Yazz The Greatest

Bryshere Yazuan Gray, known by his stage name Yazz The Greatest, was born on November 28, 1993, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His early life involved overcoming challenges, including being raised by a single mother, Andria Mayberry, and managing ADHD. He initially pursued football at Overbrook High School but shifted his focus to music after an injury at age 16. To support his mother, he began performing as a street artist and worked at Pizza Hut, using his earnings to fund his first music video. This persistence led to a partnership with manager Charlie Mack.

Gray made his acting debut in 2015, starring as Hakeem Lyon in the Fox primetime musical drama television series “Empire,” a role he held until 2020 across 102 episodes. During this period, in March 2015, he signed with Columbia Records as a solo artist. In 2017, he portrayed Michael Bivins in the BET miniseries “The New Edition Story,” a role that spanned three episodes. His film credits include “Sprinter” (2018) as Marcus Brick, “Canal Street” (2018) as Kholi Styles, and “Honey: Rise Up and Dance” (2018) as Tyrell. Beyond acting, Gray has also performed at various music festivals in the Philadelphia area since 2013, including Jay Z’s Made in America Festival and The Roots’ Picnic Festival, and served as an opening act for notable rappers like Fabolous and 2 Chainz. His musical contributions also include performing on soundtracks for “Empire” and the “2015 Billboard Music Awards.”

His career progression has been marked by both acting and musical achievements, including multiple nominations for industry awards such as the NAACP Image Awards and Teen Choice Awards. Notably, he was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series at the 2016 NAACP Image Awards for his work on “Empire.” Throughout his career, his work has involved performing original music within his acting roles, with tracks like “No Apologies” and “You’re So Beautiful” charting on Billboard. His collaborations extend to other artists, including a track with Zimbabwean rapper Young Cilla titled “Greez ‘n Gunz.”