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Hip-Hop legend Timbaland has responded to Bryson Tiller’s recent remarks that the veteran producer encouraged him to quit his job—and then seemingly disappeared.
In an exclusive statement to The Shade Room, Timbaland acknowledged advising Tiller to leave his job, but firmly denied abandoning him. “Bryson is a great guy, and at that moment I remember me telling him he had to quit his job”, he said. He added that at the time, he was deeply preoccupied with another artist, Tink, as he wasn’t sure if Tiller was serious about pursuing a music career.
Timbaland praised Tiller’s talent, calling him “one of the illest writers and a talented guy that I know.” He explained that whilst his attention was focused on others, he still tried to position Tiller for success through his manager, Rich.
The Louisville, Kentucky, singer-songwriter didn’t even have his breakout hit ‘Don’t’ when Timbaland first met him—but, after leaving his job, Tiller reportedly created the song that would become his career-defining smash. “After he quit his job, he came up with ‘Don’t,’ and that was the biggest record of his career”, Timbaland said.
This response comes after Tiller recounted the episode on the New Rory & Mal podcast, which some media outlets later portrayed as implying Timbaland had strung him along. Tiller pushed back against that narrative, calling out “malicious media,” whilst Timbaland reaffirmed his high regard for Tiller, calling him “one of the best artists out there.”
In the end, Timbaland’s statement reflects a nuanced perspective: Whilst admitting to the initial push that led Tiller to take a leap of faith, he rejects the notion that he abandoned the budding artist.
