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Timbaland

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Timbaland, in full Timothy Zachery Mosley, is an American producer, rapper, singer and songwriter. He was born in 1972 in Norfolk, Virginia. Already at secondary school he worked with the rapper Magoo and was part of the production group S.B.I., which also included his cousin Pharrell Williams. At fourteen he was accidentally shot and lay partially paralysed for months. During that time he taught himself to DJ with his left hand. Through Magoo, Missy Elliott heard his material. The producer DeVante Swing brought them to New York and gave him the name Timbaland, after the Timberland boot.

Music and breakthrough

His first major production was Ginuwine... the Bachelor in 1996. Aaliyah's One in a Million followed in 1996 and Missy Elliott's Supa Dupa Fly in 1997. Together with Elliott he made, from 1997, the albums that established her name. As an artist himself he released Tim's Bio in 1998, among others, alongside three albums as Timbaland and Magoo. In 2002 he produced Cry Me a River for Justin Timberlake, and later also most of his albums, including FutureSex/LoveSounds. In 2007 came his own album Shock Value, with Give It to Me, The Way I Are and Apologize with OneRepublic. He also made music for Michael Jackson, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Madonna and Rihanna, and founded labels such as Beat Club and Mosley Music Group.

Influence

His trademark is a hesitating, stuttering rhythm with which he makes a beat stumble for a moment, again and again. Entertainment Weekly wrote in 2007 that almost every pop trend of the moment could be traced back to him, from tough R&B singers to the use of avant-garde sounds in songs that were number one.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Cry Me a River by Justin Timberlake, produced by Timbaland. Notice the rhythm that seems to falter for a moment again and again, and the dark, sparse sounds beneath the vocals.

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.

See also

Categories: Artists