Taio Cruz's Net Worth
Taio Cruz is a British musician, producer, and businessman with a net worth of $5 million. His international breakthrough came with his 2009 album "Rokstarr," which included the number-one hits "Dynamite" and "Break Your Heart." He followed this success in 2011 with the album "TY.O." Cruz is also a prolific songwriter, having written for artists such as David Guetta, Jennifer Lopez, Cheryl Cole, and Nick Jonas.
Early Life and Education
Jacob Taio Cruz was born on April 23, 1985, in London, England to a Nigerian Yoruba father and a Brazilian mother. He attended Bilton Grange preparatory school in Warwickshire and Battle Abbey School in East Sussex, later moving on to Stanmore College in London.
Career Beginnings
Cruz started his music career with songwriter and producer Tricky Stewart's RedZone Entertainment. One of his early songwriting credits was for Will Young's 2004 single "Your Game." In 2006, he founded Rockstar Music London, releasing his debut single "I Just Wanna Know."
Departure
"I Just Wanna Know" was featured on Cruz's debut album "Departure," released in 2008. Other singles from this album include "Moving On," "Come On Girl," "I Can Be," and "She's Like a Star." The highest-charting single was "Come On Girl," which reached number five in the UK. The album peaked at number 17 on the UK Albums Chart.
Rokstarr
In 2009, Cruz's second album "Rokstarr" debuted at number 14 on the UK Albums Chart and number eight on the US Billboard 200. The lead single "Break Your Heart" reached number one in the UK and US. Other singles from the album include "No Other One," "Dirty Picture," and the hit "Dynamite," which reached number one in the UK and number two in the US. The album also featured "Higher," a track he originally wrote for Kylie Minogue.
In 2010, Cruz released a compilation album titled "The Rokstarr Collection," featuring songs from both his debut album and the international version of "Rokstarr." The album peaked at number 16 on the UK Albums Chart.
TY.O
"TY.O," Cruz's third studio album, was first released in Germany in late 2011 and later in the UK and US. The album featured international singles like "Hangover," "Troublemaker," and "There She Goes." The song "Fast Car" was released exclusively in the US.
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Other Songs and Collaborations
In early 2009, Cruz was featured on Tinchy Stryder's breakout single "Take Me Back," which reached number three in the UK. In 2011, he co-wrote "Telling the World," the lead single from the "Rio" soundtrack. Cruz also collaborated with David Guetta and Ludacris on the hit "Little Bad Girl." He reunited with Guetta in 2012 to co-write "Without You," featuring Usher.
In 2014, Cruz released the single "Don't You Dare," followed by "Do What You Like" in 2015. Embracing the trend of releasing singles, he continued with tracks like "Row the Body" and "Time For You." His songwriting portfolio expanded to include tracks for Jennifer Lopez, Cheryl Cole, the Wanted, Nick Jonas, and Olly Murs.
Business Ventures
In alignment with his 2009 album "Rokstarr," Cruz launched a fashion and accessories brand focused on sunglasses. Despite renaming the brand to RXTR and expanding to include watches in 2012, the venture did not succeed and was eventually closed.
TikTok Ambush
After a hiatus from the music industry, Cruz joined TikTok in 2020 but soon deleted his posts and quit due to a barrage of hateful comments, which left him with suicidal thoughts. He had previously created his own social media platform, KeWe, which was shut down due to insufficient investor interest.
