NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – The daughter of Demario DeWayne White Jr., the popular rapper and songwriter better known as Moneybagg Yo, is just 12 years old, but he already knows where he wants her to get a degree: Tennessee State University.

The Memphis, Tennessee, native recently endorsed the school on his social media platform, with more than six million followers, and promised to send D’Mya White to TSU, when she is ready for college. The first tweet about the artist’s endorsement and the announcement that his daughter is coming to TSU received nearly half a million views.  

The university also made headlines last week when another rapper, Master P, announced his son, Hercy Miller, was committing to play basketball at TSU. 

“This is great and exciting news for Tennessee State University,” says Miss TSU Mariah Rhodes, who forged a relationship with Moneybagg Yo when the celebrity endorsed her candidacy for the Miss TSU crown late last year.    

That relationship paid off in a big way recently when the TSU Office of Admissions and Recruitment considered hosting their first in-person open house – since the pandemic – and were looking for a celebrity to endorse their effort on social media. The team reached out to Moneybagg Yo, who did not only offer his endorsement, but agreed to meet the TSU group in his hometown.    

“We were just so elated that he agreed to actually meet our team in person,” says Dr. Carjamin Scott, TSU’s director of Admissions and Recruitment. “It’s one thing to get someone to host on social media, but quite another to be able to meet an artist in person.”     

On March 19, the TSU recruitment team, accompanied by Miss TSU and members of the university’s Aristocrat of Bands – with gift items provided by TSU students – met with Moneybagg Yo and his family. It was his daughter’s birthday. The band performed for the family, including a happy birthday song for the artist’s daughter. The visit also included photo sessions with the rapper, a tour of his music studio, and lunch at Slim and Husky’s paid for by Moneybagg Yo.    

According to Scott, the interactions with the musician, best known for hit albums like, “Reset,” “43va Heartless,” and “Time Served,” was played on social media and immediately garnered nearly 3,000 shares.    

“His tweet, ‘I want her to go to the college, come to play happy birthday, #Big 12 Daddy luv u Myaaa!! Thank U TSU’ received an instant hit with 446,715 views,” says Scott.    

 “What this endorsement says to others is that if Moneybagg wants to send his daughter to Tennessee State University then that is a good school. That brings an increase in enrollment,” says Scott. “Mariah has been a great help with our recruitment effort since becoming Miss TSU. She has played her role very well, and we are thankful.”    

For Rhodes, she says engaging celebrities was part of fulfilling her agenda when she took on the crown with the goal to be different amid the pandemic, which curtailed or limited many traditional student activities and events.   

“When a celebrity endorses something, more people are prone to move in that direction,” says Rhodes. “It was a great thing for Moneybagg to endorse me as Miss TSU, but I think to endorse TSU is an amazing thing.”   

Moneybagg’s daughter is still a few years away from coming to TSU, but Dominique Davis, president of the Student Government Association, believes the land of golden sunshine is the place for her.   

“It made my heart smile knowing Moneybagg Yo‘s daughter has such a strong love for our beloved HBCU at a young age,” says Davis. “TSU is an institution designed to help cultivate and breed successful leaders. I have no doubt Miss De’Mya will flourish and make an impact when she decides to attend TSU in the near future.”    

For information on admission and recruitment at TSU, visit https://www.tnstate.edu/admissions/.

Department of Media Relations

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About Tennessee State University

Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a  premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and eight doctoral degrees.  TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee.  With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students  with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.