One of the greatest aspects of going to an HBCU is the unpredictability. It’s an experience. There’s truly never a dull moment! Your favorite celebrity could pop up on the campus unnoted, especially around homecoming season. The situation that occurred at Fort Valley State University in Fort Valley, Georgia is a perfect example. We witnessed history and we didn’t even realize it.
FVSU has an event in the cafeteria every Thursday called “Jammin’ In The Café”, hosted by our campus radio station Power Jamz 96.9. During Jammin’, the Power Jamz crew sets up their equipment in the café and does a four hour live show filled with music, games and giveaways with prizes that range from a gift card to tickets to concerts. The Power Jamz crew is also famous around the Middle Georgia area for bringing artists to Jammin’ that are on the verge of blowing up. A perfect example is mysterious R&B sensation Bryson Tiller.
Bryson Tiller took the music world by storm in 2015. His single “Don’t” got so much love from fans online that radio stations were forced to put it in rotation. Since he seemingly popped up out of nowhere, fans wanted to know more about him. However, interviews from him are hard to find. Fort Valley State University actually got to host his first live interview back when his debut album T R A P S O U L released on September 23th, 2015.
The FVSU students, already strong supporters of Bryson Tiller’s movement, pushed for Campus Life and Power Jamz to somehow bring him down to do an appearance. The campaign worked and Mrs. Ellis, the advisor of Power Jamz 96.9 and an iHeartMedia radio personality, used her connections to get Bryson Tiller to do a Meet-and-Greet and a live interview in the New Student Center (NSC) at Fort Valley State University. The event was streamed live on local Hip-Hop station 97.9 WIBB and he was interviewed by personalities Jewels and Tex James. Fort Valley State University, to date, is the only college to date to host a Bryson Tiller event. To make it plain, we’ve been up on him!
I had a feeling that this event was going to be something special that I wouldn’t forget, so I took to Periscope to record it.

Here are two highlights from the interview! Read the official transcript here —-> w.tt/22rkO3D
Q: Tell us a little about you for those that do not know.
Tiller: My name is Bryson Tiller. I’m from Louiville, Kentucky. Started making music when I was like fifteen. Stopped doing music when I was like twenty. I had a daughter and then I was like, “Alright man. I gotta make something shake.” So, I found a beat on the internet, uploaded it and, you know, now I’m here.

Q: Where did you come up with the title for your album?
Tiller: I, um, dropped a song on Soundcloud called “Let ‘Em Know”. Folks were posting in the comments and I seen something in the comments that said “trap soul movement”. And I was like, “Oh, that’s kind of how my music sounds. That’s dope. I’m gonna make a project with songs like that. ”

If you are in the Georgia Area, come meet 2005 FVSU Alumnus Jon Chaffin on Satuday, October 22nd!