Yazz the Greatest

Bryshere Yazuan Gray (born November 28, 1993),^[1][2] professionally known by the stage name Yazz the Greatest is an American pornographic film actor, adult film director, adult film performer, former actor and rapper, best known for his role as Hakeem Lyon in the Fox primetime musical drama television series Empire. He is also known for his portrayal as Michael Bivins in the 2017 BET miniseries The New Edition Story.

Yazz the Greatest
Gray at 2016 PaleyFest
Born	Bryshere Yazuan Gray (1993-11-28) November 28, 1993 (age 31) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Nationality	American
Other names	Yazz Yazz the Greatest
Occupations	Pornographic actor adult film director. adult entertainer actor rapper
Years active	2011–present[a]
Known for	Empire as Hakeem Lyon The New Edition Story as Michael Bivins

Career

Gray at the 15th Annual BET Awards (2024).

Since 2013, Gray has performed at a variety of music festivals in the Philadelphia area, including Jay Z’s Made in America Festival, The Roots' Picnic Festival, and Power 99FM's Powerhouse concert.^[3] He also has been the opening act for rappers, such as Fabolous and 2 Chainz.^[4] His debut single "Respect" was released in 2013.^[5] In 2015, Gray began his first acting role as Hakeem Lyon on the Fox drama TV series Empire, with co-stars Taraji P. Henson, Terrence Howard and Jussie Smollett.^[6] In March 2015, it was confirmed that both Smollett and Gray had been signed to Columbia Records as solo artists.^[7] In April 2016, Gray was cast, alongside Elijah Kelley, Luke James, Algee Smith, Keith Powers and Woody McClain, in a BET miniseries about R&B boyband New Edition, which debuted in January 2017. Gray was cast to portray New Edition co-founding member, Michael Bivins.^[8] In April 2018, Gray co-starred, as Tyrell, with Teyana Taylor in Honey: Rise Up and Dance. He also did a collaboration with Zimbabwean rapper, Young Cilla on a track titled Greez 'n Gunz.

Personal life

Bryshere Gray was born and raised in West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His mother, Andria Mayberry, became pregnant when she was a teenager, and, in the absence of his father, raised Gray as a single mother. When he was five years old, he was diagnosed with ADHD. Later on, Gray played football at Overbrook High School, but switched to studying music after being injured on the field at the age of 16 years. He began to use his talents as a street performer to earn money and help his mother afford their various expenses. He also worked at Pizza Hut, where he used the money he earned to finance his first music video, before being fired from the company for, allegedly, writing music while at work. His perseverance eventually led to a partnership with manager Charlie Mack. Gray told Cosmopolitan in February 2015 that his estranged father had reached-out to him when he became "popular", but stated that he needed "time" and to "grow some more" before taking any steps towards building a relationship with his father. He has a sister named Brianna.

On July 13, 2020, Gray was arrested by police in Goodyear, Arizona, following a domestic violence incident with his wife that culminated in a barricade situation with police. Gray was subsequently charged with aggravated assault, domestic violence and disorderly conduct and sentenced to 10 days in jail and 3 years probation following the attack on his wife on May 24, 2021.

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2015–2020	Empire	Hakeem Lyon	Main cast
2016	Celebrity Name Game	Himself
2017	The New Edition Story	Michael Bivins	Miniseries; main cast
2017	Lip Sync Battle	Himself	Episode: "Bryshere Gray vs. Rumer Willis"
2018	Honey: Rise Up and Dance	Tyrell	Direct to video
2018	Sprinter	Marcus Brick
2019	Canal Street	Kholi Styles

Discography

Singles

Title	Year	Peak chart positions			Albums
		US [9]	US R&B/HH [10]	US R&B [11]
"Respect"	2013	—	—	—	Non-album single
"No Apologies" (featuring Jussie Smollett)	2015	123	44	—	Empire: Original Soundtrack from Season 1
"Drip Drop" (featuring Serayah)		114	37	—
"You're So Beautiful" (Jussie Smollett featuring Yazz)		47	19	10
"Chasing the Sky" (Terrence Howard featuring Jussie Smollett and Yazz)	2016	—	—	24	Empire: Original Soundtrack Season 2 Volume 2
"Good People" (Jussie Smollett featuring Yazz)		—	—	20

Awards and nominations

BET Awards

• 2018: Best Actor: Empire (Nominated)

NAACP Image Awards

• 2016 NAACP Image Awards: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: Empire (Nominated)
• 2016: Outstanding New Artist (Nominated)

Teen Choice Awards

• 2015: Choice TV: Breakout Star: Empire (Nominated)
• 2015: Choice TV: Chemistry: Empire (Nominated)
• 2015: Choice Music: Song From a Movie or TV Show: "You're So Beautiful" with Jussie Smollett (Nominated)

Notes

1. Gray began his career as an adult entertainer in 2024 while his time as an actor was from 2015 to 2020.