Timbaland has revealed that he made some huge hits for JAY-Z and Beyoncé while struggling with substance abuse.
Speaking on The Pivot Podcast, the legendary producer discussed working on Hov’s Magna Carta Holy Grail, Bey’s “Drunk in Love” and Justin Timberlake’s massive The 20/20 Experience while in the throes of his drug addiction.
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“It was fun. Those were cool albums, but my best work was done when I wasn’t on drugs. That’s facts,” he said.
“It was just fun, creating. I was doing all of those albums back to back. It was just that experience… They were great, but they don’t stand [against] my big records.”
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Timbo went on to admit that he preferred his earlier work to those early 2010s creations: “I look back at it now and they were great, but they don’t stand out like my big records, like ‘Big Pimpin,’ ‘Dirt Off Ya Shoulder’ and ‘One In a Million.’
“Those are drug-free, so when I look back at my highlights, that [period] is probably a dip. Even though it was still good, that’s just God-given talent in me. Like, God still having his hand on me — that’s why those songs were still beautiful, but they don’t have, like, FutureSex/LoveSounds in them.”
Timbaland previously thanked JAY-Z and Drake for helping him when he was at his lowest.
Speaking on Club Shay Shay in 2023, he said: “JAY-Z is a prophet. God sent him. I ain’t never seen nobody like him. Hov actually raised me, and he don’t even know it. He raised me in the music business.
“He was so prolific, so wise beyond his age, that I was just amazed at just watching him. That’s why I had a different bond with Jay when it comes to my music. We was rewriting the Bible, in a way.”
He continued: “Even Drake told me. That’s why I’m like, these guys are special to the world. Now, once they give you the information, it’s up to you to use it.
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“I didn’t come out until the darkness, man, and that’s why I say, it’s all love with these guys. They helped me during my darkest moment.”
