Timbaland is the stage name of Timothy Zachery Mosley, born March 10, 1972, in Norfolk, Virginia. His mother Latrice ran a homeless shelter; his father Garland worked for Amtrak. At 14, he was accidentally shot by a co-worker while working at a Red Lobster and partially paralyzed for nine months, during which he taught himself to DJ with his left hand. He grew up alongside Missy Elliott and rapper Magoo, and was mentored by Jodeci member DeVante Swing, who renamed him after the Timberland boot brand. He was also connected to his cousin Pharrell Williams through the production collective S.B.I. (Surrounded By Idiots) and knew Pusha T and Malice from high school.
Timbaland's mainstream breakthrough came in 1996 producing Aaliyah's One in a Million and Ginuwine's "Pony," the latter built on syncopated kick drum patterns that became his rhythmic signature. He produced Missy Elliott's Supa Dupa Fly (1997), then expanded into pop with Justin Timberlake's FutureSex/LoveSounds (2006), yielding "SexyBack" (No. 1 Hot 100) and "My Love." His work with Nelly Furtado on Loose produced "Promiscuous" (No. 1) and sold over 15 million copies. He produced Jay-Z, Madonna's Hard Candy, Beyonce, Rihanna, and 50 Cent's "Ayo Technology."
His production style is defined by what Simon Reynolds called "stuttering kick-drums" and what Britannica described as "complex syncopated rhythms complemented by obscure sounds such as a whinnying horse." He used original beats rather than samples, incorporating breakbeats, sitars, baby cries, mariachi horns, and pan pipes. He co-founded Verzuz with Swizz Beatz in 2020, launched the Beatclub producer platform, and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Signature Sound
Timbaland pioneered stuttering, syncopated kick drum patterns with unconventional sonic textures including pitched vocal samples, world instruments, and found sounds. His rhythmic innovations bridged hip-hop, R&B, and pop while influencing UK garage, creating a template for beat-driven pop production that dominated the 2000s.
WAVS Catalog
Explore 131 WAVS samples in the style of Timbaland
Drums, loops, one-shots, and textures curated to match this producer's sonic palette
