Timbaland

谁是史努比狗狗、天命真女、蜜西艾莉特、Jay-Z、菲董成名的幕后推手？谁又是当今全球流行排行榜，最新冠军排行制造机，跨界获得众家歌手争相邀约的对象？这么一位重量级大师，非Timbaland莫属。近期以来，让才女妮莉费塔朵转型成功、使型男贾斯汀音乐更有深度、活化辣妹团体小野猫更为骚浪声波…Timbaland用他创意新奇的构思，替流行音乐界架构无限可能的延展性。
这位目标显着的大块头Timbaland来自维吉尼亚州，原名Timothy Z. Mosley，在认识同为乐界女子“重”量级人物Missy Elliott与饶舌歌手兼工作伙伴Magoo后，三人开始合作搞音乐。当Missy与她的女子团体Sista被情色美声四人组的团员兼制作人DeVante Swing赏识签入自设厂牌Swing Mob旗下，Missy不忘带着Timbaland与Magoo一起进入唱片公司。才华出众的Timbaland开始参与多位歌手/团体的专辑制作与歌曲撰写，同时认识尚未大红的Pharrell Williams。
by Jason Birchmeier
Timbaland ascended to the top of the rap industry in the late 90s, impressively balancing his in-demand hitmaking abilities with his outlandish production style. Few rap producers were capable of such a balance between commerce and craft. Timbaland produced an endless list of hits, primarily for a select group of affiliates (Missy Elliott, Aaliyah, Jay-Z, Ginuwine) though also for a number of other A-list artists (Ludacris, Snoop Dogg, Nas, Justin Timberlake). Even so, he always infused a remarkable sense of individuality and creativity into his productions. When you hear a Timbaland production generally there is no mistaking it for anyone elses work: stuttering bass-heavy bounce beats offset resounding high-end synth stabs, all of this often complemented by his own signature-like quiet murmuring beneath the track; and no sampling. However, over time Timbaland began taking an increasingly assembly-line approach to production, working with a team of co-producers and songwriters including Nathaniel Danjahandz Hills, the Clutch, and Justin Timberlake. Plus, he began producing an increasingly wide array of acts, ranging from alternative icons Björk and M.I.A. to MOR pop/rockers the Fray and Ashlee Simpson.
In the late 90s, when Timbaland was still relatively new on the scene, the Virginia native worked extensively with Missy (The Rain), Aaliyah (If Your Girl Only Knew), and Ginuwine (Pony). Later, once hed established himself with these three, he began working with the top rappers in the industry, namely Jay-Z (Big Pimpin), Nas (You Wont See Me Tonight), Snoop Dogg (Snoop Dogg [Whats My Name, Pt. 2]), and Ludacris (Rollout [My Business]). He also worked occasionally with lesser-known regional artists such as Petey Pablo (Raise Up), Pastor Troy (Are We Cuttin), and Tweet (Oops (Oh My)). As a result of his exceptional success as a producer, Timbaland eventually established his own record label, Beat Club, and began unveiling his own stable of artists (Bubba Sparxxx, Ms. Jade). His records, most co-billed with rapping friend Magoo, spotlighted his access to the top rappers in the business: Missy Elliott, Jay-Z, Ludacris, Wyclef Jean. From 1997 through 2003, he released three Timbaland & Magoo albums, while 1998s Tims Bio and 2007s Timbaland Presents Shock Value — the latter featuring a restless mixture of vocalists, rappers, and rock bands — were solo albums in name.