By Mike Romero
Brigham Young University’s record label, BYU Music Group, has acquired the right to use “Tellin You Y” from Utah hip-hop artist James the Mormon, the stage name of James Curran. The agreement perpetually allows the recording to be played at BYU athletic events and used across campus going forward.
The song was released in September of 2016 (ten years ago this month) and premiered three days later in front of a packed LaVell Edwards Stadium during BYU’s home game against UCLA. It quickly became the unofficial anthem of the 2016 football season. Since then, the song has collected 1.3 million video views and 1.7 million streams.
The song’s transition from fan-made anthem to university-sanctioned tradition is remarkable. Shot on campus with a $0 budget, the production relied on an all-volunteer cast and crew. The Cougarettes, BYU cheer squad, Cosmo, students, and fans all participated simply because they wanted to celebrate the school. That crowd-sourced effort helped create one of the most recognizable pieces of music associated with BYU football in the last decade.
Curran says the agreement gives the volunteers who made the video possible a lasting connection to the university.
“Ten years later it belongs to BYU forever, and every person who volunteered a Saturday in 2016 is part of something permanent now,” he says. “That is a better ending than I knew how to ask for.”
When “Tellin You Y” arrived, Curran was already having a breakthrough year. In April 2016, his EP I’m Not a Rapper debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart, a milestone believed to be the first time a Latter-day Saint hip-hop artist had topped a Billboard chart.
Curran’s rise made him one of the most visible figures in Utah music online. Through inventive collaborations, sharp social-media strategy and music videos that reached Latter-day Saints around the world, he built an audience far beyond the state. His work connected with listeners who appreciated hip-hop but had rarely seen their faith represented in the genre.
That unusual position also brought pressure. As Curran explained in an NPRWorld Cafe episode about his career, record labels struggled to understand the “Mormon” aspect of his music, while some conservative Latter-day Saints struggled with the rough-edged, candid persona attached to it. Producer Chance Lewis, who worked with Curran on numerous releases, summarized the tension by saying that Curran may have been “trying to convert rap fans to Mormonism,” only to end up “converting Mormons to rap.”
Curran eventually stepped back from music amid personal challenges, changes in the digital platforms that had helped fuel his rise, and a broader cultural shift away from the word “Mormon.” He now records and releases music under the name JTM. After quietly returning to music in recent years, he has described his current mission as making music that connects with people through vulnerability and positivity.
Today, James Curran wants everyone know that James the Mormon is still an active Latter-day Saint. Still making music (like 2024’s “Let It Show“), he’s also a serial entrepreneur. He manages several PLUNJ locations, created the second most fun card game on earth called Pikante, and recently launched a matchmaker app called Sunday.
The acquisition of “Tellin You Y” adds a new chapter to a varied and interesting career. The song captures an earlier, more celebratory moment: an independent artist, hundreds of fans, a university they loved, and everyone coming together to make something cool. Now, whenever it echoes through LaVell Edwards Stadium or another BYU venue, it will carry not only the energy of a football anthem but also the history of the community that created it.
Make sure to follow James the Mormon on Instagram. You can stream the song below.