Club Shay Shay - Timbaland

Episode Date: May 15, 2023

Timbaland joins Shannon inside Club Shay Shay this week, where the artist and producer shares stories and lessons taught to him from artists all across the music industry. Listen in as Shannon and the four-time Grammy winner go over his career — working and learning from popular names such as Missy Elliott, Drake, Jay-Z and many others. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Make sure to listen to the Good Morning Football podcast Monday through Friday on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. It was a hit and I didn't think it was going to be a hit with one minute, man. You don't put this out. Tell me, you crazy. This jam, all my girls, the girls going crazy. I'm like, yeah, man, that girl was going crazy.

Hell no, we didn't like it. But then when it blew up, I said, that girl miss it, she knows. And from that point on. You never questioned anything. It was like Game of Thrones. She was like, grinding all my life. Sacrifice, hustle, pay the price. Want a slice, got the roll of dice. That's why all my life, I've been grinding all my life. All my life, been grinding all my life. Sacrifice, hustle, pay the price. Want a slice, got the roll of dice. That's why all my life, I've been grinding all my life. I've been grindin' all my life producer, rapper, songwriter, executive, entrepreneur, the emperor of sound, none other than Timbaland. Tim. Hey, bruh.

What's up, bruh? I'm blessed. How you doing? I'm blessed. You know what, bruh? When you come on the show and I have someone to distinguish you as yourself, I got the toes of your career.

Yes. And more things to come. Appreciate you. Got your bottle. For those out there, you are a cognac drinker. This right here. Ooh, that's Shea. Shea. I appreciate that.

Ooh, Shea. Ooh. Yes. Thanks for stopping by. How you doing? I'm great, man. I'm blessed. You're blessed. You know what?

Let's go back to the beginning. And we're gonna start back, we're gonna go all the way back to Virginia. I was reading your story. You have a man. You have a very interesting life and you accomplished some great things, but this almost didn't happen.

Accidentally got shot working at Red Lobster. What transpired? How did this event come about? I was a kid who always just loved music. You know, growing from the South, as I look back at it now, we really wasn't, you know, my parents, God bless them, but we really wasn't taught, you know, like we can go higher. Right.

I was just a kid who always dreamed so big. I'm like, I gotta, this music thing is just on my heart. So even when I got shot, I still, it's just something I had to do as a kid because that was my calling because I was a dishwasher working at Red Lobster and music just called me. Rob Markman, Well how the hell did you get shot at the dishwasher? You in the back. That's a good question.

But you know how we young and my homeboy had a gun. He said, yo, I'm going to get your boy. I'm going to get your boy. Wait till. This is the craziest thing. It's like a promo for a fight. In high school, kids like, wait till the football game. I'm going to get you.

You could have been for it two days earlier. But they waited, they built this up. So my homeboy grabbed a rebarble and he was putting it up in the bag, he said, wait till the night's game. And as he was putting it up in the bag, he said, I said, man, and I would turn around the clock out and I turn around, pow! And I walked off and I thought my arm was on the ground.

And I said, where my arm at, where my arm ground right and I said what my arm at what my arm at I said what my arm what my arm at what happened my whole nerve this side got paralyzed it was paralyzed for like about a year two years right and I had to go to therapy but I'm like yo the only thing I would think about I'm a DJ so as you as you're bleeding what's going through your mind are you thinking thinking like, man, man, damn, dude accidentally shot me. I got so much. Because like you said, you had dreamed big. Yeah. I got dreams I got to fulfill. What's going through your mind? I can't DJ no more. My arm.

My arm ain't working. Right. So I said, I got to figure this out. Right. So I wasn't thinking about even dying. Okay. You know, my parents, that's one thing, they stood strong and the doctors was like telling them, we don't know, we don't know.

I'm like, I know, I'm going to live. That's just the attitude because I felt like God wasn't finished with me yet. The only thing I was really concerned about was could I use this arm again because it was my scratch DJ hand. That was the only thing I was really concerned about was could I use this arm again because it was my scratch DJ hand. That was the only thing I was worried about as life went on. I'm like, wait a minute, can I lift weights? Can I train? Can I do all of that?

Rob Markman, Jr.: Okay. But I just constantly believe, I think it was my faith that knowing I would get better. You know what I'm saying? Rob Markman, Jr.: As you see what's transpired in the rap community, we see Pop Smoke get run down on. We see what happened to Young Dolph, we see some extension, we see some of the guys that have lost their life. Do you look back and say, damn, man, I'm very fortunate because this thing could have really

ended. My life could have ended. Forget the DJ and what I became, but my life could have ended before it got started. You know, it's funny. I'm glad you're asking that because I think I go through some PTSD over that to this day Because when you look at all the young people dying today, I just break down and thank God and say, you know What is my purpose? Why am I here? Because I do have like some nightmares of That gun going off and I still like I might you might see me jerk a little bit because it's just a flashback Right, and I think it didn't come as my career was going, it comes like now, as you become older,

as you become a man. Rob Markman, Exactly. And it really like, I see why people like sometimes go crazy because the past catch up with you. And I think I kind of relive it here and there. And I just be thankful and just be, that's all you can be. But it do put me down because I'm like, I could not have been here. Especially when I hear when like Young Dolph and people run.

And it's like a gunshot is a gunshot. I got shot in the neck. All I had to do was turn one simple way. I'd have been out of here. But by me turning slight, it goes through here and the bullet's still in me. And they couldn't take it out because they're afraid that it would paralyze the whole right side. So I just think about, you know, now I just be like,

it'll hit me just driving in the car. And I just, just to thank God that I'm still here. You know what I'm saying? A lot of guys like, like LeBron, all he said, all he thought about was playing basketball. He was also a two sport guy, played football also, but basketball since his mom gave him, I think he's like four years old game that basketball and you hear baseball players say since my dad gave me a bat and a

glove and it was all about baseball and guys with football with you you always had a beat in your head that you like man this is what I want to do this one did you know like okay I'm gonna be a DJ, I'm going to be a producer? So what was it? I didn't know what I was going to be. I was just letting music guide me. Okay. So I was a great DJ in high school until Missy came into my life. That's when she told me that I was a great producer.

Okay. Missy gave me all the confidence in the world, and she pushed me to be who I am today. If it wasn't for her, the connection of friends, meeting friends from the neighborhood, like-minded people connecting us. And Missy was like... The only reason why I started doing beats is because the music that people was making, I ain't like it. And I wanted to blend my beats with like Stephanie Mills or Michael Jackson, human nature. And so my mom couldn't afford a keyboard. She brought me this Casio keyboard

that only could sample for one second. And I started to ask her, what can I do with one second? I said, oh, if I speed the record up this way, with my hand, not on the 45 when you click it up. So I sped it up real fast on that and slowed it down the last key. So I slowed down time. So how did you know to do that?

