Teyana Taylor Collaborator Mykki Blanco Says She Wasn’t Paid For Her Contribution To ‘KTSE’

Teyana Taylor collaborator Mykki Blanco says she wasn’t paid for her contribution to the singer’s 2018 album, KTSE, in a statement on social media to which Taylor has replied: “Keep my pregnant ass out of it.”

Blanco appears on the KSTE standout “WTP,” adding lively ad-libs that highlighted the inspirations the song takes from drag/ballroom culture. On Thursday, Blanco posted to Instagram a screenshot of the song’s video from YouTube claiming that Universal Music Group still hasn’t paid her for her writing and production credits on “WTP” and Kanye West’s rap verse on “Hurry,” which she asserts she also wrote.

“Can you believe it’s been two years and Universal Music has still not paid me my feature fee for this song?” the caption reads. “Can you believe it took 1 year with the help of my lawyer to get credited on the song, because it did. I wrote on and co- produced this track as well as writing the verse that Kanye literally raps on ‘Hurry.’ Is that a big accomplishment to write for other artists NO, this isn’t about clout.” She ask fans to stop streaming “WTP” until she can be properly credited for the work.

Blanco also repeated the sentiment on Twitter, writing, “PLEASE DO NOT STREAM @TEYANATAYLOR ‘WTP,’ THE SONG IS A LIE. After 2 years and during a pandemic her team still act’s like paying me a simple feature fee is a joke. This song and these people do not support Black, Trans & Queer people. It’s a lie I’m done participating in.” This brought Blanco’s complaint to Taylor’s attention — apparently, for the first time, according to the singer herself.

Responding with a Notes screenshot, Taylor asserted the blame falls on West, who put Blanco on the song in the first place. Her statement advises that KTSE was “more of a Kanye album than it was a Teyana Taylor album” and provides context on Blanco’s inclusion, although it also unfortunately misgenders the trans performer, who prefers “they/them” and “she/her” pronouns.

The situation quickly devolved into a back-and-forth between Taylor, Blanco, and their respective supporters/detractors as the two stars battled over some of the perceived disrespectful language in each’s statements and Taylor’s insistence that Blanco’s dispute should be with GOOD Music, Kanye West, and Universal, not her, despite her top billing on the album, as she has since worked to resolve the issue behind-the-scenes.

It’s clear that emotions have run high as a result of the missing money and the power dynamics involved in members of marginalized communities dealing with the muddled politics of the entertainment industry. Hopefully, the situation gets resolved and the two are both able to put the drama behind them.