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When she’s not rapping with Kendrick Lamar, you can find the 31-year-old with her two Pitbulls, perfecting her dance moves, or rehearsing her lines for one of her countless film projects.
Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers not only turned the world’s attention back K-Dot, but it also shed the spotlight on another California native – Taylour Paige – who went back and forth with the Compton rapper on the project’s eighth title, “We Cry Together.”
While the 31-year-old is no stranger to fame (she’s best known for appearing in the VH1 series Hit the Floor, as well as films like Jean of the Joneses, White Boy Rick, and Boogie), this was her first time being featured on a rap song, and needless to say, she killed it; so much so, in fact, that some listeners were even convinced that they heard Rico Nasty on the track.
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It remains unclear if Paige will be releasing any other musical endeavours in the near future (although they would be warmly welcomed), but we do know that she’s in the midst of an impressive collection of film projects, including The Toxic Avenger and The Trainer, and she recently teased a music video for her and Kung-Fu Kenny’s collab.
When she’s not on set, you can find the Inglewood-born starlet updating her Instagram feed with thoughtful musings, heartfelt tributes to her friends on their birthdays, throwback photos and videos, celebrations of her work, and images of the world through her own eyes.
Check out some of her best posts as you get to know Taylour Paige below.
The Grey’s Anatomy actress began training as a dancer from a young age, and eventually became a student of celebrity choreographer Debbie Allen. She graduated from St. Bernard Catholic High School in 2008 and became a Los Angeles Lakers Girl in 2010 before going on to graduate from postsecondary at Loyola Marymount University.
Back in 2020, Paige starred in Zola, a drama/crime film about “a Detroit waitress [who’s] seduced into a weekend of stripping in Florida for some quick cash – but the trip becomes a sleepless 48-hour odyssey involving a nefarious friend, her pimp, and her idiot boyfriend”; her fancy footwork clearly came in handy for the role.
The multi-hyphenate’s performance was so good that she took home an Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead – a moment that was clearly very emotional for her.
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Paige is an incredibly dedicated auntie to her 5-year-old nephew, Britton, who makes semi-regular appearances on her feed.
And she hardly leaves home without her two Pitbulls. “I bring them with me everywhere because I like them to be well socialized,” the entertainer has said of her fur babies. “They’re always in the car with me, which sometimes makes my life easier because recently if I leave them home too long they’ll eat a purse or a shoe.”
While Zola was clearly a career highlight for Paige, another major moment for her was acting alongside the late Chadwick Boseman and Viola Davis in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.
During her time off, the Californian knows how to have a good time, whether that’s by goofing off with friends while listening to Tupac or putting together a stylish outfit for a night out on the town.
In her celebratory post for her joint track with Kendrick, Paige wrote, “We are so lucky to have Kendrick. I hope you contemplate today. I hope you reflect everyday. I hope you learn and ask for help. I hope you study nuance. I hope you absorb the good and find the light. I hope you love yourself. I hope you tell the truth. I hope you heal.”