TERAJ
Miami-born and NYC-based, Teraj is a Pop/R&B recording artist, BIPOC and LGBTQ+ activist, and media personality.
Teraj grew up with four sisters and three brothers. At a young age, Teraj was enamored by his own creativity, and set his sights high determined to achieve a career in music and performing arts. As a dedicated student at Design & Architecture Senior High (DASH), Teraj participated in a number of stage performances before heading to the prestigious Cornell University, where he earned his Bachelor of Architecture with a Minor in Dance.
During his time at Cornell, Teraj was a member of the illustrious a cappella group, The Class Notes, which afforded Teraj the ability to hone in on his vocal skills while participating in the release of promotional singles and tour performances in New York City, Dublin, Paris and Rome. By 2007, Teraj was noted for his exceptional voice and garnered a placement as a biweekly resident performer at the Iguana Lounge in midtown Manhattan.
Few years later, fashion photographer Seth London took interest in Teraj after stumbling on the singer’s online profile that showcased Teraj’s striking features. After a test shoot, London helped develop and guide a modeling career for Teraj that mushroomed into a bona fide profession with Teraj walking in New York Fashion Week (NYFW) runway shows and procuring coveted jobs for various brands, including Hermes, YSL, Calvin Klein, H&M, Aeropostale, and Zara. Teraj’s distinct look also helped cast him in numerous music videos such as “23” by Mike Will Made It featuring Miley Cyrus, Wiz Khalifa and Juicy J, “Stack It Up!” by Meek Mill and Alley Boy, Extra Gum / MTV VMAs - “Lauv Busking Performance”, and multiple appearances on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen.
As Teraj gained notoriety for his promising modeling career, in January of 2014, Teraj took on the New York City real estate market founding NYC-OWN, quickly making a name for himself and landing several appearances on Bravo’s hit reality show ‘Million Dollar Listing New York.’
In 2016, Teraj decided to return to his musical roots full-time and started working on his debut album. Through sheer determination, Teraj released DEFY in 2019, with multiple tracks engineered by the team behind Calvin Harris’ song “Blame”. The album is comprised of songs inspired by chapters of his life, hoping to inspire and uplift his listeners, encouraging them to celebrate humanity through life’s splendor and hardships.
With streams of his music surpassing two million, Teraj has headlined stages in London, Rome, St. Maarten, his hometown Miami + several cities across the U.S., and he was recently the headliner for the first ever in-person Global Black Pride hosted in Toronto. With a catalogue of music entirely written and co-produced by Teraj, he was highlighted by Advocate Magazine as one of the top Emerging Queer Artists.
In addition to his music and performing, Teraj is the host of Yahoo’s In The Know: Pink Money which shines a spotlight on brands that are uplifting the LGBTQIA+ community. He’s also the host of Amazon’s Gay Travel Today which was handpicked by AFAR, three years in a row, as one of the top 15 Podcasts by Black creators. His latest venture finds him starring alongside his boyfriend, Barry Hoy aka asianmapleleaf, in “Making It With Pride”, the newest LGBTQ+ travel series from Out Traveler and equalpride video. It follows the queer couple as they attend Pride events around the globe — and Teraj, takes the stage. As a multi-hyphenated entertainer and personality, he brings together brands, his love of music, travel, philanthropy and social activism to inspire and create powerful content for his audiences, who stay on the edge of their seats anticipating his next move.