I mean, no, I mean, you, you, you self-taught. No one, it's not like you, you classically trained or you went to Juilliard or you went to some of these super producers that could tell you this. You, you're self-taught. I just now realized that. I just like, if there's a will, there's a way. Because like, I wasn't smart in school.

I was like looking at people, how do you get that answer? But you know, from my, I believe that I feel like I had a looking at people, like, how did he get that answer? But, you know, I believed it. I felt like I had a dyslexia, but I felt like I got to use my imperfection to be perfection. So me not being self-taught, it just called figuring it out, solving the problem. How do I get one second? My mom can't afford to buy another keyboard.

I got to do this music. So I just sat there for weeks and weeks, maybe months and said, aha, let me slow up time, speed it up. Speed up one thing, slow down the other. Slow down the other. I'm looking at, you look at Pharrell Williams, Missy Elliott, Cliff, Pusha T, all of you guys are from Virginia. I mean, did you realize like when you're going through what you're going through and you look back, say 25 years ago, 30 years ago, did you realize you guys will be now Pharre you're going through you look back say 25 years ago 30 years ago Did you realize you guys will be now Pharrell Williams?

We know what he is in the music super producer also now. He's the creative director of at Louis Vuitton Did you guys did you know? That you guys would be what you became I? Knew Pharrell would have been great. Okay. I knew Missy was great. I knew we had something special. Right. I knew all of us had something special. I didn't know it would go to this point.

Okay. I just know that New York was like the bubbling state, and we wanted to be heard from Virginia. Okay. And people was like, yo, that Timberland sound. I didn't know I was creating the sound. We didn't know we was creating the sound. Right. Pharrell didn't know we was creating the sound.

We were just like-minded people just doing great music. And Teddy got a hold of Pharrell first. So Pharrell was the first one to really venture off and really understood the studio in that real limelight. And then it was me and Missy and Pharrell kept telling like Teddy, like, yo, is this other group it's this other guy named Timberland and Missy Elliott that you need to hear. And I guess Missy came up to the studio with Teddy, so she heard. You know, Teddy was doing this thing when Michael Jackson, Pharrell, was helping out. But we all kind of knew that we was destined to be something. We just didn't know what it was.

And to think about it, we didn't think like that. A lot of people today get caught up into the money, to all this stuff. We didn't think like that. A lot of people today get caught up into the money, to all this stuff. We didn't think like that. It was the getting better to be proven to say we made it. We got to put us at the table. Give us a seat at the table. Because New York had it popping, Kid Capri, all this. And a lot of music came out of Virginia. So our purpose was give us a seat at the table. We deserved that. We deserved to be heard. It wasn't about making a lot of money. It wasn't about... We just know that we had something special and it needed to be heard

and we stuck to it. We made ways out of no ways. You know what I'm saying? We rode in one car, six people, you know what I'm saying, to go to a studio session, everybody chipping for gas money, and it was the love of the music that kept us going to know that we didn't have no money. Music made us feel rich. Rob Markman, Jr.: So you wanted Virginia to be on the map for music.

You have great athletes. You got Allen Ireson, Bruce Smith, Michael Vick, Sweet Pea Whitaker. So you had some Pantheon iconic athletes, and they're like, but we ain't got no music. Let's put Virginia on the map for music. Yeah. And I guess Pharrell was the first one to kind of bust down the door. Then came Missy. And Missy came with like that Gina Thompson, hee hee hee hee how.

Then everybody like, who is this girl? Then from there came, she put me on, so I was a part of her. Then from there came, she put me on, so I was a part of her. And then when we left Jodeci, we was with Jodeci at one time, and then we left Jodeci, and we had this song called Sugar and Spice, Me and Missy. Right. And that song got to Craig Coleman, which got to Aaliyah. Right.

And Aaliyah said, I don't like the song Sugar and Spice, but I want to work with the people who did that. I want to work with the guy who did the beat and whoever wrote the song. And from that point on, Virginia Sound was on the map. How did you and Missy get started? Were you friends before she heard your beats? Did you guys go to school? Did you go to rival schools? How did Missy and Timberland come to be? Missy and Timberland came to be because a friend of mine named, I think Melvin

knew her, which was Magoo, that's Magoo. Magoo knew her, Magoo's from Portsmouth. Melvin knew Missy and then this guy named E was working with Missy, was working with the group. Missy was in a group called Phase E. They the first one to put out a record for Virginia so they was like the top notch. So then Missy and E connected, said, yo, you need to meet this guy named Timberland. And he connected us and came to my mom's house when I stayed in Virginia Beach. I was doing just beats for the play to mix with, but Missy heard the beats and like, no, I'm about to sing over this. And that was the first time I got introduced to singing over hip hop beats was through

Missy. I didn't know nothing about it. I'm like, you about to do what? What? And she put them harmonies. My life changed. I was like, oh my goodness, this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. And then it's like, she just kept giving me the encouragement, like how dope you was,

because then I'd just stop DJing and I'd start focusing on beats. So I was like, because she introduced me to melodies, harmonies, you can write songs, you don't have to just rap on these beats, I'm going to write songs. And I was sampling old Patrice Russians is and making them like don't break beats right and she's like oh we bought to make this a song and she starts singing and writing I was like it was the first it was it was like what I was doing elevated to the next level right and she gave you confidence that you could do something more than DJ she gave you confidence more than you can just

produce beats because a lot of times someone of Missy, she's like, well, let me go get a more famous producer. She took the local kid from Virginia and says, nah, we gonna do this together. I'm leaving and I'm taking you with me. That's exactly how it happened. Devontae, they met, they met Jodeci at a concert. They met him backstage.

Devontae said, y'all wanna to fly y'all out to Jersey? And then Missy said, well, can we fly my producer that I got back home? And that was me. Right. But you weren't a producer. She said she got a producer.

Yeah. So she didn't go to Devontae. She said, I got my own. We got our own. So that's how it was. How much pressure is that? Because that's Missy.

She's saying, and they say, well, we got this producer for you. She say, nah, but I got my producer back home. So now, this is your opportunity, you know, in the Eminem song, you get one shot to seize this moment. So now that's a lot of pressure. It was, but I wasn't scared of it. Because we had a sound.

And Devontae liked them for my sound. Right. And so by him being as great as he is, he knew he came in the game with a sound with his group. Right. So I thank God that he was like, yo, all right, he can come up. Right. Because I want to meet that guy who's doing that. And so it kind of worked because I learned from him, he learned from me.

We both was young, but I was like a teenager when he was in his 20s. So he was doing his style and I was learning from him because he took harmonies and vocals and taught me and Missy how to really expand it. And then my beats was different for him. So he was like, okay, I'm good at slow song. Timbo good at up tempos and mid. So it was a perfect marriage.

