CRUSH MAGAZINE • FEATURE 12 • THE HBCU RIVALRY EDITION EVERY HBCU CLAIMS THE BEST CULTURE. NOW WHO HAS THE BEST TASTE IN MUSIC? Mr CRUSH is taking the oldest tradition in college athletics

CRUSH MAGAZINE • FEATURE 12 • THE HBCU RIVALRY EDITION

EVERY HBCU CLAIMS THE BEST CULTURE. NOW WHO HAS THE BEST TASTE IN MUSIC?

Mr CRUSH is taking the oldest tradition in college athletics — friendly competition — and turning it into a nationwide 21-track listening challenge.

EVERY HBCU CLAIMS THE BEST CULTURE. NOW WHO HAS THE BEST TASTE IN MUSIC?

MR CRUSH INVITES BLACK COLLEGE NATION TO SETTLE THE CRUSHTOBER UNIVERSITY 21+ DEBATE — ONE CAMPUS, ONE PLAYLIST, ONE FAVORITE RECORD AT A TIME.

CRUSH MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 2026

THE HBCU RIVALRY EDITION — 21 TRACKS. COUNTLESS OPINIONS. ZERO AUTOMATIC WINNERS.

SOME ARGUMENTS ARE BIGGER THAN THE SCOREBOARD.

Who has the coldest marching band?

Who has the most electrifying football atmosphere?

Who throws the most unforgettable parties?

Who has the sharpest campus fashion?

Who produces the loudest alumni?

And which university has the most passionate supporters?

Black college culture has never been short on spirited debate.

From the stands to the tailgate, from the yard to the group chat, the competitive energy is part of the experience.

But Mr CRUSH has a new question for the conversation.

WHICH HBCU CAN PUT TOGETHER THE BEST CRUSHTOBER UNIVERSITY 21+ TOP FIVE?

Not the loudest fan base.

Not the biggest school.

Not the most famous football program.

The best five songs.

Selected by actual listeners.

And defended with the same confidence people bring to a rivalry game.

That’s the concept behind the latest CRUSH Magazine challenge.

Twenty-one tracks from one Savannah-rooted artist.

A complete album ready to explore.

And an invitation for HBCU students, graduates, and supporters to compare their favorite records.

THE SCHOOL PRIDE IS REAL. THE MUSIC DEBATE IS OPEN.

SAVANNAH STATE: THE HOME TEAM HAS THE FIRST WORD.

For Mr CRUSH, the cultural foundation begins in Savannah.

Cloverdale.

Carver Village.

Tatemville.

Cann Park.

The youth basketball environment.

The social relationships.

The local entertainment history.

And his connection to Savannah State’s cultural community.

That background makes Savannah State a natural starting point for the campaign.

Not because the university has officially adopted the album.

But because the artist’s hometown experience provides the story behind the project.

The invitation to Tiger supporters is simple.

Listen to the 21 tracks.

Pick the five records you would put into your starting lineup.

Then defend your selections.

Maybe the strongest entry is “MEAC Homecoming.”

Maybe it’s “Crush Da Yard.”

Maybe the standout is “Arch Madness” featuring TYNIEE.

Or perhaps the record that wins listeners over has nothing to do with college imagery at all.

That’s what makes the exercise interesting.

The audience gets to decide.

THE 912 GETS THE OPENING POSSESSION. EVERYBODY ELSE GETS A CHANCE TO RESPOND.

NORTH CAROLINA A&T: AGGIE PRIDE, AGGIE OPINIONS.

Greensboro knows how to turn school pride into a major cultural experience.

North Carolina A&T’s Greatest Homecoming on Earth has an identity recognized well beyond its campus.

That makes Aggie Nation a compelling audience for a music challenge built around school pride.

Which CRUSHTOBER track deserves the first play?

Which one belongs in a group playlist?

Which song would an Aggie recommend to somebody hearing Mr CRUSH for the first time?

There is no predetermined answer.

And that’s the point.

AGGIE NATION, BUILD YOUR FIVE.

FLORIDA A&M: RATTLERS DON’T NEED AN INVITATION TO COMPETE.

FAMU’s traditions bring together a recognizable combination of athletics, musical excellence, style, and alumni pride.

The Marching 100 alone represents a level of musical heritage that deserves respect.

But this challenge isn’t asking anybody to compare a recording artist with a university marching band.

It’s asking listeners to evaluate a new album.

Could “Mr Put that Shit On” become a favorite among fashion-minded listeners?

Would “BigBootiezAnthem” appeal to the dance crowd?

Would “My Turn” make somebody’s personal top five?

Only actual listeners can answer.

RATTLER NATION, THE PLAYLIST IS YOURS TO JUDGE.

HOWARD: THE BISON HAVE THE FLOOR.

Howard University has a cultural identity shaped by academics, student leadership, creative expression, and influential alumni networks.

Its audience is far from musically uniform.

That makes the challenge particularly interesting.

A student interested in fashion might choose one set of records.

An athlete might select another.

An anime enthusiast might have completely different favorites.

Could “Hunter x Hunter Episode 304” outperform the obvious college-themed tracks in a Howard listener’s ranking?

There’s only one way to find out.

HOWARD, SHOW US YOUR FIVE.

SOUTHERN VS. JACKSON STATE: LET THE PLAYLIST TALK.

Few HBCU cultural comparisons generate as much enthusiasm as those involving Southern University and Jackson State.

The Human Jukebox.

The Sonic Boom of the South.

Distinctive traditions.

Generations of pride.

But CRUSHTOBER isn’t asking these institutions to compete officially.

