Bryson Tiller performs onstage the Daytime Village on September 24, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Isaac Brekken/Getty)
Steven Dorn, a New York City-based music entrepreneur and former manager of Bryson Tiller is speaking out after five years of silence and legal battles with the Grammy nominee.
According to a 2017 article via TMZ Dorn claims he was pushed out of his manegerial role by the singer’s current lawyer. Dorn also claims that he covered Tiller’s living expenses, child support payments, car insurance and secured recording facilities for him and that Tiller agreed to pay him back and then split his future income evenly with him.
Since 2017, Dorn’s been involved in a separate lawsuit with Tiller over the terms of their contract since 2016.
As of last week, the parties have “reached an amicable resolution of their disputes.”
“Most of those people have not been as fortunate or been able to overcome the situation as I have,” Dorn told me via e-mail.
“I see this as laying the foundation for the truth to be told and for all those people to finally get the recognition they deserve.”
A native of Louisville, Kentucky, Tiller, 27, released his ten track album,‘Anniversary’ on Friday morning. The album is his first work since his ‘True To Self’ album released in 2017. His newest installment features a tribute to Breonna Taylor. The single, Outta Time, the eighth track on the album features a guest appearance from Drake.
According to Steven Dorn, he’s still involved in litigation related to Dorn’s management of Tiller in that Dorn has claims pending against Tiller’s current manager, Neil Dominique, for interference with Dorn’s relationship with Tiller.
The case is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky – and an amended complaint was recently filed. Dorn claims that he was denied what he was entitled to under his contract with Tiller and that Dominique was instrumental in forcing Tiller to terminate the relationship between Tiller and Dorn so that Dominique could swoop in and reap the rewards.
Steven Dorn pictured with New York Knicks guard, Kevin Knox. Photo Courtesy of: Futuresharks
Dorn says that Tiller has acknowledged ex-manager’s help and provided a recorded phone dialogue between the two which he notes was used as evidence in court:
A snippet of their dialogue below:
Bryson Tiller: Don’t wanna to take the easy route out with you bro. I don’t want you to have no percentage off of anything I make. So if I gotta go to court I believe you don’t deserve a dime off of what I did, what I’m doing
Steven Dorn: I just don’t
Bryson Tiller: Not one dime, You got what you deserved
Steven Dorn: I don’t understand how you have that mentality though when. Couple times ago we spoke you said that you acknowledge that there’s a good chance you would still be at Papa Johns if it wasn’t for me like how do you have the mentality that you don’t want me to get a dime off everything I did for you? I made you a priority in my life, I stopped my other job to come focus on you. Like do you really think that you would be like where you are right now like if I didn’t do that and if I didn’t come support you and invest in you and help you?
Bryson Tiller: If you didn’t help me , if you didn’t help me and take over what Timbaland was supposed to do I would still be at Papa Johns that is a fact.
Steven Dorn: Right.
Bryson Tiller: That’s 100% fact.
So now what?
Steven Dorn says he just wants his money and his recognition. “There were many people from Kentucky instrumental in Bryson’s career early on that didn’t get the recognition they deserved,” he told me.
“Or have the ability to benefit from the fruits of their labor because certain people made a point to erase them from history so they could take the credit for their work.”
Added Dorn: “I have no hard feelings towards Bryson, I understand that people took advantage of him and manipulated him.”
Tiller had no comment on the matter and calls to Tiller’s management for comment have gone unreturned.