(1989-)

Who Is Tyga?

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.

Early Life and Career Beginnings

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.

Breakthrough Songs and Grammy Nomination

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.

Big Music Collaborations, Falling Sales

The transformation of Tyga’s style was complete by the time of the release of his Young Money debut album, Careless World: Rise of the Last King in 2012. Its initial impact was dulled by its inclusion of an uncleared sample of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, which meant many retail stores couldn’t stock it until it was reissued with the snippet removed. Sales were strong, however, the album debuting at No. 4 on the US Billboard 200; featured guests included T-Pain, Pharrell, Nas, Robin Thicke and J Cole.

His third album, Hotel California, was released on April 9, 2013, and leaned heavily on features from Wiz Khalifa, The Game, 2 Chainz and Lil Wayne. Sales were weak compared to his previous album, while the critical reaction was mixed – Spin’s Jeff Weiss called it, “the least creative major-label rap album in recent memory.” Relations with Young Money soured shortly afterward with his third album for the label, The Gold Album: 18th Dynasty, held in limbo. Tyga tweeted in October 2014, “Gold album been done. My label holding me hostage so I can’t release nothing.” He’d go on to release the album himself digitally in June 2015. A duet with Justin Bieber, “Wait for a Minute,” did not make the final cut due to Young Money owning the song, and the mixtape/album received middling reviews and weak online sales.

Personal Life and Relationship with Kylie Jenner

Tyga has a son, King Cairo Stevenson, with a former video performer, Blac Chyna (she’d appeared in the video for his “Rack City” single). King Cairo was born in October 2012 and while the couple got engaged the same year, they split in 2014. Tyga began dating reality TV star Kylie Jenner, but their on-and-off again relationship ended in April 2017. Jenner is the sister-in-law of Kanye West, whose GOOD Music label signed Tyga in the fall of 2016.

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QUICK FACTS

• Birth Year: 1989
• Birth date: November 19, 1989
• Birth State: California
• Birth City: Compton
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Tyga is an American rapper best known for being signed by Lil Wayne’s Young Money Entertainment and having dated reality star Kylie Jenner.
• Astrological Sign: Scorpio
• Interesting Facts
• Tyga is of Jamaican and Vietnamese descent.
• The name Tyga stands for ‘Thank you God always.’

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CITATION INFORMATION

• Article Title: Tyga Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/musicians/tyga
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: May 28, 2020
• Original Published Date: April 3, 2014

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QUOTES

• Wake up everyday stronger than yesterday, face your fears and wipe your tears.
• The more real you get, the more unreal things get.