Legendary producer Timbaland recently opened up about his struggles with substance abuse and how it impacted some of his most high-profile projects, including Jay-Z’s Magna Carta Holy Grail, Beyoncé’s “Drunk in Love,” and Justin Timberlake’s The 20/20 Experience.
During an interview on The Pivot Podcast, Timbaland reflected on that period, admitting that while the music was successful, he doesn’t consider it his best work.
“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.”
He went on to explain that he holds his earlier, drug-free work in higher regard, pointing to songs like “Big Pimpin’,” “Dirt Off Your Shoulder,” and “One in a Million” as standout moments in his career.
“I look back at it now and they were great, but they don’t stand out like my big records,” Timbaland admitted. “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 has previously credited Jay-Z and Drake for helping him through his lowest points. During a 2023 appearance on Club Shay Shay, he praised Jay-Z’s wisdom and influence on his career.
“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 continued, “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.”