You know what I'm saying? I hear you saying that this guy took you and says, okay, this is what I do. This is what you do. And we mixed together. And it seems to me back then you saw a lot of that. Is that commonplace now in the game that guys are willing to work and bring someone

else along, or is that a forgotten art? Is that a forgotten truth? I think now we have more gatherings than we ever had. Because right now, when I go in the studio, now everything is on a computer. So what I have witnessed in this generation is, you good at it, he's good at it, she good at it. We put up one computer, everybody just come after each other and add to the same thing. And I was like, wow, wow.

Look how collaboration has evolved. It's just everybody know how to work the computer. Everybody work on the same thing. So everybody displays their gift on the computer. So now it's more it's a lot of more collaborative Collaborating today than I think it was in our era. Okay now missy The album you're on us and she's like, okay. I got my producer Tim. Okay, you're in studio You're working on this like are you thinking like man we bout to blow or you like? Are you thinking like, man, we about to blow? Are you like, damn. Anxiousness, nervousness.

What's going through your head when you're in the studio with Missy and you guys are going to come out with this album? Man, you know what's going through my head is I got a job. Okay. That was going through my head, I got a job. Okay. I'm popping now. Right. You know, because all I wanted was $3,000 to help my mama and my parents.

You know what I'm saying? That's all I needed. That's all you wanted? Yeah. That's what we come from. You know what I'm saying? And I look back at it and it's like, wow. Those were the good old days of life.

You know what I'm saying? Not wanting much and taking little and making it so much. You know what I'm saying? So, I was just happy that we got what we wanted, which was a deal. It wasn't no pressure on the first album because it was all fun. Okay. It was all, the rain, that was all,

let's show the people what we got. Okay. That first album, there's no pressure. No pressure. It blows up. Uh-huh. The second album, there's pressure. Now let's talk about that.

That's when Missy took me through the ringer. What? Missy would make, well she always kind of did, but here's what she said, oh this is my sophomore album. So she's like, we got to beat what we did. So she was always like a drill sergeant. She would make me go through a hundred beats before she'd pick one. And she'd be like, Tim, that might be dope for Jay-Z or Ludacris, but I gotta dance to

it. I gotta see the video. I gotta see how my girl's gonna look. So she gave me this whole story. So I was like, it made me look at my beats different. So I started like, is this how the girl's gonna dance to the high notes? Is this sound? Is she gonna, will she go?

So she just, you know, Missy took, you know, she'll make you, she'll put you up here, then she'll bring you down. But that's part of being great. You know, everything that we go through in life, when we get our professional jobs, once you go in the door, you know, everybody, LeBron, you gotta know how to play with LeBron. Once you get on the team, you better know how to play.

So Missy's like, now we on this team, let me show you what Missy's really about. The fun is over. Now this is the Missy that, now that I'm in the door. You're like, well, Missy, if you don't be, it's your boy Tim. You know how we rock. Come on, Missy.

I don't rock that way, Tim. So when she say stuff like that, she a girl, and every time she told me, I'd be like, my sister, right? But why you just, you take me high and you bring me low. You take me high and you bring me low. She a girl and every time she told me, I'd be like, my sister, right? Why you just, you take me high and you bring me low. You take me high and you bring me low. But I enjoy that because it made me who I am today.

I don't think I would have all these Jay-Z records, all the hits that I have if I just settled. She make me not settle. We can be hotter, Tim. We can be doper. Rob Markman, I mean, you look at, I mean, Get Your Freak On and Work It, and her songs are so catchy, and they're so, you know, you dance, and the thing was,

and the videos were so futuristic, even for way back then. I mean, she was way, way ahead of her time as far as videos. And you're like, that's, you're like, I mean, do you sit back and like, that's my thing. That's cold. like, I mean, do you sit back and like, that's my thing, that's cold.

Oh, I do it all the time. I be like, I be like, people around me like, you know that's dope. It's like you get that head nod, you know what I'm saying? We do, we go, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, yeah. And when she, because she bring it to life. Right. She takes something that I present to her, and she just say, watch how I make this blossom.

Right. And she just make it blossom. And I'll be like, I'll just be smiling in the inside. Like, I don't know how to show it on the outside, but the inside, I'll be saying all what you're saying. When you first met Missy, and you're looking at this, she's very small in stature, but presence is like commanding she's a she demands that you look at her she demands that you pay attention to her did you think this small small of a woman could be and what she became and now as far as songwriting she's in the songwriting Hall of Fame she's got a star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame that that's my. That's my homie from BA. Missy is like, who is it? Is it Oprah from Color Purple? Yeah. That's who Missy is like. Missy is, she comes from a single mom. Missy, she always had leadership in her. Okay. So when a person has leadership, it doesn't matter how they lead you Yeah, and Missy was always a great leader

So I I would I'm not surprised of how big she was because you couldn't just come nobody I don't care who you are. You can't just say anything right Missy Missy come she gonna challenge you Challenge okay, and that was a VA thing. She's like you like, oh Missy we should go on top of the moon. You can go on the top of the moon. Missy Elliott ain't going on top of the moon. People be like, you know, you know how this this world is, all the entertainment, all the, oh you should be. No, that's not what we do. She gonna watch her own beat. She really stick to how he was raised in the South and she don't, she don't bend the rules. Other people could be going over there,

Missy ain't going over there. She's very stern, very on point. She has sheer will, and she gonna do what she says she's gonna do. So she always had that leadership, and that's what I always admire her about, because when I broke character, she always stayed in character.

So I'm like, man, she's amazing. This beat, these beats, obviously at the height of the reporter that you've given 500,000, have you ever had to tell someone, Brock ain't let you get on this one? Unfortunately. Unfortunately, nobody from our generation I had to do that. But as I started working with the new generation, I don't say they was bad. I think my ears, I think I got old real. You know what I'm saying?

I got old. This bit like crisis said oh this bit like prices kick it in because I'm like cuz music evolves right but when it was evolving I stopped evolve right so when a person got on it like you off the beat right so I had to start adjusting because I got kid they like that's poppin I'm saying he on the beat man right that's not pop it right saying, he ain't on the beat, man. Right. That's not popping. Right. Then I started saying, okay, music, don't let me down because you leveled up. You leveled up.

So I was a person who changed people's perspective of putting animals in music. Right. So I got to accept the new rhythm of the youth. So I started listening to it. I'm like, wow. That's what's hot now. Yeah, and it started hitting me different. I'm like, oh, I get it.

Right. But when I first walked in the door, it threw me off. And that's when I had to say, bro, you can't have this. Before I say that, I went to my son and I'm like, before I go left, is this dope? That's crazy, you crazy. I'm like, okay, go left, is this dope? That's crazy. You crazy. I'm like, okay.

