Timbaland

Not to be confused with Timberland, Timbalada, or Timberlake.

Timbaland
Timbaland in 2019
Born
Timothy Zachery Mosley

(1972-03-10) March 10, 1972 (age 52)
Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.
Other names
  • DJ Timmy Tim
  • Timbo[1]
  • Timar
  • Mozart Timadeas
EducationSalem High School
Occupations
  • Record producer
  • rapper
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • record executive
Years active1994–present
Works
Children3
RelativesPharrell Williams (cousin)[2]
AwardsFull list
Musical career
Genres
Labels
Member of
Websitetimbaland.com

Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972),[4] known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer, rapper, and singer.[5] Born and raised in Norfolk, Virginia, he has received widespread acclaim for his innovative production work and distinctive "stuttering" rhythmic style. In 2007, Entertainment Weekly stated that "just about every current pop trend can be traced back to him—from sultry, urban-edged R&B songstresses [...] to the art of incorporating avant-garde sounds into No. 1 hits."[6]

Timbaland's first major production credit was on the album Ginuwine...the Bachelor (1996) by R&B singer Ginuwine. Further commercial success on his following productions—including Aaliyah's second studio album One in a Million (1996) and Missy Elliott's debut studio album Supa Dupa Fly (1997)—made him a sought-after producer for R&B and hip hop acts. He performed as a recording artist himself while doing so, releasing three albums as part of the Virginia-based hip hop duo Timbaland & Magoo, along with his debut solo album, Tim's Bio (1998). He produced Justin Timberlake's 2002 single "Cry Me a River", and thereafter produced the majority of Timberlake's subsequent releases—including FutureSex/LoveSounds (2007) and The 20/20 Experience (2013)—along with their respective hit singles.

Timbaland's 2007 single "Give It To Me" (featuring Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake) peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100 and preceded the release of his second album, Shock Value (2007). It spawned the follow-up singles "The Way I Are" (featuring Keri Hilson) and "Apologize" (with OneRepublic), which peaked at numbers three and two on the chart, respectively. His third album, Shock Value II (2009) was supported by the top 40 singles "Carry Out" (featuring Justin Timberlake), "Say Something" (featuring Drake) and "If We Ever Meet Again" (with Katy Perry). Meanwhile, Timbaland's production credits throughout this time expanded to include songs for Michael Jackson, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Madonna, Kanye West, Rihanna, Alicia Keys, Lil Wayne, and Björk, among others. He has won four Grammy Awards from 22 nominations.[7]

Timbaland founded the record labels Beat Club in 2001 and its successor, Mosley Music Group in 2006, through which he has signed artists including Nelly Furtado—whose album Loose (2006) peaked the Billboard 200—as well as OneRepublic, Keri Hilson, Bubba Sparxxx, and the late Chris Cornell. Beat Club is namesake of a service in which Timbaland mentors upcoming producers, launched in 2020.[8] Along with fellow producer Swizz Beatz, he co-created the popular webcast series Verzuz that same year.

  1. ^ @timbaland (April 1, 2015). "Team Timbo @okmayday #teamtimbo look at my future !!!!!pay attention!!!!!!watch the movement!!!!!!!!! https://instagram.com/p/06XK3JmvPx/" (Tweet). Retrieved May 2, 2021 – via Twitter.
  2. ^ Mika (February 13, 2016). "Timbaland Reveals Pharrell Is His Cousin At 'The Cruz Show'". The Neptunes. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  3. ^ "Timbaland on His New 'Keep Going Up' Single with Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake: 'We Created Magic'". Forbes.
  4. ^ "Timbaland". timbalandmusic. Archived from the original on May 13, 2013. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Allmusic was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Brown, Ethan. "Timbaland wants to be his own star". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 24, 2016.
  7. ^ Amazon.com: The People Who Created The Soundtrack To Your Life eBook: stuart devoy: Kindle Store – via www.amazon.com.
  8. ^ "Timbaland on Creating Beat Club, New Albums With Justin Timberlake and Missy Elliott: 'I'm in My Quincy Jones Phase'". Variety.com. June 23, 2023.