Trap-Soul Phenom Bryson Tiller to Play The Wiltern

Jordan Bailey

For many artists these days, the streaming platform known as Soundcloud is everything. It’s not only a free space for uploading and listening to music, but it’s become the place for the undiscovered. On Oct. 9 of last year, a 21-year-old hip-hop/R&B artist uploaded a track to Soundcloud that caught the attention of some very important people in the industry he wished to dominate. That track was “Don’t,” and that man was Bryson Tiller.

Sometimes when the Internet blows up, it’s a slow burn. When Tiller, a Louisville native, initially released “Don’t” in the fall of 2014, it garnered sporadic listens. Though as time went on, and the track started its journey through the thickets of social media, “Don’t” began its upward trajectory and never looked back. Listen after listen, click after click, Tiller had racked up over 25 million streams by Oct. 2015, for that one track alone. Naturally, with numbers like this, Tiller was bound to be discovered by tastemakers in his genre. At some point during this craze, mega-MC Drake stumbled upon the track and decided it was meant to be a hit heard ‘round the world. Shortly after, Apple Music began to share “Don’t” on their R&B and hip-hop sections, followed by a Beats 1 Radio shout-out, a DJ Zane Lowe “World Record” stamp and eventually a label deal with RCA.

Tiller recently released his first full-length “T R A P S O U L,” which, alongside “Don’t” featured 14 additional tracks with what’s become that customary trap-soul vibe. One of the aspects of Tiller’s music that fed his stardom is his distinctive lyrical ability. The spoken-rap concept is one made famous by Drake, wherein the line between rapping and singing is confounded to the point where the two become one. “T R A P S O U L” debuted at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Tiller created his breakout hit “Don’t” with Garageband, the free software nearly every MacBook owner already owns. He borrowed money for recording equipment, used his relationship as source material and uploaded his music to a fee-free website. Today, it’s easier than it has ever been to be who you want to be. Sometimes, all you need is that one track.

Bryson Tiller will perform at The Wiltern Jan. 28. Find tickets here.