Timbaland

Tweet

He is considered to be the it producer in the music world right now, and he has some of the most talented acts in the business clamoring to work with him. His name is Timothy Mosley, but you would know him better by his stage name, Timbaland.

This Virginia native was working as a DJ when he met Missy Elliott, who brought him to New York when her girl group was signed on to a record label. He was soon signed on to the same label and was known as one half of the rap group, Timbaland & Magoo. By 1995, he was ready to move on but continued to collaborate with the artists he met on the label, including Missy, Magoo and Ginuwine. Timbaland set out to make a name for himself as a producer.In 1996, Timbaland produced Ginuwine's debut album, Ginuwine the Bachelor, and the first track of the album, Pony, showcased what would become Timbaland's signature sound. Not long after, he was contacted by R&B artist, Aaliyah, who asked him and Missy to write and produce her second album, One In A Million. It sold over 11 million albums worldwide and Missy and Timbaland became one of the most successful and prolific writing/producing teams in music during the late 90s. By 2000, they had worked with SWV, Destiny's Child, Jay-Z and Nas, to name a few.In the early part of 2000, Timbaland created his own imprint, Beat Club Records, which consisted of protgs such as Kiley Dean, Sebastian and Tweet. The first release on Beat Club was the debut album by rapper, Bubba Sparxxx, in 2001. He then collaborated with Tweet on her debut album, and he worked with Missy Elliott on her fourth and fifth albums, Under Construction and This Is Not A Test. In 2002, he teamed up with producer, Scott Storch, to work on tracks for Justin Timberlake, who was trying to create a new sound in order to set him apart from his boy band days with *NSYNC. Timberlake released his solo debut, Justified, which included the Timbaland-produced mega hit, Cry Me A River. The success of that single sparked a partnership between Timbaland and Timberlake that continues to this day. The producer then went on to create more singles for top acts like LL Cool J, Xzibit and Brandy.In 2006, already an established songwriter/producer, Timbaland became the CEO of his new record label, Mosley Music Group, a division of Interscope Records. Nelly Furtado signed on to his label and together they worked on her new album. Upon her album's release, a string of hit singles such as Maneater, Promiscuous and Say It Right soon followed. If that wasn't enough, Justin Timberlake's second album came out to rave reviews, all due to Timbaland-produced tracks like SexyBack, My Love and What Goes Around Comes Around. The busy producer continued to deliver consistently successful beats for The Pussycat Dolls, Duran Duran, Ashlee Simpson, Mary J Blige and 50 Cent. He then ushered in 2007 with a top ranking concert tour alongside Justin Timberlake.On April 3, 2007, he released a collaboration album, Timbaland Presents Shock Value, which included tracks with Elton John, Fall Out Boy, Nelly Furtado, Justin Timberlake and Missy Elliott. Also included on the album was a remix of OneRepublic's hit ballad, Apologize. OneRepublic also has the distinction of being the first rock band to be signed to Timbaland's label. Most recently, Timbaland has been working with Madonna on her new album and is scheduled to work on upcoming albums for both Missy Elliott and Jennifer Hudson.His work with pop acts like Nelly, Justin, Ashlee Simpson and Duran Duran as well as with rock acts like One Republic is evidence that Timbaland is more than just an R&B/hip hop producer. He has been able to cross music barriers successfully, and his tracks can now be heard on almost every radio station on the airwaves. Not only is Timbaland an entrepreneur and a mega producer, his work has garnered numerous nominations from the American Music Awards, Grammy Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, MTV Europe Music Awards, People's Choice Awards and the Teen Choice Awards. This uber-talented man has only just laid the foundation for what is to come, and his work will no doubt continue to introduce fresh, innovative sounds in the music world for years to come.