Alaya High
Alaya High | |
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| File:Alaya High Instagram Post from The Black Hair Experience.jpg | |
| Born | January 28, 2007 Houston, Texas, U.S. |
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| Years active | 2017–present |
Alaya High (born January 28, 2007), also known as That Girl Lay Lay, is American hip hop artist and rapper, as well as a child actress, who is best known for starring as the titular character in the 2021 Nickelodeon sitcom, That Girl Lay Lay.[1] She became the youngest female African American rapper to have a record deal with Empire Distribution with her debut single "Go, Lay Lay, Go" (2018) and debut album "Tha Cheat Code".[2][3]
Career
Music
Alaya High was born in Houston,Texas on January 28, 2007. Alaya got her start in music as a child from her parents posting videos of her rapping covers to different Hip-Hop songs on YouTube, and after her parents allowed her to be home-schooled so that she could focus more exclusively on her professional career, she began writing her own rap and hip hop songs that she posted on YouTube and Instagram.[1][2]
In 2018, she was given a recording contract with Fresh Rebel Musik and Empire Distribution, and recorded her debut album, "Tha Cheat Code," and also recorded a single to accompany the album, "Go, Lay Lay, Go", with Empire.[4][5] After rising to fame with Tha Cheat Code and Go, Lay Lay, Go, she was invited to perform at the 2019 93rd Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and went on to perform at Nickelodeon's All-Star Nickmas Holiday Spectacular in 2020.[1][2]
High became one of the youngest female rappers to be given a record deal, and went on to record other children's and teen-themed rap and hip hop albums with Empire such as Tha Cheat Code Reloaded (2019), All Tha Way Lit Up (2019), and Recess Is Over (2020). She also released several singles, both by herself and as collaborations with other rappers such as Mama (2019), Long Hair (2020), Show and Tell (2020), Jingle Rock Baby (a Christmas single, 2020), A World by Us (2021), and I'm That! (in collaboration with fellow Nickelodeon child actor and rapper, Young Dylan, in 2021).[4][5] She also performed at the 2022 Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards.
Acting
High made her acting debut in 2019 when she did a minor voice role for the movie, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, and collaborated on the theme song for the film's soundtrack, Catchy Song, with rapper T-Pain. In 2020, she signed a deal with Nickelodeon to develop an original multi-platform programming, music initiatives, and build a consumer product business catering to children and teens, and highlighting young actors and creative artists. As a part of this deal, High was given her own television series on Nickelodeon, That Girl Lay Lay, where she currently plays as an artificially intelligent avatar on a phone app that comes to life as a human teen girl, when the owner of the phone, Sadie, wishes she had a friend who could help her stand out and be more outgoing in her high school career and social life.[1][2] The show premiered on Nickelodeon on September 23, 2021, and was renewed for a second ongoing season on July 14, 2022. High has also guest starred in other Nickelodeon series such as Side Hustle, Tyler Perry's Young Dylan, and Danger Force.[1]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 93rd Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade | Herself | Guest performer |
| 2020 | Group Chat with Jayden and Brent | Herself | |
| 2020 | The All-Star Nickmas Spectacular | Herself | Guest performer |
| 2021 | Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards 2021 | Herself | Special guest |
| 2021 | Danger Force | Herself (Fictionalized) | Special guest, 1 episode; "Drive Hard" |
| 2021 | That Girl Lay Lay | Lay Lay | Main role (2021–present) |
| 2022 | Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards 2022 | Herself | Special guest |
| 2022 | Side Hustle | Lay Lay | Special guest, 1 episode; "That Young Warped Danger Hustle" |
| 2022 | The Tiny Chef Show | Lay Lay | Special guest, 1 episode |
Discography
Albums
| Title | Year | Record label | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Tha Cheat Code | Fresh Rebel Musik/Empire Distribution | |
| 2019 | Tha Cheat Code Reloaded | ||
| 2019 | All Tha Way Lit Up | Special Christmas album | |
| 2020 | Recess Is Over | Empire Distribution | |
| 2022 | Watch Me | Empire Distribution |
Singles
References
- ^ a b c d e "Alaya High". IMDb. Retrieved 2022-10-06.
- ^ a b c d "Alaya High". That Girl Lay Lay Wiki. Retrieved 2022-10-06.
- ^ Oliveros, Beatriz (2022-09-23). "Houston tween is the star of Nickelodeon's 'That Girl Lay Lay'". KPRC. Retrieved 2022-10-06.
- ^ a b "That Girl Lay Lay". Spotify. Retrieved 2022-10-06.
- ^ a b "That Girl Lay Lay - Artist Profile". Apple Music.
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