I got to go back to school. I have aged. I have gotten too comfortable with what I've always been doing and not looking that it can evolve. There's another Timberland come around the door. There's another person come around. When all these tags coming out, I was like, I wasn't prepared for all that. I wasn't prepared for all, you know, the new generation of digital. But I should have known it was coming because we had Pro Tools. And so I should have known that everything is gonna be switched over to a laptop. I was one of those guys to say, oh that ain't music. When Ableton

came out and people started playing on a piano on a pad, then I had to say, yo, that's not a piano. That really took me down. I had a low because I felt like I'm so on point, but I let life get in the way, which steer me to another road where I kind of let music evolve above me So when that happened when I got with the new generation I had to really like take a deep dive and say wait man. What's going on here? Did you ever get and it doesn't seem like this happened?

Well get half your own supply you like you have all these number one hits and they're coming out coming and coming and people come You a a ATM, I need you. Nah, but I don't need you. Did you tell anybody? Did you like, and look back at it and say, man, I shouldn't have done that. Yes, I've done that. All that, what I just told you, based down to that, to say, mm-mm, I don't know what they're doing.

They can't take a Timbo beat. They can't do this. And not understanding that they grew up to my music. Right. And it's bigger than me. And I had to really just do a deep dive into self-reflection and be like, I changed the game. Who am I?

Who are you? Right. These kids look up to you. Their favorite song was Cry Me a River. And it's like, I started to really have talked to my children, because they're younger. So I'm like, they said, you dope. You just got to music and what y'all used to do. And when they started saying that, I was like, oh man, we turned a corner.

So then I started saying, okay, this is dope. This is dope. Then I started getting more active and more in it. And now I'm all the way in it now. But it took some time because I had to come down. I was too high on my ego. It was like a coach. This is my system.

This is what I run. But the players that you have in that system might not be good for that system. What you were used to, you were great at that. Now these players now might not be great at that. So now let me evolve the system to fit today's players. It's just like basketball. I don't know half of the players, so it evolves. It evolves. How many stars? We are creating new stars, so when you watch basketball, I say, do you know? When I went to the basketball game, I'm looking at it like, it's just like music. I don't know nobody. I don't know what they three-pointed game.

I ain't never seen this before. I ain't never seen this before. So that's what music is. It evolves. Our children get better than what we were. They take it to the next level. And I never understood that because I got too caught up in my own high horses. So how did it work?

Did you like, man, I want to work with this artist. You reach out or they reach out to you and say, hey Tim, we heard your beat, we heard what you did with Missy, we heard what you did with Jay, we heard what you did with JT, can you work with us? Or did you wait for them to come to you or did you go to them? Well, there's been a time when I was on that I thought people would come to me, but when I realized that there's a lot of people, they like, man we go to this, we go to that, because they had a sound. So that kind of ended quick because a lot of young people that once I understood and

my ear got more, got corrected back again. So I started reaching out to people that asked, you know, these new artists and saying, hey I want to work with you. Right. Because I admire what they was doing. It was like me surrendering to music. I'm a student all over again. I know I'm a coach, but I want to be Steve Conner. I want to be that coach. I want to go down in history. I got my squad.

I got a team. I'm maybe not the guy. I understand my role. And I tell a lot of people, understand who you are and your strengths and weakness. And I know my strength is guiding people. Yeah, I can do dope beats, but as I started to understand where music was taking me now, it's in that Quincy Jones moment. It's like when Quincy did Thriller, he had a 25-year-old.

He's 50. But Quincy grabbed that person, got Rob Templeton. He grabbed the drummer. He grabbed all these people and made an incredible album. And I said, that's what I have to do with the future of music. So now I reach out to people and tell, and people that's not even big that I see that got talent. Yeah, I noticed that. Because that's the future, that's the world. They gon', you know, everybody can be...

Everybody can jump on somebody that's hot. Yeah. You want to get the guy that nobody knows, give him a beat, guide him, and then make him or her become hot. Yeah, because I want to be the guy, like, when I say something, I'm not saying to take my word. Just give it a, pay attention to it. Right. You know, it's like buying it to your product. Like, I say this drink, it's, hey, Shannon got the best drink.

So if you put out another one, I'm going to Shannon, because Shannon knows. His taste is amazing. Right. got the best drink. So if you put out another one, I'm going to Shannon, because Shannon knows. His taste is amazing. So it's like, I want people to understand when I say music, pay attention. And it's happening. Like, I posted this French guy, Yame, and he said, yo, he called me, he said, now the label

is trying to sign me. And I'm like, well, they ain't trying to sign you before. You was dope before, just singing on acapella. So what I kind of do is like to showcase what's coming after what's already popping today. And it gives me joy because it makes me feel like I'm 19 again when I first got into music and when Missy came to me.

But now I'm like, I created this legendary brand of Timberland being the legend. So I like reaching out to people to show that I'm paying attention to your art. You already know my art but I'm scouting you out. It's like me creating a team. I want to build like, okay, these are my starters. This is quarterback, this is receiver. That's my dad. You know what I'm saying?

Ooh, we need a front runner. We need to go take it to the 100 yard line. So I look at it like that. It's like plays now. It's getting the best of the best and creating. And I was thinking about doing an album like that. I was trying to figure it out because I don't want to do the typical album of getting everybody. I want to take raw talent and show people that... Because all music is about a song. It's not really about so much of the artists no more like we have a hundred songs uploaded every

day on Spotify so with that being said I just want to have to curate the best songs of today with new people who's on your Mount Rushmore producers all time Teddy Riley. Okay. Quincy Jones. Mm-hmm. Dr. Dre. Mm. Pete Rock.

How many is that? That's four. That's it. That's it. Unless you're going to do a new, go back and hit me. It's only four. That's it. Four heads on my Rushmore. Let me, let it for that's it. Oh, hey, I don't my rush more Damn you want to octopus? Let's go ahead. I'm trying to spin the wheel size. Make sure I think the fourth one, right? Teddy Riley, Dr. Dre Quincy Jones

Pete Rock I said Pete Rock because he was the guy who kind of had He was he was the guy who kind of had, he was the first that kind of like, took over the airwaves with all the remix with Douse FX. Then he had Like, he had the guru. Like, it was just a, but then it's hard because I wanted, okay, if I had to, dang, I can't just forget Pamila. And Dilla.

See, I'm stuck. We gonna have to have three. The four one is up, a toss up. Like, I'm stuck. We're going to have to have three. The four one is up, a toss-up. I got to go back and research it. I think the thing is, when you go, when you say Dr. Dre and Quincy Jones, those two got to be there. They got to be there.

Now, we can debate the other two, but you can't have a producer on Mount Rushmore without Dre and without Quincy. You cannot. You cannot. Okay. JT, how did the relationship with you and JT, Justin Timberlake, come about? Justin always, he liked what me and Missy did, and I met him when he was 15 at the studio,

and he was like, hey, man, I want to work with you, and blah, blah, blah. Was he still in the group? Yeah when he was 15 at the studio and he was like, hey man I want to work with you and blah blah blah. Rob Markman, Was he still in the group? Or was this- Yeah, he was still in the group. Rob Markman, Okay. And this was when before Alone came out. Alone was about to, that Michael Jackson, no Gone. Rob Markman, Gone.

