Bryson Tiller is bound to blow any moment now. No, really, it’s just a matter of time (listen to “Don’t Worry/Molly” for affirmation).
Hailing from Louisville, KY, home to boxing great, Cassius Clay a.k.a. Muhammad Ali, the 21-year-old rapper/singer is gunning for the top spot as both a household name and hometown hero. Heralded by the blogosphere and a few notable hitmakers as a rising star you ought to know, Tiller has cleverly made his mark, both IRL and URL-wise, proving that he’s more than just an Internet sensation,
Sweep through his SoundCloud and millions have flocked to his nostalgic yet fresh sound. Straddling the line between hypnotic, slow jams and swagger-filled, Southern rap joints, Tiller’s cuts stick with you. (Especially when he cleverly compares the size of his blunts to bankrolls).
Hop on the bandwagon and get familiar with Louisville’s next big thing above.–Ashley Monaé (@chicmonae)
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Image Credit: Instagram/@brysontiller -
His 2014 single “Don’t” put him on the map
Image Credit: Instagram/@brysontiller If asked to assess “Don’t”, one would be obliged to answer, “Infinite fire emoji flames.” Bryson flaunts pure, tenured vocals that are casually cool with an adept pen game full of flex and finesse to which he credits getting him laid a.k.a. “penetrate.” As a whole, the track is about “a guy treating his women better, I’m referring to myself in the song, and most listeners wouldn’t know that,” Bryson said. He also shares that the inspiration behind the song was wanting “women out there to know their worth and to never settle for less than what they feel like they deserve.”
Released in late October of last year, the track has now accumulated over three million plays via SoundCloud and has even placed on two Billboard charts: No. 3 on Twitter Emerging Artist and No. 14 on Hot R&B songs.
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Drake and Timbaland and have cosigned him.
Image Credit: Instagram/@brysontiller The 6 God himself was ahead of the curve. It actually doesn’t come off as a surprise as Drake has been putting the masses onto a lot of fresh talent and taking them under his wing (See: The Weeknd, Makonnen, PARTYNEXTDOOR). “Don’t” caught the attention of Drizzy like many, and he reached out to Bryson through Twitter DM, saying, “Man, I been f**kin’ with ‘Don’t’ for months, G.” The rest is history. These days, Tiller posted a pic with Drake on his Instagram after cooling with him and with his longtime friend and producer Noah “40” Shebib. Tiller even received a fresh pair of the unreleased OVO Jordan XIIs. There were also rumors that Drake had plans to make him a part of the OVO squad.
In addition, super producer Timbaland has crowned Tiller as the next big thing. Timbo showed his support for the multitalented Tiller by posting photo of the rapper/singer captioned, “@brysontiller this guy rite here is the truth. Check out his single don’t it’s serious.” -
He’s been pursuing music since he was 15.
Image Credit: Instagram/@brysontiller Tiller put out his first mixtape when he was 17 titled Killer Instinct. While it didn’t make much noise, it was an introduction to the rising talent nonetheless. “If they wanted to hear the growth in my music then I think my first mixtape would definitely show them how far I’ve come,” he said. “I was 17 years old when I made that mixtape and I’m 22 now. Lyrically, vocally, and just as a young man in general I’ve grown, and I’m still growing. I’m learning.” He also worked jobs at UPS and Papa John’s before delving into his passion for music full-time.
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He’s a proud father.
Image Credit: Instagram/@brysontiller If you happen to find yourself perusing through young Tiller’s Instagram account, you’ll be greeted with Harley, his pint-sized two-year-old daughter, who is both adorable and always super stylish.
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Omarion is a major musical influence for him.
Image Credit: Instagram/@brysontiller While he has looked to R. Kelly, The-Dream, Lil Wayne, Drake and Chris Brown as artists who influenced him, Tiller says Omarion has had the most impact—his O album, especially.
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His latest track takes cues from Drake and Omarion.
Image Credit: Instagram/@brysontiller Bryson blessed the ears of fans and newcomers with a new track titled “Just An Interlude,” a clever take on Omarion’s “Bria’s Interlude” off of Drake’s So Far Gone mixtape. He showcases his ability to seamlessly maneuver between rap to R&B without sounding like a carbon copy of [insert your other favorite artist here].
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Tiller’s new EP is on the way.
Image Credit: Instagram/@brysontiller His next project TRAPSOUL is coming soon, but no word on a release date just yet.