It’s inviting their supporters to participate in a separate, fan-driven music discussion.

A Southern listener might choose five tracks built around celebration and social energy.

A Jackson State listener might gravitate toward sports, personality, or pop-culture references.

Or the two audiences might unexpectedly select the same favorite.

DIFFERENT SCHOOL COLORS. SAME 21 SONGS. COMPLETELY DIFFERENT OPINIONS.

THE MOST INTERESTING RIVALRY MIGHT BE INSIDE THE ALBUM ITSELF.

What happens when listeners have to compare records with completely different concepts?

“Arch Madness” vs. “Demure DeRozan”

Football imagery meets basketball and contemporary cultural language.

“Mr Put that Shit On” vs. “College & Alumni Gurlz”

Fashion identity meets adult college social culture.

“Crush Da Yard” vs. “MEAC Homecoming”

Two direct connections to Black college life.

“Anime” vs. “Hunter x Hunter Episode 304”

Broad animation culture meets a highly specific fandom reference.

“BigBootiezAnthem” vs. “Midnight”

A dance-centered title meets a late-night concept.

These aren’t official head-to-head results.

They’re conversation starters.

And they demonstrate why a complete album can generate more discussion than a single promotional record.

Different listeners bring different preferences.

Different preferences create different rankings.

Different rankings create a reason to revisit the music.

THE TRACKLIST IS THE FIELD. THE LISTENERS ARE THE SELECTION COMMITTEE.

THE CRUSHTOBER STARTING FIVE CHALLENGE

Every participating listener gets the same assignment.

Choose five songs from the official 21-track album.

Assign each one a basketball position based on what it contributes to your personal lineup.

POINT GUARD — THE FLOOR GENERAL

The record you trust to introduce somebody to the album.

SHOOTING GUARD — THE SCORER

The song you think has the strongest immediate appeal.

SMALL FORWARD — THE ALL-AROUND PLAYER

The record you can imagine enjoying in different settings.

POWER FORWARD — THE ENERGY SOURCE

The track that brings the personality or intensity you want.

CENTER — THE FRANCHISE PLAYER

Your number-one song on the entire project.

No imaginary streaming statistics.

No fabricated fan votes.

No automatic champions.

Just listeners choosing the music they enjoy and explaining why.

And if somebody disagrees?

Excellent.

That’s what makes a music debate worth having.

THE CULTURAL VALUE OF A FRIENDLY ARGUMENT

HBCU rivalry culture is most meaningful when it celebrates the institutions and communities involved.

The point isn’t to disrespect another school.

It’s to represent your own with enthusiasm.

The same principle should guide this campaign.

A fan can support Savannah State and appreciate FAMU.

A Jackson State graduate can respect Southern’s traditions.

A North Carolina A&T alumnus can celebrate Howard’s accomplishments.

And listeners from all those communities can disagree about music without turning the conversation into hostility.

CRUSHTOBER UNIVERSITY 21+ provides the common material.

The participants bring their individual perspectives.

COMPETE WITH YOUR PICKS. RESPECT EVERYBODY’S SCHOOL.

MR CRUSH’S BIGGEST ADVANTAGE IS THE NUMBER OF POSSIBLE FAVORITES.

The album’s official sequence contains 21 completed songs, ranging from “Goin” and “Hi” to “Anime,” “Johnni Deepp,” and “Trick or Treat.”

That variety creates room for different kinds of listeners.

Someone who prefers sports references can explore the athletic titles.

Someone interested in adult nightlife can start with the social concepts.

Someone who follows anime can investigate the fandom-inspired records.

Someone interested in HBCU culture can begin with the campus-themed songs.

But the challenge encourages everybody to hear the entire project before finalizing their selections.

Because the song you expect to love isn’t always the one you end up playing most.

DON’T DRAFT YOUR TEAM FROM THE SONG TITLES. SCOUT THE WHOLE ALBUM.

THE FINAL WHISTLE: THE LISTENERS HAVE THE LAST WORD.

Mr CRUSH can create the album.

CRUSH Magazine can introduce the concept.

The campaign can invite students and alumni across the country.

But the artist cannot determine somebody else’s favorite song.

That belongs to the audience.

And with 21 tracks available, there’s plenty to debate.

So here’s the challenge.

Savannah State.

North Carolina A&T.

Florida A&M.

Howard.

Southern.

Jackson State.

Hampton.

Tuskegee.

Bethune-Cookman.

Alabama State.

Clark Atlanta.

Morehouse.

Albany State.

Fort Valley State.

And every other HBCU community interested in joining the conversation.

BUILD YOUR STARTING FIVE. REPRESENT YOUR SCHOOL. LET THE MUSIC DECIDE.

THE CRUSHTOBER DRAFT IS OPEN.

CRUSHTOBER UNIVERSITY 21+ — COMPLETE 21-TRACK ALBUM

OFFICIAL YOUTUBE ALBUM PLAYLIST:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_ms7ufYe8J2VBjc-yO2L4PWnbZuZyNxnN4

YOUR CHALLENGE:

1. Stream all 21 tracks.

2. Choose your five favorite songs.

3. Assign your starting lineup.

4. Post your school or city.

5. Share the playlist and challenge another listener to build a better five.

NO OFFICIAL WINNER HAS BEEN DECLARED. THE AUDIENCE GETS TO MAKE THE PICKS.

MR CRUSH × PARTYPLUGMIKEY × PLUG NOT A RAPPER

21 TRACKS. FIVE STARTERS. ONE PERSONAL CHAMPION.

CRUSH MAGAZINE | THE HBCU RIVALRY EDITION

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