News: “I liked Tyga’s voice a lot and his flow. I couldn’t believe he was related to Travis, because Travis is pretty geeky.” Wentz signed him to Bat Squad records, part of his Decaydance label, and executive produced Tyga’s first album in 2008, No Introduction.
Three singles were released from that album, and while they received little critical or commercial attention, a remix of one, "Coconut Juice" featured a guest verse from Lil Wayne, who was looking to sign him to Young Money Entertainment. It would take Tyga – an acronym for Thank You God Always – four years to release his first studio album for the label, but a number of mixtapes and singles kept him in the public eye and raised his profile. He collaborated with Chris Brown on the single "Deuces," which would reach No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2010. It would go on to receive a Grammy nomination.