After giving a rousing Lil’ Kim tribute at VH1’s Hip Hop Honors, G.O.O.D. Music’s First Lady showed up and showed out in the eye-popping music video for Kanye West’s “Fade,” which premiered during the MTV VMAs on Sunday (Aug. 28). Now, she’s opening up about it to Vogue.
“It’s emotional because I’ve been in the industry for so long and I’ve never understood why certain things weren’t happening,” said the 25-year-old singer. “And now I feel like my story, everything that I’ve been through, makes this moment so much more special. Though it took so long for this to happen, I don’t feel like it could’ve happened at a better time.”
Teyana was in the studio when Kanye approached her with the opportunity. “He was like, ‘Yo, you killed the Lil’ Kim tribute.’ And we talked about that a little bit and then I don’t know how we got into a conversation about me and Iman [Shumpert]. I think that really inspired him for the video,” she said. “Literally when I left the studio and went back to my recording room, [a head representative from G.O.O.D. Music] came up to me and said Kanye wanted me to dance to one of his songs—for ‘Fade.’ I was like, ‘Oh my god, you’re lying.’”