Timbaland Opens Up About Drug Addiction, Credits Jay-Z & Drake w/ Helping Him Through ‘Darkest Moment’

Timbaland, Drake, Jay-Z

Timbaland Opens Up About Drug Addiction, Credits Jay-Z & Drake w/ Helping Him Through ‘Darkest Moment’

Timbaland recently shared some kind words toward his friends Jay-Z and Drake for being there during his struggles with addiction.

Timbaland, 51, stopped by the “Club Shay Shay” podcast with Shannon Sharpe on Monday (May 15) for a candid conversation about some of the darkest times in his life. The legendary producer explained how he spiraled into an OxyContin addiction, taking up to 160 milligrams daily.

Timbaland

Timbaland also opened up about how superstar rappers Jay-Z and Drake helped him break his drug habit and stood by him during his time of need. He recalled,

“Everybody that I know who done that have died, so I think I even died at one point in time. I had an out-of-body experience where I was laying in the bed, and I saw myself laying in the bed. From that point on, God has changed my mind, and I didn’t go to a doctor. I did it cold turkey.”

During his addiction battle, Timbaland began acting differently, which lead to friends of the record executive stepping in. Reports claim Jay-Z told Timbaland to step back from doing interviews, while Drake reached out to confront him on his behavior in public.

Timbaland expressed,

“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.”

Jay-Z

In addition to Jay-Z, he also took the time to thank Drake for his support.

Timbaland added,

“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. 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.”

Drake

As far as new music goes, the Grammy Award-winning producer took to Instagram earlier this month to share a project that he never thought he’d have the opportunity to create.

If you didn’t already know, Timbaland is known in the music industry for his creative mindset and unique production work. Throughout his career, he’s worked with a lot of heavy hitters, such as; Aaliyah, Missy Elliott, Justin Timberlake, and Jay-Z. However, despite his impressive list of production credits, Timbaland never got the chance to work with Biggie Smalls — his dream collab — until now.

Biggie Smalls

As previously reported, in a video shared with his 3.9 million IG followers, Timbaland revealed that thanks to AI (artificial intelligence) he was able to make his dream come true and collab with the late rapper.

Timbaland said,

“Alright so, I’m sitting here with my brother, Creatr God, and we know that it’s a lot of talk about AI and we know how the feelings of violating certain things.“But let me tell you something: I got a solution, I’m working on it. It’s gon’ be beneficial to everybody.”

He continued,

“But, in the meantime, I gotta share something I’ve been working on because I always wanted to do this and I never got a chance to. I always wanted to work with Big and I never got a chance to — until today. It came out right! Play!”

This is a momentous moment in music history!

Timbaland explains how he always had a dream to collab with Biggie, but never had the chance to.

Thanks to AI, he was able to make that dream a reality.

Disclaimer, THE SONG IS FIREEE ? pic.twitter.com/DPMj8wJxln

— Joseph Abehsera (@KingzTheCreator) May 3, 2023

What are your thoughts on Timbaland’s story about his drug addiction? Let us know below. 

[Sources: 1, 2]