Was coming out and this is like right around that time. So he was still in the group but he was about to do a solo album. And so he was already working with Pharrell. And then he came and said he remembered, like, yo, Johnny Wright got with me and said, yo, just want to work with you. So when we got together, we had chemistry because he from Memphis. I'm from Virginia. It's like we kind of grew up on the same things. And when you kind of like had the same background and talk about the same things. And he was already working for Pharrell.

I already knew he was going to click with me. And it was just like a matter of time. If he, you know, because back then you 15. I don't know if you, we say one thing, but he really follow up on it. Like my sound really stuck with him. And he had to work with me. Wake up with football every morning and listen to my new podcast, NFL Daily with Greg Rosenthal. Five days a week,

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He got it. And then when he started dancing, I was like, I said it's over. Because at that time, we haven't seen that. Nobody had ever been able to do that. Exactly. So we came in an era where stuff was- I mean, he could really dance now. What Elvis was doing and shaking his hip and that, that's one thing.

But what he was doing- Was different. Was what we were doing. Exactly. And I was like, oh he go, then he starts singing, I was like, oh he out, it's out of here. Right. When he hit the solo, I said, oh, this is a Michael Jackson. You know what I'm saying?

The Justified album, that was a masterpiece and he, when I did Cry Me a River, that was like one of the last songs we did But like did you know that was gonna be a hit? Do you know do you know like okay? You got a beat and Someone's singing over it. Do you know? at that moment This ish is special Or do you like I mean, I think it's going to be good? Or have you had a situation

where you didn't think, I think it's going to be okay and then it blows up? Or you have one that you think is going to blow up and it don't go anywhere? It's a lot of those. It's a lot of those. It's a lot of those. Because I like all the B-side records.

You know what I'm saying? But for the ones I knew was going to be a hit, that I didn't think was a hit and I didn't think it was going to be a hit was One Minute Man. I didn't like that song. Right. Missy liked it. I was like, I don't like this song. You going to put this out?

Tell me, you crazy. This jam, all my girls, the girls going crazy. I'm like... Yeah, I bet that girl was going crazy. Hell no, we didn't like it. No, you know what I'm saying? I was like, man, one minute, man. You gotta make light of us. I was like, well, I said, man, you gotta put out

some, put out videos on the street. Yeah, yeah, you gotta do it. God, that one minute felt like ten minutes. Yeah, ten minutes, man. You know what I'm saying? You said one minute. Damn. I was like... And I did that sound. I said, you like this?

This feels like nursery rhyme. She said, watch. And then when she said, boy, I'm going to make you love me. I was like, it's dope. But, you know, it still ain't. Then Ludacris got in. And Ludacris called me and said, you don't like this? Boy, you crazy.

I'm about to get on. I'm like, well, I'm going to stand 10 toes down. It's all right. You know what I'm saying? It's cool. Right. But then when it blew up, I said, that girl misses. She knows.

And from that point on. You never questioned anything? It was like Game of Thrones. Like, yes, my queen. Whatever you like. What I'm looking now, you see Justin, he sold his entire music catalog. And we see a lot of artists starting

to unload their music catalog. Justin Bieber sold his for $200 million. Tina Turner sold hers for $300 million. Bruce Springsteen sold his for $500 million. Why do you think guys, artists, are starting to unload their music catalog? I mean, it's a business. You know what I'm saying?

Like what's wrong with it? If somebody, we don't know if that 300 million will be there tomorrow. So what are we holding on to? What are we doing here? We work as hard for these moments. When are people giving out those type of multiples on a check? So I feel like it's all personal preference. You know a lot of people when they sell 300 million, that's a whole to set up for your

family. You know what I'm saying? You go buy businesses, you get with certain people. And then you look at the time they doing Bruce Springsteen, he should have been sold. But guess what? He probably got his business plan of what he want to do with his money, what he want to do. Just add on and make sure you got kids.

I think it's smart business. You know what I'm saying? We build up this catalog for it to sell. But you know, I seen T.I. says different ways of doing it. And he is like- Yeah, he said like, okay, lease it and for a five year, 10 year, you can get it back or just go ahead and unload it outright. So it all goes down to what's your business plan?

So T.I. just gave somebody an individual of another business plan, which is not a bad business plan. Correct. And you just have to go do it. And some people it works, because it's all about, you know, we all black and financial literature is like not good in our community.

So to take a lot of money up front is like what T.I. said is have business plan. Don't just take all that money just to say I sold my catalog. At least have a plan of what you're going to do with that money because it'll go just like that. Because when you pay taxes, you look at it very different. So whatever it was, it's happening. It didn't you be hot in some way. You hear me? I just got a witness of that.

I was like, wait a minute. You took what? Yeah. You know, I had to go sit down. I was like, yo, that's highway robbery, bro. Sadio. That's extortion to me. You know, I was like, wait a minute, man.

So that's why we got to work hard. So it's like you work hard to to to not work hard, right? So if you have an opportunity to go Finance your life livelihood for the rest of 30 years of the rest of your life Why not take that right? You know I'm saying cuz that bank might close look what happened with SUV with right Silicon Valley right just think about you don't know what can happen in this dress market Versus. How did Versus come to be?

Man, we was home. During the pandemic? We was just, we know what tomorrow holds. We thought it was fun. We reconnected with people that we should have been reconnected with, but we live in a world that would move so fast. And I've been saying this. I had told my friends, we just the world shut down yeah right but it actually happened so that means whatever some

somebody say do not say oh that would never happen you better pay attention when they talk about ufo pay attention so when the pandemic it was just me Swizz when we just had a conversation about just life. And I was happy to talk to my friend. I didn't know we was best of friends until we started sharing our personal stories that happened with us, what happened with us in life, our personal stories. And then I just called him one day, I started tagging him. I'm like, all right, what you going to do with this beat? And I just started doing beat battles because we did tagging eyes with him, I'm like, alright, what you gonna do with this beat? And I just started doing beat battles because we did it one time before and TMZ picked it

up when I played the Game of Thrones and we talked about going at each other and we did it on Instagram. Rob Markman, Okay. And then we had the idea when we did Summer Jam, just like do this album where I do Timbo side, he do Swiss side, like a versus Timbo. And then we tried the whole thing out really in Hot 97 and the Summer Jam. And it really worked. But you know, everybody was outside.

Even when the people outside the world go, we just doing the most. So I knew technology. I said once it shut down, I kind of had a, you know, God put on my heart like technology was going to be the new wave. It's going to come in like a storm because we shut down. That's the only way to communication. So I called Swiss, I said, man, remember that idea we had three and a half years, you know, the idea we did Divert, we were battling each other.

Let's do that here. Let's do battling each other. Let's do that here. Let's do that on Instagram. Let's do it now. And it was, I tell you, it was God, you know, moving the universe in the right direction to where it was no problem. And I think what sparked that up was D-Nice. D-Nice was DJing, everybody was on it.

