Mista & Mrs. Taylor

Mista & Mrs. Taylor the husband and wife duo don't play when it comes to reppin Christ through the music. Many have come to know this dynamic ministry as one of the more well rounded ministries of the day. The soulful and Word saturated sound of MMT has carried them all over the world to share their testimonies through the medium of music and they show no signs of slowing down.
Derek (Mista Taylor) was born and raised in Chicago. He didn't grow up in a Christian home but he did have a praying grandma that stood in the gap for him and his family when times were hard and they often were. To keep himself busy he found an interest in music and it gave him an escape from the reality of life. As soon as he was old enough he begged his mom to send him to California to stay with friends of the family where he might be able to make something of himself through music. Still living a Christ-less life Derek did have a measure of success signing with Egyptian Empire Records who had artist like Egyptian Lover and Rodney O and Joe Cooley etc. Under the name His Majesti Derek and his group released a single called "Armed & Dangerous". The single didn't do that well so that relationship ended. He then hooked up with music mogul Paul Stewart who helped launched the careers of artist like The Pharside and Coolio. Paul was instrumental in getting Derek (who at the time was known as Shakespeare) and his partner Lumberjack (Producer and sidekick of Derek) signed with Scotti Brothers Records. While Derek was wheeling and dealing in the secular music industry his mom had become a born again Christian. She would call Derek often sharing her faith and what God had done for her. Derek's mom would tell him that he needed to give Jesus a chance in his life. As she reached out to Derek he found himself on the other side of what he thought was a great record deal as The Scottie Brothers used him and his partner as a tax right off. In time Derek noticed the cycle of vein pursuits he found himself caught up in did not bring him any peace or joy. Derek's mom walked through the scriptures and he gave his life to Christ.
Teresa (Mrs. Taylor) was born in Downey, California. Her dad was an engineer for a major Aerospace company in Southern Cali. This afforded them a certain type of lifestyle to live and travel all around the world. Although Teresa had a nice home and both of her parents she never felt encouraged to be the best that she could be with her gifts. Singing was here passion but she felt like no one in her family understood her. Teresa's dad decided to pay for voice lessons to give her something to do and she excelled at it so much so that she became the voice teachers best student. In the process of time she found herself bitter and angry with home life, so for her, music was not only an outlet but a way out. She joined a group called "The Young Americans" (a song and dance co. that traveled all over the world) and it took her to a whole different level of performance and dedication. This is where Teresa cultivated her craft and it gave her the edge she needed. She went on to do some recording studio work which prepared her for what she does today.
Teresa met Derek when she was 16 as he was performing at a club in the O.C. and in the process of time they both gave their lives to Christ at about the same time. Together they attended a new believer's bible study where the pastor new about their backgrounds in music and one day asked if they would sing a song at the new believer's graduation. This was something that they never set out to do together but from there they were asked to sing at another church and another and this is how their ministry started. The Taylor's have ministered all over the world sharing the name of Christ through their music and testimonies. On The Mash Unit Recording Label having released their fourth CD the Taylor’s are ministers of the Word, singer/songwriters, producers, and performers all rolled up in one.

Their oldest son Gairett produced 80% of their latest release entitled “Set the Atmosphere”. They also have twin boys Seth and Shem and daughter Grace. The twins are about to drop their first digital release as Grace does the graphic designs for the T-shirts etc…