Serayah is stunning in black as she strikes a pose at the Race to Erase MS Gala in Los Angeles on April 20, 2018. The ‘Empire’ star rocked a black spaghetti strap dress for the occasion, and sported a shorter blonde hair-do.

Serayah Ranee McNeill was born in Encinitas, California — just outside of San Diego — and was later raised in Los Angeles. The actress attended Taft High School in Woodland Hills, where she was actively involved as a member of the varsity basketball team. Serayah rose to prominence when she was cast as Tiana Brown, an up-and-coming R&B/pop singer, on Lee Daniels’ drama ‘Empire.’ The show, which premiered on FOX in 2015, made headlines for being one of the first-ever dramas featuring a predominantly African American cast. In ‘Empire,’ Serayah both acts and sings, performing original songs produced by the show’s music executive music producer Timbaland. The series has been a gateway for the starlet to pursue a singing career of her own, and she’s released several singles, including “So Good.” She always appeared in friend Taylor Swift’s music video for “Bad Blood,” as well as Chris Brown’s for “Undecided.”