We was all jamming to D-Nice. And I was like, man, what can we do? You know, saying to myself, when I called Swizz, I called Swizz I'm like you know the idea that we had that we did a summer jam let's do it right here on the ground he's like when I said right now he said right now I said yeah why not all right let's give me an album get my get my set up I said all right I'm gonna get my set up and we when we sparked it off it was all because of the love so when we did it we sparked it off, it was all because of the love. So when we did it, we only had 30,000 people.

But it spread it. And then once it spread it, we all came together as a team and like, we got something here. And we just took control of a situation. Because I knew to really build the platform we want to build really takes about two years. And when you want to get your idea out, you don't got two years. You need to show the world. And so we just jumped out and did our thing.

And God bless it to where it caught on like wildfire. And I thank him because he allowed us to know how to follow the lead. Because some people get that spark plug and they go away from it. But I got to thank Swiss. Swiss is a smart businessman. Like, as soon as we saw it and how people was embracing it, he's like, okay, we got to call. We got to have a meeting.

What are we doing? This is what we're doing. I said, right, we're doing this. We got to get the trademark. We got to do this. And then people was like, people was like oh ain't gonna last more past the pandemic but me and swiss knew that this was the new soul train this was a new phenomenon right this was something that's going to go beyond the pandemic and um we just had to believe because we had haters saying oh blah blah once they heard what we were doing and then we we knew as a culture, what I love about the culture,

like they're kind of like a bunch of missies. They be like, that ain't it, that ain't it. And then you got to work past that ain't it to be like, then they be on the line, I thank you. I thank you for doing this. You don't know how much I did, but you was on last week. You was like, why y'all giving me this versus right why are you doing like all right mama auntie we got you guys you know I know you want cornbread yeah I'm gonna

go get you but bear with me so that's how versus was and it's like we really stood tall on that and got past that and I can tell you nothing it made us feel good in our soul. Right. You know what I'm saying like and to see it get to this point to where we elevate and now we get into the real business of it and negotiating certain things and I just thank God that he allowed a tool that was already in place for us to invent our tool that we had. So what can we expect from Versus?

And we see with the artists when they did this, the album sales, a lot of these artists hadn't put out music in a very long time, and we see their sales go through the roof. Everybody go and forget just how great the artists were and go back out and purchase some of their music and start that all over again. So what can we expect from Versus moving forward?

Man, we can expect the same, the Versus effect. And we tell people how real that is like We show them a new business Versus really a new business show like catalogs. Like you said did never been heard It's got kids going back listening to it right versus is a tool of the future Not just like rebirth account a lot that people might have because we sell them the catalog But how do you get those catalogs to be heard again? Right.

Versus is that platform. Okay. So what we got going forward is we trying to do bigger versus. We got a couple lined up, but you know, like now that everybody outside is scheduling. Right. So we working on the scheduling, but we got some big ones. Okay. I got some battles.

I wanted you to know. Tell me. Chris Brown,Usher battle. Chris Brown versus Usher. That's one of our top tens, too. You know, it can happen. We know it can happen. It's just a matter of time because it's good for the culture.

And that's a good one. Dr. Dre Quincy Jones. I didn't see that one. That would kind of be amazing. Well, that's the only one. I mean, can't nobody else battle Dre. Can't nobody else battle Dr. Dre but Quincy. Can't no one battle Quincy but Dre.

That's it. You think so? Who else you going to throw at? Quincy? Sixty years going to throw? Quincy? 60 years in the business. Quincy? How? Ain't nobody can battle Quincy.

But I'm saying, if you're going to throw anything at him, it's got to be Dre. From Sinatra to Ray Charles to Michael Jackson. I see. Come on, man. That's like you. You just said Sinatra. How do somebody come after Sinatra?

I don't know, but I... I can see that, I can see that, but are we missing like, what about like... Gambling Huff? Me personally, I ain't battling Quincy Jones. That's why I say Gambling Huff

because you went like segments of people. Frank Sinatra only one that got like that type of is gambling hub like people who done like from the stylistics all the way down. But I do like the Dre comparison but I'm like when you just said all what he done

I'm like wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute. But Dre I mean you know from Dre from Snoop to Pac Pac, and all those, that he's, I mean, so it'll be interesting. I just want to hear the song. I like the playlist of the two. Yes. But you only get 20 now.

You only get 20. I ain't talking about no catalog cover. You right. You right. Nobody got four days to listen to all these music. See, that's the thing. Like, Quince ain't going on his go for 20. He said man. I got a go up Quince gonna hit us with a series He will be like the first series

Did you join this series? Yeah, you know say like he gonna hit you with a series like you can't get Quincy 20, okay? Drake and hold That would be a good one. But I'd rather see Hove than Nas. Really? Yes. So if you got to put some money on, so if you, if I, hey, hey, hey, your money, you got to put a meal down.

Hove and Nas. I got to put a meal down either one? Yeah, the winner. I'm gonna have to say you get $500 and you get $500. Because both of y'all are winners. Like, that's Hov and Nas, bruh. Prince and Michael. Woo!

So you know. It's! So, you know. It's more difficult than you think because Prince was a writer and people forget that. And now I'm about to go on your side. I'm on your side with that one. I'm on it. Like, people probably get mad when they see this.

Yes! But don't you? That Prince, it said written, composed, and produced. And composed and produced is the same thing. So what is the pole some extra stuff? You know? like That's serious, bro. So I was thinking like the whole creation of like doing that like cuz I want to see that I Want it? I want like people that pick the best from his family, 20, and the Jackson family pick their 20. Right.

That would be amazing. Because you know all this technology. Yeah, we can put a hologram. We put the hologram up. Yeah, the AI. We're going to love it. Yes. We're going to go crazy.

The new technology, we're going to go crazy. Since we got the hologram, we got the technology. Yeah. Tupac and Biggie. You know, that's what the world waiting for. That's what we all waiting for. Yeah. I'm waiting for it.

I'm waiting for it. I'm waiting for it like as long as people, to me it's like, let me be creative. Don't judge it. People are like, don't play with the dead. Don't do that. I get it, but it's like, it's music. Right. I want to hear the music. I want to know what I, I want to relive these memories again. You know what I'm saying? I really think that Tupac and Biggie is necessary. Right. And I know people are probably going to be upset. I really think the two-clock and Biggie is necessary right and don't I know people probably gonna be upset I Just think of Leah too. Yeah, I just don't know you know I'm saying I don't I don't know who you put against That's what I don't know, but she needs to be in this conversation

Whitney Mariah That needs to be done. I like that. Look at that playlist. Mariah and Whitney, do you know how they catalog and go out the roof? Mm-hm. That's actually a view, I'd rather see that one first. That's what you want to see first? Not the Biggie 2 Pop, but that one.

