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Tarrey Torae

American singer-songwriter and record producer

Tarrey Torae
Tarrey Torae
Torae in an official portrait
BornChicago, Illinois, U.S.
OriginChicago, Illinois, U.S.
GenresR&B · soul · house
OccupationsSinger · songwriter · record producer · executive producer
Years active1999–present
SpouseJ. Ivy (m. 2005)
Awards2× GRAMMY Award winner · 6× Showtime at the Apollo winner
Websitetarreytorae.com

Tarrey Torae is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer from Chicago, Illinois.[1] She contributed vocals and songwriting to Kanye West's Grammy Award–winning album The College Dropout (2004), including the song "Family Business", and sang on John Legend's Grammy-winning debut album Get Lifted (2004).[2][3][4] She was a featured vocalist and executive producer on The Poet Who Sat by the Door (2022) and The Light Inside (2023) by her husband, poet J. Ivy, which won the Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album in 2023 and 2024 respectively.[5][6] A six-time winner of Showtime at the Apollo, she has also toured as the lead vocalist for rapper Slick Rick.[7][8]

Contents
  1. Early life
  2. Career
    1. 2000s: Early work and collaborations
    2. 2010s–present: Solo recordings
    3. Work with J. Ivy
    4. Production
  3. Personal life
  4. Discography
  5. References
  6. External links

Early life

Torae was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, where she studied ballet and contemporary dance as a child.[1] She earned a bachelor's degree in political science with a pre-law emphasis from Mississippi Valley State University in 1996, and began a master's program before leaving to pursue music.[8][9]

Career

2000s: Early work and collaborations

Torae gave her first professional performance on January 27, 1999, at the Chicago club Rituals, made her first recording that year with producer Chris Robb on the city's South Side, and early in her career took first place in the citywide Windy City Live Talent Showcase.[9] Her single "Still Will Love You", produced by Mark "M-Doc" Williams, was played on Chicago's WGCI-FM and remained in rotation for nine months.[9] She released her debut album, Musically Yours!, in September 2000.[9][19] That fall — one year into her career — she joined the NAACP's 55-city Get Out the Vote tour, sponsored by Coca-Cola, serving as both tour manager and featured performer.[9]

Torae won Showtime at the Apollo six times as a vocalist.[7][2] In 2004 she contributed vocals and co-wrote lyrics on "Family Business" from Kanye West's debut album The College Dropout,[3] and provided additional lead and background vocals on John Legend's debut album Get Lifted.[4] Both albums won Grammy Awards. She later appeared in the Netflix documentary series jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy (2022), which chronicled the making of The College Dropout.[7] In 2008 she was featured on "Made Man" from Pete Rock's album NY's Finest.[10]

Since December 2013, Torae has toured as the lead stage vocalist for rapper Slick Rick, continuing with select dates to the present day.[8][9][11] From 2006 to 2009 she spent roughly two and a half years as a touring background vocalist for Talib Kweli, beginning on the Kool New Jazz Philosophy Tour (2006) alongside The Roots, Common, and The Pharcyde, and continuing through the touring behind Kweli's album Eardrum (2007).[9][20]

2010s–present: Solo recordings

Torae released the album The Sweetest Survivor in 2017.[12][13] She has released house music singles including "Freedom Ride" (2021), produced by Grammy-nominated Chicago house producer Terry Hunter on his T's Box label.[14] Her second album, Catching Feelings, was released in 2022, followed by a live companion album, Catching Feelings: Live in Chicago.[15][7] In 2020, Rolling Out profiled her music as focused on "love, healing and soul",[1] and in 2026 she discussed her single "Little Girl", written to empower Black girls, with BlackDoctor.org.[2]

Work with J. Ivy

Torae is the longtime musical partner of poet and recording artist J. Ivy, and has served as executive producer on his projects.[9] She was a featured vocalist and executive producer on his album Catching Dreams (2020), nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album in 2021 — making her a nominated artist alongside J. Ivy — and on Catching Dreams: Live at Fort Knox Chicago (2021), nominated again in 2022.[5][9] She was a featured vocalist and executive producer on The Poet Who Sat by the Door (2022), which won the inaugural Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album in 2023.[5][6] She was also featured on his follow-up album The Light Inside (2023), which won the same category in 2024; the pair performed together on The Jennifer Hudson Show in support of the album.[16] Press outlets have described Torae as a two-time Grammy Award winner for her work on the two albums.[2][7] She has toured internationally with J. Ivy, including the Beauty of the Journey Tour.[7]

Production

Torae served as executive producer of the comedy film Self Served starring comedian Just Nesh.[17]

Personal life

Torae married poet and recording artist J. Ivy on September 4, 2005, in Chicago.[18]

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

Singles

Selected guest appearances

YearTitleArtistAlbumRole
2003"Hear the Song"FreewayPhiladelphia FreewayAdditional vocals (produced by Kanye West)
2004"Family Business"Kanye WestThe College DropoutAdditional vocals, co-writer[3]
2004—John LegendGet LiftedAdditional lead and background vocals[4]
2008"Made Man"Pete RockNY's FinestFeatured vocals[10]
2020—J. IvyCatching DreamsFeatured vocals, executive producer[5][9]
2022—J. IvyThe Poet Who Sat by the DoorFeatured vocals, executive producer[5]
2023—J. IvyThe Light InsideFeatured vocals, executive producer[16][9]

References

  1. "Grammy-certified singer Tarrey Torae provides love, healing and soul with music". Rolling Out. April 1, 2020.
  2. "Grammy-Winning Singer/Songwriter Tarrey Torae Talks Creating A Soundtrack To Heal The Souls Of Black Girls". BlackDoctor.org. 2026.
  3. The College Dropout (liner notes). Kanye West. Roc-A-Fella Records/Def Jam Recordings. 2004.
  4. Get Lifted (liner notes). John Legend. GOOD Music/Columbia Records. 2004.
  5. "Grammy-Winning Poet J. Ivy Is Living His Decades-Long Dream". Vocalo, Chicago Public Media. 2023.
  6. "J. Ivy Talks Being the Grammy-Winning 'Poet Who Sat by the Door'". Billboard. 2023.
  7. "Tarrey Torae On Showtime at The Apollo, Winning A Grammy, J. Ivy, Music Marketing & More". iLLANOiZE.
  8. "Tarrey Torae". SoulTracks.
  9. "About Tarrey Torae". TarreyTorae.com.
  10. NY's Finest (liner notes). Pete Rock. Nature Sounds. 2008.
  11. "CAW Presents: Tarrey Torae". Eighth Blackbird.
  12. "Tarrey Torae – The Sweetest Survivor (Review)". SoulTracks.
  13. "The Sweetest Survivor, by Tarrey Torae". Bandcamp. November 23, 2017.
  14. "Tarrey Torae – Freedom Ride (Produced by Terry Hunter)". Traxsource.
  15. "Catching Feelings – Album by Tarrey Torae". Apple Music. 2022.
  16. "The Jennifer Hudson Show — J. Ivy and Tarrey Torae". The Jennifer Hudson Show.
  17. Self Served (motion picture credits). Starring Just Nesh.
  18. "Grammy Award-winning performer and designer Tarrey Torae". Rolling Out. August 24, 2013.
  19. "Tarrey Torae – Musically Yours!". Discogs.
  20. "Kool NJP Tour 2006 brings you The Roots, Talib Kweli and Pharcyde". R.J. Reynolds Records, Truth Tobacco Industry Documents, UCSF. June 2006.
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