MONROVIA – Reports of an apparent fallout between Liberian music sensation King Dennis and his long-time manager, Lyee Bility, have intensified after the manager Sunday responded to allegations surrounding their professional relationship and the handling of the artist’s finances.
By Selma Lomax, [email protected]
Speculation about a possible split between the award-winning musician and his manager has been circulating on social media in recent days. The rumors have prompted widespread discussion among fans and industry stakeholders, with many questioning the future of one of Liberia’s most successful artist-manager partnerships.
According to claims circulating online, the disagreement reportedly began after King Dennis allegedly sought greater transparency regarding his music earnings, including proceeds from endorsement agreements and other commercial ventures.
The reports further alleged that despite being one of Liberia’s most successful musicians, the Artist of the Year was unaware of the full value of income generated from endorsement deals with companies such as Orange, Straka Energy, Sole Juice, and other brands.
Responding to the speculation, Bility strongly denied suggestions that the dispute centered on a lack of financial transparency. In a social media post, he defended his management of the artist’s career and listed several expenses he said he personally covered throughout their working relationship.
“You and your people are pushing me. I’ll respond because you’re close to the doers. It was never about that,” Bility wrote before challenging the allegations.
Bility questioned claims that King Dennis had been denied access to his earnings, stating that he had paid for the artist’s rent, purchased a vehicle for him, and covered airline tickets for numerous trips. He also insisted that he never deducted money from the artist’s music royalties or from proceeds generated through live performances.
“He ever paid rent before? No. He bought his own car? No. He ever bought his own plane tickets to travel all around here? No. Did I ever take money from him from his songs royalties? No. Did I take money from him when we host show from gate intake? No. Did he ever request anything from me and he didn’t get? No. Are my signatures on any of his deal? No. So how could he not know what he was making?” Bility stated.
The manager further declared that if the disagreement had become a matter of balancing finances, then all of the money he claimed to have spent supporting the artist should also be taken into consideration.
“If that’s the case, let him pay all my money back that I spent on him. Since it’s about balancing finance, let’s balance it,” he added.
Bility also cautioned against further public exchanges, saying he had refrained from speaking negatively about King Dennis despite the ongoing speculation. “Tell him to keep quiet. I never said anything bad about him,” he added.
