Career
By the age of six, Ali had begun her acting career, as a regular child performer on Sesame Street starting in 1985, even appearing with Herbie Hancock in a musical number. She also appeared twice on Star Search.
She made her breakthrough when she was cast as Ashley Banks for the television sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in 1990. She sang on various episodes of the show, including a heavily altered version of Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” and the original song, “Make Up Your Mind” produced by Robert Jerald of N’Spyre Music Productions. Will Smith asked her if she seriously considered pursuing a musical career. Despite her singing ability, she concentrated on her acting career on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air the next few years.
In the final season of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in 1995–1996, Ali began preparing herself for her musical debut. The result was the album Kiss The Sky, which was certified gold in early 1999. The album spawned the hit song “Daydreamin’”, released July 21, 1998, produced by Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, which peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and on the UK Singles Chart.
The album spawned two further UK hits, “Boy You Knock Me Out”, featuring Will Smith, which peaked at #3 and is her biggest hit to date; and “Everytime”, which was her third top 20 hit in the UK, peaking at #20. She made an appearance in Smith’s album Willennium for the track “Who Am I” with MC Lyte.
Along with her musical career, Ali kept acting in many films. She had the chance to work with recognized film directors such as Takeshi Kitano (Brother), Rodrigo Garcia (Mother and Child), among others.
In 2005, she completed work on the film Glory Road and starred in the music video for Nick Cannon and Anthony Hamilton’s “Can I Live?” as Cannon’s mother.
In early 2008, she performed on the song “Yes We Can”, a will.i.am project supporting Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. She also appeared in the subsequent music video which gained coverage on the “What the Buzz” segment of ABC’s World News Now.
She is currently preparing to release her second album, which she describes as “an independent effort”. The album is titled The Light. Much of the album’s production was being handled by famed Tupac Shakur’s producer Johnny “J”.
She also performed the title song, “Sunny Valentine” along with Terrence Quaites for the indie film, Rockin’ Meera directed by Param Gill in 2005.
She is also producing and starring in the BET web show, Buppies. She is currently on recurring status on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless as Roxanne.
Ali currently can be seen in the show, Love That Girl! on TV One. She stars as Tyana (which comes from the last five letters of her name). When asked if the character bears any similarities to her, Ali said in a recent CaribPress interview, “She’s a bit neurotic and I hope I am not quite like that.”
“One thing that I do love about her is that she is really multidimensional,” she went on to say in the same interview. “I think it’s nice to have a female character that is portrayed in (a) really holistic way.”
Ali also starred in Nora’s Hair Salon and Nora’s Hair Salon 2: A Cut Above.
In 2011, Ali received the Living Legacy Award from the Caribbean Heritage Organization in Los Angeles.
In 2012, Ali appeared as a guest on The Eric Andre Show
Personal life
Ali attended Harvard University where she received a bachelor’s degree in Afro-American history and government in 2002. She traveled the United States as a spokesperson for Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign and headed voter registration drives at college campuses. In 2012, she continued showing her support.
She dated actor Jonathan Brandis from 1995 to 1998.
He Loves Me
Tatyana Ali Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mentally, we became intimate.
Was it in the stride of my sexy walk?
Or was it in the sound of the way I talk?
Something about you opened up my eyes,
Made me see, you weren't like other guys.
All my life, I've been waiting for someone who'll love me for me.
He knows me; he loves me for who I am, not what he sees.
He treats me like a queen,
Not by giving me (oh, no, no) material things.
By respectin' me,
And holdin' me,
And comforting me,
Whenever I'm in need.
I can truly say I've been changed.
My inner strength has been rearranged.
When you see his face he'll be right next to me.
Or you just might see him in your dreams.
Never thought I'd find somebody quite like you.
Because of you my grayest skies have now turned blue.
You are why I wear the smile upon my face.
I'm so glad it's me.
[Chorus: x4]
Never thought I'd find somebody quite like you.
Because of you my grayest skies have now turned blue.
You are why I wear the smile upon my face.
I'm so glad it's me.
[Chorus: x3]
He's a strong, sweet man, strong sweet man,
Holds me near in my palm of his hands.
He never changes like the weather.
Stays the same.
He ain't my fair-weather man, he ain't my fair-weather man.
I can lean on him, yes, I can depend on him.
When I need a friend, he is always there for me.
In "He Loves Me," Tatyana Ali sings about finding love and feeling changed by the experience. The song is a celebration of the kind of love that sees and accepts her for who she is. The lyrics describe a deep emotional connection with her partner, one that transcends physical attraction or material possessions.
Ali begins the song by reflecting on how she and her partner started out as friends and how he saw her for who she was from the beginning. She wonders what it was that drew him to her, whether it was her physical appearance or something deeper, like the way she speaks or carries herself. The second verse is an ode to her partner’s treatment of her, as he respects, holds and comforts her, giving her new strength and rearranging her inner self.
The chorus is a repetition of the line "He knows me, he loves me, for who I am, not what he sees," emphasizing the importance of true acceptance and understanding in a relationship. Ali sings about how grateful she is for this powerful love, as it has transformed her life and brought her happiness.
Overall, “He Loves Me” is a touching love story about a friendship turned romance where Ali emphasizes how important it is to be loved for who you are, and not what you have. It celebrates the idea that true love embraces all aspects of a person, flaws and all.
Line by Line Meaning
We started out as real good friends.
We began our relationship as platonic friends.
Mentally, we became intimate.
We connected on a deep emotional level.
Was it in the stride of my sexy walk?
Did my confident walk catch your attention?
Or was it in the sound of the way I talk?
Did my voice and the way I speak attract you?
Something about you opened up my eyes,
You taught me something new.
Made me see, you weren't like other guys.
I realized you were different from other men.
All my life, I've been waiting for someone who'll love me for me.
I've been searching for someone who will accept and love me for who I am.
He knows me; he loves me for who I am, not what he sees.
He loves me for my personality and character, not just my physical appearance.
He treats me like a queen,
He treats me with kindness and respect.
Not by giving me (oh, no, no) material things.
He doesn't try to impress me with material possessions.
By respectin' me,
By showing me respect.
And holdin' me,
By holding me close.
And comforting me,
By providing me with comfort when I need it.
Whenever I'm in need.
Whenever I need help or support.
I can truly say I've been changed.
My life has been transformed since meeting him.
My inner strength has been rearranged.
He has helped me become more emotionally resilient.
When you see his face he'll be right next to me.
He is always by my side.
Or you just might see him in your dreams.
He is on my mind all the time.
Never thought I'd find somebody quite like you.
I never expected to meet someone as wonderful as you.
Because of you my grayest skies have now turned blue.
You have brought happiness and joy to my life.
You are why I wear the smile upon my face.
I am happy because of you.
I'm so glad it's me.
I feel lucky to be with you.
He's a strong, sweet man, strong sweet man,
He is a kind and dependable man.
Holds me near in my palm of his hands.
He takes care of me and protects me.
He never changes like the weather.
He is consistent and reliable.
Stays the same.
He remains constant and steady.
He ain't my fair-weather man, he ain't my fair-weather man.
He is not someone who is only around when things are going well.
I can lean on him, yes, I can depend on him.
I can rely on him for support and help when I need it.
When I need a friend, he is always there for me.
He is a true friend who is always there when I need him.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DARREN HENSON, DARREN T HENSON, TAMEKA MINTZE, KEITH PELZER, KEITH ISAIHA PELZER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind