Growing up with Faith Evans as your mom and The Notorious B.I.G. as your stepfather isn’t exactly a typical childhood. For Chyna Tahjere Griffin, it was just Tuesday.
Born on April 1, 1993 in Newark, New Jersey, Chyna Tahjere Griffin is the daughter of Grammy-winning R&B singer Faith Evans and Brooklyn-born music producer Kiyamma Griffin. She’s spent most of her life fielding the “isn’t she Faith’s daughter?” question. But spend five minutes looking into her actual work and you’ll quickly realise there’s a lot more going on here than a famous last name.
At 33, Chyna is a singer, rapper, songwriter, and producer who has quietly been building her own catalog for over a decade. She’s not chasing the spotlight her mother commands, but she’s not hiding from music either. Having already written and produced over 500 songs independently, Chyna is looking to branch out as a songwriter and producer in a serious way.
Who Are Chyna Tahjere Griffin’s Parents?
You can’t tell Chyna’s story without understanding where she came from and that background is genuinely remarkable.
Faith Evans signed with Sean Combs’ Bad Boy Records as the label’s first female artist in 1994, after leaving Fordham University to have daughter Chyna with music producer Kiyamma Griffin. So Chyna literally changed the trajectory of her mother’s life before she could even speak.
Her father, Kiyamma Griffin, is equally connected. Kiyamma Griffin has composed and produced songs for Al B Sure, Babyface, Usher, Freddie Jackson, and Shanice, and has done extensive work for R&B queen Mary J. Blige on tracks including material from No More Drama. Two parents, both deep in the music industry Chyna never stood a chance of escaping the studio.
Then there’s the Biggie chapter. Faith Evans began dating rapper Biggie around 1995 and the couple married in August 1995, at which point Chyna acquired a stepfather and moved into Biggie’s New York apartment. She was two years old. The mid-90s were, by any measure, a wild environment to grow up in. Biggie and Faith both made waves in their respective careers during that period, and the little girl lacked for nothing, attending the best schools and having access to many luxuries.
A Childhood Spent in Recording Studios
Most kids spend their early years in playgrounds. Chyna spent hers watching R&B classics get made in real time.
As a toddler, Chyna spent time at the recording studio, including when her mom worked on her debut album Faith. Throughout her childhood, she showed a strong interest in music, learning to play the keyboard at age 7 and creating tracks as a preteen.
She began rapping when she was just 3 years old. By the age of 4, she was already writing her own songs. At 7, she learned how to play the keyboard. And by 8, she was making her own beats and playing them for her mom.
The way Chyna tells it, Faith was always encouraging without being overwhelming. “I would put them on a CD, and we would be in the car, and I would just like to play her all of my beats, and I did so just out of excitement like, ‘Look, Mom,'” she shared while appearing on Conversations With Chike Evans in 2024. As for Evans’ feedback, Chyna revealed she was never critical. “She’s always just been like, ‘That’s dope,'” she recounted.
That’s the kind of low-pressure support that actually produces artists. No ego, no push to be the next Faith Evans just encouragement to keep going.
NYU’s Clive Davis Institute: Taking Music Seriously
Natural talent will only get you so far. Chyna knew that, and she went after formal training at one of the most competitive music programs in the country.
She studied at NYU’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, where her daily routine consisted of collaborating with some of the country’s most gifted young musicians. The Clive Davis Institute is notoriously selective and has produced serious industry figures across production, songwriting, and performance. Attending it signals genuine commitment, not just riding on family connections.
Chyna drew great inspiration from Brandy and confessed to studying her, alongside female singers with iconic stage names. That detail says a lot. She wasn’t just soaking up her parents’ influence passively, she was actively studying artists she respected and reverse-engineering what made them great.
Chyna Tahjere Griffin’s Music Career: The Records She Actually Made
This is where a lot of celebrity-kid narratives fall apart. The famous family, the prestigious school, and then.. not much. Chyna’s story is different.
She released her first single, “Grown Lady,” in 2012. The song showed off her smooth vocals and strong songwriting. A few months later, she dropped another song, “Alright,” featuring her father Kiyamma Griffin.
She also released a debut EP titled “Femme Fever” , a work entirely written and produced by herself. For a young artist early in her career, writing, producing, and mixing your own EP is a significant statement. It’s not someone handed a deal through connections, it’s someone who actually learned the craft.
She then released another EP named The Heiress, which was written and produced by Tahjere herself. After this, she went on to adopt the name Tahj the Great and released a single titled “Flexx” in 2017. Her music is available on streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, and SoundCloud.
According to Muso.AI’s credit tracking data, Chyna Tahjere Griffin ranked in the Top 5% of Songwriters for the week of February 5 to 11, 2026 a quiet signal that her behind-the-scenes work is generating real activity, even if her public profile stays relatively low-key.
