VH1 announced the casting of Teyana Taylor in “The Breaks” not long after her sizzling performance in Kanye West’s “Fade” video dominated social media chatter during the late summer, following its premiere at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards. Taylor booked a recurring role in the upcoming series which is inspired by “The Big Payback,” a narrative history of the hip-hop industry written by journalist Dan Charnas.

“The Breaks” is executive produced by Seith Mann and John J. Strauss, and follows the original film which aired on VH1 in January to strong ratings, acting as a backdoor pilot for the series which is set to premiere in February 2017.




Mann also directed the film by the way.

“The Breaks” (the movie) followed three young friends fulfilling their hip-hop dreams in New York City in 1990. The TV series will continue to explore their triumph and heartbreak trying to make their mark in a new and complex hip hop culture.

Teyana Taylor joins a cast that includes: Afton Willamson, Wood Harris, Mack Wilds, Antoine Harris, David Call, Evan Handler, Melonie Diaz, Sinqua Walls, Gloria Reuben and Ali Ahn.

Episodes of the series will be directed by Seith Mann, Neema Barnette and Rashaad Ernesto Green.

Seith Mann, Dan Charnas, John J. Strauss, Bill Flanagan and Darren Goldberg are executive producers on “The Breaks.”

Maggie Malina, Chris McCarthy and Amy Doyle will serve as executive producers for VH1.

With its February 2017 premiere date roughly 2 months away, expect VH1 to ramp up marketing efforts for the new series; the below clip is a start. In it, Nikki Jones (played by Afton Williamson) tries to get a new artist (played by Teyana Taylor) to sign to Fouray Management, a hip-hop company at the center of the series run by Barry Fouray (played by Wood Harris).