Bryson Tiller said he took a leap of faith on Timbaland and ended up broke and confused after quitting his job to chase music in Miami—only to be ghosted by the legendary producer.
During an appearance on the “New Rory & Mal” podcast, Tiller recalled the moment his breakout single “Don’t” began gaining traction online. That’s when Timbaland called and invited him to Miami to collaborate. But when Tiller said he couldn’t make it because of work, Timbaland replied, “This is work.”
Tiller asked, “You saying I should quit my job or something?” Timbaland’s answer: “Yeah.”
“So, I literally went to my job. I couldn’t wait,” Tiller explained. “I went down there and I recorded maybe three or four songs from TRAPSOUL and… he wasn’t really rocking with them too much like that. He was like, ‘Yo, we need more songs like ‘Don’t.’ And I was just like, but I already got ‘Don’t.’”
After the short trip, Tiller returned home with no clear direction and little money left from what Timbaland had given him. That’s when things got murky.
“So, like how does this work? Am I signed right now? So I called him up. I was like, ‘Yo. So when am I gone get my next payment?… And my boy Rich was like, ‘Yo, Timbaland said he never told you to quit your job.’ I was sick, dog,” Tiller said.
The fallout hit hard. “My girl at the time was already looking at me crazy cause I quit my job. That was how we was taking care of our kids. I had to figure something out,” he said.
Despite the setback, Tiller kept pushing. “At that point, that was when I realized I was like, ‘All right, I just gotta keep going.'”
That grind led to the creation of TRAPSOUL, his 2015 debut album that launched him into the spotlight.
“I just basically started making Trap Soul,” Tiller said. “The next thing you know, it was like, every week something was happening. Every week, something amazing was happening. I just couldn’t believe it was like a wildfire.”
TRAPSOUL peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 and was certified triple Platinum, with hits like “Don’t,” “Exchange” and “Sorry Not Sorry” helping cement Tiller’s place in R&B.