Right. Because that sets the tone. It gets the world ready. Right. Because that sets the tone. It gets the world ready. It sets the sentimental tone. And it's like Mariah, we're going to cry. We're going to be emotional. And Mariah is going to bring it because she's going to talk her talk in them songs back to back. And just us seeing it.

You know, they try these documentaries with I Want to Dance, but that's really the I Want to Dance for somebody. We did the verses. The I Want to Dance, what everybody want to do, but that's really the I want to dance for somebody. If we did a versus, the I want to dance where everybody want to do this documentary on Whitney is really the versus. Like what you just said, Whitney and Mariah Carey. Who can we put Adele against? I would love to see Adele go really against Alicia again. I know Alicia did John. That was great. She did that one but I would want to see Alicia again with Adele. I don't know if anybody ever

thought about this one. What about B and Riri. You know, it's funny. Who can we put against B? Is there anybody we can put against B? Aretha Franklin? It can't be nobody from her era. No, no, it can't be nobody from her era. No. No. It can't.

She's a standalone. It has to be Aretha Franklin. It has to be somebody that's here, if a legend is here or a legend is not here. Right. She's a standalone. Who can we put against Marvin Gaye? Teddy Pendergrass, Luther, Barry White, I'm trying to think, Sam Cooke.

I mean, who would you like to see battle Marvin? What name did you just say? You said like four. I said, I started out with Marvin a Marvin Teddy Teddy P. I think Teddy I'm doing I'm doing like a collage in my head. Oh, that's a good that's a good playlist not only that versus versus is a curated thing so it's like Your curation is act is some is accurate because I'm looking at Playlisted because like you said we raised the catalog and that's what switches great at Your curation is accurate because I'm looking at playlisting.

Because like you said, we're raising catalogs and that's what Swish is great at, is curating these playlists in the whole diverse genre. When people go back and listen to the playlist and when you put, I didn't know they had that song. I didn't know you do that. Exactly. And now you got more music in your car, right? You know now you like oh the verses is is Marvin

and Teddy mm-hmm, so now you go your Apple music you like But Teddy I mean people don't remember this but Teddy used to have female-only car Do it all today. Do that female only That's. Damn it, how did they go do that? Mm-hmm. Female-only. That's what I say. Mm. Mm. That's a mean one.

You mentioned Aaliyah. Sing. She was in movies. How big would she have been had she not tragically lost her life? Was she headed to, I mean, we see Beyonce.

Beyonce sang, she's in movies. Was she going to be Beyonce before Beyonce? I think it would have probably been, just how I would have think it would have been. Four girls. This is how I think it would have been. Four girls. Well, five. Missy, Beyoncé.

I say, you know, like, five, like, top-notch girls. Missy, Beyoncé, Aaliyah, Rihanna. There's another girl, too. Nicki. I think she would have been in those top five. I don't know if she would have beat or been... We don't know that. But she would have been top five.

Top three, maybe. Another guy that produced and songwrites. I believe you can separate art from an artist. You can say what he produced and what he did was unbelievable in the art form and be disgusted by what he did as a person, and that's R. Kelly. And sometimes, because the depravity in what he did, you throw everything that he's done artistically away. I don't believe you can do that.

No, you cannot. I believe you can separate the two. Yes, you can. I have. I agree. I agree. Talk about Kelly the artist. There's nothing to try to downplay or whatever he did outside of the music realm, because we know. R. Kelly's the king of R&B.

We all know that, man. And it's funny, I'm glad you talk about that, because I be having talks with everybody jumping when you say R. Kelly. I'm like, so we just gonna ignore his music that he gave us that we all jammed to? No, we can't do that. Right.

His art is his art. I'm not gonna bash him. But he gave us that we all jam to? No, we can't do that. Right. His art is his art. I'm not gonna bash him. But he ain't the only one that got some things in his closet, but we still listen to the music. Exactly. And to me, we have to learn how to, I think as a culture, we have to learn how to separate that.

And if I say, okay, who can battle R. Kelly? I don't wanna see in the comments, how you gonna have this? Don't mix music up with personal. Music is a feeling that stands alone. Music is something that don't have no race, that brings people together. It don't have no drama with it. It is a place of enjoyment, of feeling. So don't bring drama into music.

Leave that outside. His art is his art. I say the same thing about a lot of people, you know, that they're great artists, but we look at what they do on a personal level. And try to disqualify the art. You can't do that. I'm looking at some of the guys, some of the people that you work with from Rihanna to Beyonce, Ludacris, Snoop, Mariah, Brandy, Alicia Keys, Ross, Petey Podolo, Pastor Troy, Brother Sparks.

How do you go about with these? I mean, you look at these guys, this is a who's who. And then you go Michael Jackson, Nelly Furtado, Miley Cyrus, Elton John, Shakira, Katy Perry, Brad Paisley, One Republic, Nickelback, Limp Bizkit, Lindsay Lohan, Coldplay. Bruh, you all over the map. I don't know. I don't know. I didn't know. You just said all that, but I just now noticed that.

I just look at it like my job. It's music. Yeah, it's music. It doesn't matter the genre of music. It can be country. It can be R&B. It can be pop. It can be whatever.

Because I know I'm going to bring my swag to it. Right. So to me, it's like another day at the office. Right. Let's go do it. Like it's a challenge. It was a challenge. Because I'm like, what do y'all want from me?

Right. We want you. OK, well, you want a little bit of what you used to? Whip me on top. Just do you. You really want that? That's what I say. All right. And they allow it.

Right. And we made history. Who you been most surprised by that gave you a call and said, we want you? Elton John. Because I'm like, Elton, I mean. But I had an idea when I got in the studio. I'm like, I don't want you to sing. I just want you to play.

And I'm gonna put a choir around you playing. Okay. So he was like, so where you gonna play? Just, whatever. Just go. So you tell Elton John to just play. You're gonna put something around him. Is that normally what you do?

Or do they ask for, they're like, okay, this is what I have. Okay, how do you enhance it? Well, it's like it's like you know I came Elton John was following my lead because he's like the he's the he's the GOAT right and I'm young Timbo well I had this vision so it was like he was following my lead okay you know saying because it wasn't what I guess he was used to working with. Right. But I knew who Elton John and his talent. And I knew my favorite song was Benny and the Jet. Benny!

