Timbaland
Who is he?
Timbaland (born Timothy Z. Mosley) is one of the new breed of superstar producers.
When did he get started?
In 1993, DJing as Tiny Tim. Simultaneously, he was producing hip hop beats on a Casio keyboard. Missy Elliot, at the time a member of girl group Sista, heard these tracks and started working with him. Eventually, they got signed to the Swing Mob record label, where he started producing more tracks for the likes of Jodeci and Sista. During this period, he was also part of the production group Surrounded By Idiots, which featured a very young Pharrell Williams.
So how did he get so huge?
Timbaland was one of the first producers to start experimenting with foreign samples, borrowing particularly from India on tracks like Jay Z's ‘Big Pimpin'' and Missy Elliot's ‘Get Ur Freak On'. Once he proved himself a commercial success by producing Ginuwine and Aaliyah he gained further credits with artists like Jennifer Lopez, Bubba Sparxxx, Tweet and Fatman Scoop. And then, in 2006, it happened.
What happened, exactly?
Timbaland did the production on Justin Timberlake's FutureSex/LoveSounds and Nelly Furtado's Loose. They were runaway successes, each boasting singles featuring Timbaland's production and vocals prominently. As a result Timbaland got the chance to work with a variety of artists, such as Bjork, Madonna, Fall Out Boy, Elton John and The Hives.
Woah, this guy is huge! When can I see him?
Timbaland plays the Entertainment Centre on Sat 19 July on his ‘Shock Value' tour. Tickets are $98.70 for upper seats and $122.65 for floor admission.