Bryson Djuan Tiller (aka Pen Griffey), born on January 2, 1993, is an American singer, rapper, and songwriter. He was born in Louisville, Kentucky and was raised by his grandmother following the loss of his mother at the age of 4.
In 2011, he launched his career by releasing his mixtape labelled “Killer Instinct Vol 1”. In October 2014, Tiller released his debut song, “Don’t,” on SoundCloud. It quickly gained enough recognition for people in the music industry to take note of it. It was then publicly released on iTunes on May 15 and reached its peak position of No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 shortly after.
When asked about his music style, he defined it as “trap and hip hop-influenced R&B, the perfect marriage between hip hop and R&B.” Tiller also raps and believes “there are some things I can say rapping that I can’t say singing.”
In June 2020, Tiller returned to his school and earned his high school diploma from Louisville, Kentucky’s Iroquois High School, where he was born and brought up. He expressed his content and delight through Twitter: “I never thought about going back to school until I started thinking about my goals and how to reach them. Getting my High School diploma was step 1”.
1. “I listen to many songs, and they aren’t talking about anything. I don’t connect with them. I’ll listen to something like Musiq Soulchild’s ‘Just Friends,’ and I’m like, ‘Wow, I feel what he’s talking about.’ That’s how I want people to feel about my music.”
Through these lines, Tiller expresses his musical taste and opinions. He conveys that he cannot relate to a song simply because it has garnered much public attention. He prefers to listen to songs that he can relate to personally or professionally, which is precisely what he wants for those who listen to his songs. He does not care for one-hit wonders or catchy tunes with hollow lyrics and no real meaning.
Songs with relatable and well-written lyrics get you far, and Tiller is well aware of it and doesn’t hold back from acknowledging it. Throughout his career, he’s established a reputation for turning down offers that don’t feel sincere or genuine.
2. “Some people are proud of me, and some don’t like it. I don’t know what to tell those people. It’s like people who don’t know people who aren’t even my friends saying I’ve changed. I have two friends – exactly two friends. It’s like, how can someone that’s not even my friend say I’ve changed?”
Tiller is known and revered for being straightforward and honest in communicating his thoughts and does not shy away from telling people about the flipside of all the fame, money, and attention. He makes no bones about the duplicitous nature of some people. Driven by jealousy and hatred, people always say what they believe will favour them. When they have nothing good to say about you, they will seize upon the slightest speck of information about you and try to bring you down.
Especially when you are a public figure, you are the target of intense scrutiny, closely watched, and every action of yours is questioned with zero thought. The people who usually engage in such behaviour are usually those who have nothing going on in their own lives or people who are extremely envious of you and wish to tear down everything that you have worked so hard to build, including your confidence.
3. “I can’t just wear whatever when I go out because somebody might want to take a picture. People are taking pictures of me in my car while driving. It’s crazy. I kind of hate it sometimes.”
Although fans or supporters of a famous artist have the right to wish to take a picture with them, they frequently disregard the basic rights to privacy and respect for personal space. Additionally, if the artist feels uncomfortable, they have every right to turn down a request to pose for a photo. Tiller has perfectly expressed what every famous artist must have experienced. If an artist does not dress up nicely, the reporters or the paparazzi will give them hell for it. If they are dressed well but are not in the mood to take a picture with them, the “fans” will spare no time in labelling them as “rude” or “conceited”.
There is no way to break free from this never-ending loop of continually presenting themselves to the public as though they are some flawlessly crafted puppet that should perpetually do their duties.
4. “Drake is known for putting out good, quality music. To acknowledge me and my music was all I needed to hear from anybody. Nobody could tell me anything after that.”
Above everything else, Tiller values respect and sincere appreciation for his music. After achieving some level of popularity, many people alter their personalities and ways of thinking. Tiller is a firm believer in upholding his principles and why he started making music in the first place. He is, first and foremost, an artist. He also admires talented musicians who are well-known for releasing high-calibre songs and who share his passion for producing good-quality music.
5. “You know how Beyonce has Sasha Fierce? That’s how I am. When I go out onstage, I become a different person.”
Tiller’s respect and admiration for his music enable him to unleash his full potential on stage. He takes on an entirely different character when he plays on stage in front of tens of thousands of his followers and supporters. So many people show up to support him and watch him perform, inspiring him to give his all onstage.
6. “My little brother and grandma told me I could sing. I used to sing in church, too. Not like in the choir or anything, but for people around the church… on the church bus going home and Christmas plays.”
Tiller has humble beginnings. His love and passion for music began when he started singing in front of all his fellow churchgoers. He never fails to acknowledge his brother and grandmother and their contribution to Tiller’s extraordinary career and humble demeanour.