The Stage Name: Why She Goes by Tahj the Great
Picking a stage name might sound trivial but for Chyna, it was genuinely about artistic identity.
During an interview, Chyna revealed: “My middle name is Tahjere and when trying to find myself as an artist, that was like the first name I could think of Tahjere because I thought it stood out. But one day somebody started calling me Tahjere the Great and I shortened it to Tahj the Great just because it flows a little better.”
The one-name approach was deliberate. It reminded her of big-name stars who go by just one name, like Beyoncé, Rihanna, or Madonna. Whether or not that comparison is premature, the instinct is sound artists who separate their artistic identity from their birth name tend to define themselves on their own terms faster.
Beyond Music: Makeup Artistry and Other Creative Work
Chyna doesn’t put all her creative energy into one outlet.
She has also explored makeup artistry and has worked with well-known names like Jasmine Solano and Mahisa Dellinger. It’s a creative extension that fits her overall approach — expressive, hands-on, visual. She also got attention for being part of a TV project called Mind Your Business in 2018, which focused on helping young entrepreneurs grow, showing her smart, business-savvy side.
Her Family: Siblings, Stepfather, and the Biggie Legacy
Chyna is Faith Evans’ eldest of four children. Faith has four kids: Chyna is the firstborn (born 1993), followed by Christopher Wallace Jr. (born 1996), Joshua Russaw (born 1998), and Ryder (born 2007). C.J. Wallace is the son of Faith and The Notorious B.I.G., making him Chyna’s half-brother and one of the more publicly visible members of the family.
The Biggie connection is something Chyna has spoken about with obvious respect. Even though the marriage between her mom and Biggie was rocked by several issues and ultimately ended in his murder, Chyna still felt blessed for having him in her life and has expressed gratitude for the fact that she is somewhat part of his legacy.
That’s a mature perspective on a complicated family situation. She grew up in proximity to one of hip-hop’s most mythologised figures at the exact moment when his career and life were both at their peak and then suddenly gone.
Chyna Tahjere Griffin’s Net Worth and Social Media
Exact figures are hard to verify and vary considerably by source. Chyna Tahjere Griffin, as an American singer and songwriter, has an estimated net worth of between $100,000 and $1 million, with income from her career as a rapper, singer, and makeup artist. Some outlets cite figures closer to $500,000 as of mid-2025, though these are estimates and should be taken as rough ballpark figures rather than confirmed data.
You can follow Chyna on Instagram at @tahjereofficial, where she had nearly 40,000 followers as of 2025 and shares music, life updates, and moments that feel honest and personal rather than performative. She’s also active on Muso.AI’s credit platform, which shows her continued work as a songwriter.
What Makes Her Story Worth Paying Attention To
Here’s the honest take: Chyna Tahjere Griffin isn’t a household name yet. Her streaming numbers don’t rival her mother’s, and she hasn’t had a mainstream breakout moment. But she’s been quietly doing the work for well over a decade — producing, writing, releasing music independently, studying formally, and building a creative identity that isn’t just a footnote to someone else’s legend.
She started very early. She began rapping when she was just 3 years old, and by 8 she was making her own beats and playing them for her mom, who always supported her. This gave her confidence and helped her grow without fear.
That foundation early, organic, unselfconscious is what separates artists who last from those who fade. Chyna isn’t trying to be Faith Evans 2.0. She’s trying to be Tahj the Great, which is a much harder and more interesting goal.
She’s 33, she’s still creating, and she’s ranked in the top tier of active songwriters on industry tracking platforms. That’s not nothing. Watch this space.
FAQ: Chyna Tahjere Griffin
Who is Chyna Tahjere Griffin?
She is an American singer, rapper, songwriter, and producer born on April 1, 1993 in Newark, New Jersey. She is the eldest daughter of Faith Evans and music producer Kiyamma Griffin.
Is Chyna Tahjere Griffin related to The Notorious B.I.G.?
No, she is not Biggie’s biological daughter. His daughter is T’yanna Wallace. Biggie was Chyna’s stepfather after he married Faith Evans in 1995.
What is Chyna Tahjere Griffin’s stage name?
She performs and releases music under the name Tahj the Great, derived from her middle name Tahjere.
What music has Chyna Tahjere Griffin released?
Her discography includes the singles “Grown Lady” (2012) and “Alright” featuring Kiyamma Griffin, the EPs Femme Fever and The Heiress, and the single “Flexx” (2017).
Where did Chyna Tahjere Griffin study?
She studied at NYU’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, one of the most respected music programs in the United States.
What is Chyna Tahjere Griffin’s net worth?
Estimates range from $100,000 to $1 million as of 2025, though no confirmed figure has been publicly disclosed.
Read More About: Christine Harrell
