Timbaland
Virginia producer whose bouncy, off-kilter beats for Missy Elliott, Aaliyah and Jay-Z changed the sound of hip-hop and R&B.
Who is Timbaland?
Timbaland (Timothy Mosley) is a producer, songwriter and rapper from Virginia Beach, Virginia. He grew up making music with his childhood friend Missy Elliott.
Known for
Some of the biggest records in modern music, from Aaliyah's "Are You That Somebody?" (1998), with its iconic baby coo, to Missy Elliott's "Get Ur Freak On" (2001) and Jay-Z's "Big Pimpin'". He also worked with 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg, Justin Timberlake, Nas, Ludacris, J. Cole, Drake, TLC and many more, and has won four Grammys.
Style
Drum machines, off-kilter rhythms and futuristic synths. Deep, bouncy basslines, unpredictable grooves and weird, experimental sounds: baby noises, frog croaks, alien voices. All good.
Impact
Timbaland changed the sound of hip-hop and R&B. Period. His production shifted how artists and producers think about beats, space and groove, and set trends that producers are still trying to catch up with.