7. “I wanna make music that people love. If they love the next project, I say, ‘Thank you because that means I can take care of my family.”
Time after time, Tiller has expressed his gratitude for the recognition and support his music receives. He doesn’t strive to be the no.1 artist in his genre or write songs and make music that will become popular overnight. He is mindful of the relevance and importance of authentic music and never fails to pour his heart and soul into his music.
Tiller is also a devoted family man and is the father of two daughters. Taking care of his family and, undoubtedly, his passion for his profession serve as his sources of motivation for producing the highest-calibre music.
8. “I always laugh when I listen to my old stuff. I was trying way too much back then. Doing too many harmonies and too many runs and all the crazy stuff. Rapping all funny and animated.”
The key to growth in any work is your ability to identify, embrace, and learn from your prior errors. Sure, who wants to make mistakes? Everyone wants to stay clear of them. However, when you make mistakes and begin to learn from them, you push yourself to become a better version of yourself than yesterday. Tiller is conscious of the slip-ups he made when he started as a young and novice musician and does not hesitate to own and acknowledge them in front of everyone.
When you see a renowned public figure or anyone who is not a public figure, acknowledge their past errors and shortcomings without being ashamed. That’s one way to tell if that person is genuine or not.
9. “People try to change up my method, but I’m gonna keep doing it the same way I’ve been doing it: going in the room by myself and making a song.”
Tiller firmly believes that the reason for his music’s recognition and support is because it is full of heartfelt lyrics, passion, and authenticity since he leaves no stone unturned in creating them. He has gotten this far because of the individuality and novelty of his songs and lyrics. No matter what people around him “advised” him to get more recognition, he would not do it if it meant ignoring what his heart told him to do.
10. “I feel like I can do anything. There’s nothing that I can’t do. I couldn’t make music once upon a time, and you know what I mean? But I got into the studio every day and tried to get better.”
This quote struck a chord with me. Our ambitions and desires are often impeded by different things – such as imposter syndrome, low self-esteem and a distorted perception that there are much better people than us. Some people tend to get disheartened and sometimes even give up due to fear of failure or lack self-confidence.
Tiller has perfectly worded his thoughts through this quote. Unless and until we start trying, we will never fully grasp our true potential and will never be able to unlock it.
Here are a few more Bryson Tiller Quotes to give you an insight into his persona
- “The Joker is my favourite villain of all time.”
- “If there are three boxes that say ‘Single’, ‘In a Relationship,’ and the third one says ‘Getting Money’, I’d check the third one.”
- “I used to bottle up all my emotions and never say anything. Even if something made me mad, I’d be quiet.”
- “It feels amazing. It feels very amazing. I was struggling. I was living the struggle, and I’m not living the struggle anymore.”
- “Now my dreams are my realities.”
Some of Bryson Tiller’s lyrics and songs are worth checking out
- “You don’t know how much you’ve helped me grow.” – That’s Love
- “I know they want to see me fall, look where I am though” – Rambo: Lost Blood
- “I’m back, and I’m better.” – Don’t
- “Tell me how I could write my wrongs.” – Right My Wrongs
- “Certain it’s your love that holds me together” – Don’t
- “I know we ain’t had a conversation in a minute, But you know what they say, If it hasn’t broken then don’t fix it, It’s not broken, and it’s just so unfinished” – Let Em’ Know
- “I wanna know how we became so distant, girl; The way we fell in love, was almost instant; I’m trying to find a way around it; Tell me how you feel about it” – Been That Way.
Why does Bryson Tiller call himself Pen Griffey?
Because of his songs’ flawless and timely fusion of hip-hop and R&B, Tiller refers to himself as “Pen Griffey.” Relationships now more than ever take place on social media.
How did Bryson Triller get discovered?
The young man, who was 21 at the time, casually dropped his single “Don’t” on SoundCloud on October 9, 2014. From a modest life in Louisville, Kentucky, to the edge of R&B superstardom, practically overnight, the song propelled him.
What is Bryson Triller most popular songs?
- Exchange – It was made available on March 8, 2016, as the follow-up single to his self-titled debut studio album (2015).
- Don’t– It was made available on May 20, 2015, as the lead single from Trapsoul, his debut studio album.
- Right my Wrongs- Bryson Tiller’s song “Right My Wrongs” is off his 2015 studio album T R A P S O U L. On September 25, 2020, the official music video was made available.
- Gotta Move on- Gotta Move On song lyrics were written by Roark Bailey, Teddy Walton, RNSOM, Wale, Slimwav, J-Louis, Diddy, and Bryson Tiller and are featured on the album “Off The Grid Vol. 1.” Diddy, RNSOM, J-Louis, and Teddy Walton produced the music.