Warning: Some of the songs mentioned in this article contain explicit lyrics. 

New Collegiate junior Tyler Tunstall (‘18) is a man of many names, the most prominently being “Pr1met1me” (pronounced “prime time”). While Tyler is a student, Pr1met1me is a rapper. He has found fame at Collegiate with the soundcloud release of his most popular song “Trafico,” which currently has over 1400 listens.

Photo credit: Tyler Tunstall.

He most recently made waves with the release of his new self-titled album. The first song on the album, “I’m Back,” samples beats from Hank Crawford’s “Wildflower” over a calm baseline. Crawford’s beat was popularized in the rap community by Kanye West’s “Drive Slow.” Pr1meT1me raps over the beat at a fast pace with a poetic meter, reminiscent of Dr. Dre. Another popular song on the album is “Fed Up,” featuring Frost da Poet and Lil Slim, which seems more trap influenced than most of Pr1met1me’s music. In “My Hood,” which also features 10K (Azzurri Fleming (‘19)), Pr1met1me’s delivery is comparable to 2chains’ relaxed but firm oration. I can hear some J. Cole influences in his music as well. On the second song, “Birchwood Rd.,” Pr1met1me says he’s feeling J.Cole’s style, but he switches styles in a way very similar to Drake, another one of his inspirations.

Pr1meT1me is from Richmond. As a child, he attended Ridge Elementary, Skipwith for fifth grade, and then Tuckahoe Middle School. After middle school, he attended Tucker High School for ninth and tenth grades. He is a basketball, football, and Gossip Girl fan. He started rapping when he was seven, and said that he was “just messing around.” Showtime is his main producer, but James Geho (‘18) helps out as well. He has features from other Collegiate students, such as “Ill Master Dragon” (Matthew Gelozin (‘17)). Pr1met1me spends his free periods working in the recording studio in the Academic Commons. He “spends a lot of time sampling beats,” and “when I find a beat that vibes with me, I throw down some lyrics.”

Even though Tyler has only been a student at Collegiate for a year, his music has already had an impact on Collegiate life. He really expanded his social circle with the release of his first song. On the boy’s varsity basketball team, Ayinde Budd (‘18) said, “[Tyler] would drop the occasional free-style on the bus, as well as battle rapping Coach Harris.” Pr1met1me says that the basketball team “was a like family and a big help getting started at Collegiate.”

Pr1met1me shares the opinion of most new kids that Collegiate’s workload was a new challenge, but he has risen to the occasion. He says the student body was welcoming to an upbeat rapper. He views his time at Collegiate to be a valuable experience. He has conversed with Director of Performing Arts Mike Boyd about collaborating in the future. He has found collaborators (notably 10K) who have stunning work ethics and will spend hours with him in the studio.

He spends “around 20 hours a week in the studio” and would not be able to put in such long hours without his strong support group (which is made up of his friends and collaborators). He feels at home in the studio, like he “is really accomplishing something.” In short, Pr1met1me grinds. He would like the Collegiate community to know that he is always open to talk and work.

Quick Facts about Pr1met1me

Favorite Rappers: Drake, J. Cole, 2pac, Eminem

Favorite Baller: Westbrook

Dream Collaboration: Logic

Next work: Summer