Background and career
Adetayo Ayowale Onile-Ere (; born 23 April 1980), known professionally as Jacob Taio Cruz ( TY-oh), is a British singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer. Cruz was discovered in the mid-2000s by American record producer Tricky Stewart, joining the latter's record company RedZone Entertainment as in-house talent. After several years in songwriting, he released his R&B-styled debut single "I Just Wanna Know" in 2006. A modest hit and his first UK singles chart entry, its success led him to sign with Republic Records and Island Records' UK branch. The labels released his debut studio album, Departure (2008), which he solely wrote, arranged and produced. It received gold certification by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and earned critical praise, as well as a nomination at the 2009 Music of Black Origin Awards (MOBO). Cruz adopted an EDM-pop sound for his subsequent releases. His second album, Rokstarr (2009), was met with further commercial success, entering 13 international music charts and peaking within the top ten of the Billboard 200.
Despite mixed critical response, it was preceded by the single "Break Your Heart", which peaked atop both the UK singles chart and Billboard Hot 100, and spawned the single "Dynamite", which peaked at atop the former chart and peaked at number two on the latter. Two further singles, "Dirty Picture" (with Kesha) and "Higher" (featuring Kylie Minogue or Travie McCoy), peaked within the UK chart's top ten. Cruz performed the song "Telling the World" as the lead single for the 2011 animated film Rio's soundtrack. His third studio album, TY.O (2011), moderately entered several international charts, but failed to enter the UK Albums or the Billboard 200; it contained the UK hits "Hangover" (featuring Flo Rida) and "There She Goes" (featuring Pitbull). He has since released several non-album singles, and co-wrote several hit songs including Tinchy Stryder's "Never Leave You" (2009), Jennifer Lopez's "I'm Into You" (2011), David Guetta's "Without You", "Wish U Were Here" by Cody Simpson (both 2012), and "Kiss Me" by Olly Murs (2014).
Early life and career Cruz was born as Adetayo Ayowale Onile-Ere on 23 April 1980 in London to a Nigerian Yoruba lawyer father and a Brazilian mother who had a hairdressing business. He was raised in Kensal Rise. He was educated at fee-paying independent schools, attending Bilton Grange preparatory school in Warwickshire and Battle Abbey School in East Sussex, before relocating to London where he went to Stanmore College. Cruz's songwriting career began as part of Tricky Stewart's writing collective, RedZone Entertainment and achieved notability in 2005 when he was awarded a Brit Award for co-writing Will Young's 2004 single, "Your Game". Cruz is the founder and chief executive of Rockstar Music London, which in 2006 released his debut single "I Just Wanna Know". The single charted at #29 in the UK singles charts. It won him some admirers including Island Records's Darcus Beese and Monte Lipman, who, according to manager Binns, "both believed 'I Just Wanna Know' fitted the format on both sides of the Atlantic".
In 2006, Cruz signed a split single deal with Universal Music Group companies, Republic Records and the UK branch of Island Records.
How Taio Cruz makes money
Cruz was discovered in the mid-2000s by American record producer Tricky Stewart, joining the latter's record company RedZone Entertainment as in-house talent. The labels released his debut studio album, Departure (2008), which he solely wrote, arranged and produced.
Sources
Net-worth figure: Celebrity Net Worth, in USD. Biography and career facts: the person's Wikipedia article and linked reporting. Snapshot date for all StarWorth figures: 28 October 2026.