Yeah. And I was like, love all his music. So it was like, I just wanted to play. I don't want to sing because I don't know how I'm going to flip to singing, which I could have. Right. But I just want him to, I want to showcase his art or what he gifted was and it's playing So I said this had this beat. I said this play to this let's play And we I'm gonna put the choir to it. He just let me do what I do and he came back and I played it for him

He was shocked Wow you work with artists that's what you normally do but how different is it collabing with a producer? Scott Storch, you collab with, you know, collabing with an artist, a Beyonce or you know, somebody that sings and you're producing the beat, but now you got another producer and they do what you do. That was fun because now you're meeting like-minded people and Scott was always dope, you know, Scott was dope and when I did Kraming River I was just me beatboxing you know all that stuff and I say I need Scott to play them chords over top of that and I called Scott he was right

there and he did it and he started adding his sauce I knew Scott was always he was incredible right you know I'm saying Scott had a gift I guess Scott is like you know I look at Quincy Young as he developed his team at that young age. It's the same thing. And Scott was the guy with all the soul, you know, the roots knew who he was. That's why he came up with the roots and all that. Scott was like a perfect person to collab with because it's like LeBron and AD, you know, you put a great team together. Like, I could pass the ball to him, I know he gonna get 20. You know that Scott I mean Scott was the guy his soul was just like my soul we was like musical soul brothers right working with

holes you guys go back and you see what's giving flowers yeah what money he making you know I want to have hold on. I want to give him his flowers. You got to give him a goddamn garden. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, definitely, for sure. You go in the studio and you work with Hov. Obviously, early in his career. But did you know Hov was going to turn out to, like, go from what he was, he talked about cooking on the stove,

sat on the corner, to rapper, to entrepreneur, to multi-billionaire. You know, I'm glad we talking about this guy never really like, Jay-Z is a prophet. I don't know if y'all read the Bible, or any scholars of the Bible. God sent him. Like, I never seen nobody like Hov.

Hov actually raised me. 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 like I had a different bond with Jay when it come to my music. It was like we was rewriting the Bible in a way or rewriting history as it's gonna be. How Jay-Z saw the world going forward, Shannon, I ain't seen nothing like it.

When I say this guy speak multiple languages, when we did Picasso, that wasn't the first version. The first version was like all the Hebrew language and all like the Jews. He was just breaking it down. And that's when I realized like this guy not human. He's different. I learned about chess from him. I learned a lot of things just being around him.

So for me, it was like going to Black Harvard University. Right. watching Moses. And I'm following him as he leads us through the desert. Because Jay, I knew he was destined for greatness. I knew I'm watching the next biggest thing since, I don't want to say Elvis, I don't want to say, I want to say, no I don't want to say them, I want to say E.T. Wow.

Cause when E.T. came out, it shook the world. Just, that was a movie. Right. I'm saying to you, Hov is a movie. When he did that DJ Khaled song, people should really take that. The God-diver? Yes, and really chew it.

And really use that for a guideline of your life. Jay-Z gave you raps that can help your business. That's how powerful that man is. Slaves me on anywhere on God's green earth, I'll triple my net worth. Slaves me on anywhere on God's green earth, I'll triple my net worth. So when you... our age now, you got to look back. That man was 20 talking about...

He does give you a blueprint of what you can become. Exactly. From what he was to what he is. And he...he taught me so much, bro. And I'm glad I was a student to get to see it you've had some struggles in your life you had an addiction yes I did and you said you weren't Tim and not only did it affect you it affected affected impacted others around you yes how did this addiction come about?

Not really being sure who I am. You know, a lot of people... I can say this now. When we talk about haters, it's really the inner me and the inner me. I was fighting the enemy within me. I was married at the time. And doing things, you know, not really

knowing who I am, chasing things that's false. And just life just got a little bit aggressive. It got the best of me. And so to deal with all the pressures of life, it started with a dentist taking Vicodin. Then the Vicodin made me feel like Superman. It made me get over everything. And then all of a sudden, I just kept... I found myself just taking it all the time. I had a doctor that was giving it to me at all the times. My mom was a great prayer warrior. She was in the church, and she told me she had a dream

of me being, like... My face was turning blue or something like that. And then... I was on it, like, for, like... of me being like my face was turning blue or something like that and then i was on it like for like i was taking like 160 milligrams a day of oxycontin wow and everybody that i know who done that died you know what i'm saying so i think i even died you know at one point in time where i got out i had an out of body experience where I was laying in the bed And I saw myself laying in the bed

And from that point on you know God has changed my mind and um I Didn't go to a doctor. I didn't I did it cold turkey here I just started weaning myself off and you can put pills in front of my face I could just look at it be like cuz I ain I ain't going to sit here and hold you. I'd be like, oh, it feels great. It's amazing. But it's not amazing. Right.

You know what I'm saying? So I try to be an advocate and talk about that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. And I put my mind to it with the help of God and praying. He weaned me off. I didn't have to go be on another drug to get off a drug. Wake up with football every morning and listen to my new podcast, NFL Daily with Greg Rosenthal. Five days a week, you'll get all the latest news, previews, recaps, and analysis delivered straight to your podcast feed by the time you get your coffee. No dumb hot takes here,

just smart hot takes. We'll talk every single game every single week, but I can't do it alone, so I'm bringing in the big guns from NFL media. That's Patrick Cla every single game, every single week, but I can't do it alone, so I'm bringing in the big guns from NFL media. That's Patrick Claiborne, Steve Weiss, Nick Shook, Jordan Rodrigue from The Athletic, and of course, Colleen Wolfe. This is their window right now. This is their Super Bowl window.

Why would they trade him away? Because he would be a pivotal part of them winning that Super Bowl. I don't know why, Colleen. Catch the podcast, the NFL Daily with Greg Rosenthal every day. Subscribe today and you'll immediately be smarter and funnier than your friends. And who doesn't want that? Listen now on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Did the Peel Edition impact your your marriage did that have a role I think if impact my whole life God took me to the to the bottom where that when

I got the voice you know the voices like that thing like a business is you destroys you you lose everything you lose everything so for me you know it just not it just it was a self reflection for me. So I didn't mind going back to the crushing place You know how because God needed to wake me up, you know saying like I'm gonna I'm gonna redeem you Mm-hmm, but I got a humble you too. I got to break you down and make me realize a lot of things in life I was taking for granted. Mm-hmm, you know when we young we get money it's just a lot of things I was taking for granted and I just started appreciating little things like being able to stretch you know be able to still run like my organs still work that I still can got my right mind

you know it was just me the drugs had me because I was an introvert and I felt like that being an introvert ain't gonna get you ain't gonna get you paid because you just you can't be quiet you gotta go out and mingle yeah you guys so the drug helped me to do that but people started noticing like Tim you all right you you did did your work slip because of the pill addiction oh did it a lot God took my hearing away he took my I couldn't hear I couldn't hear right I remember I was in the studio with Tinashe and I was playing this beat and then I thought about it and I was like, that was the wackest beat ever. But in my head, but I was still going through recovery stage, so I shouldn't

have really gotten to that room. But because I ain't no quitter, I'm a do it. I'm a do it. But I know through me still getting off of the drug, I still had some relapse that still wasn't correct. And it wasn't, I couldn't hear properly. So I was just, I was trying to get back at something that God gave me. So I neglect the gift. I neglect music. I thought I was bigger than music. And that's not how it works. Right.

You know, you got to give God all the glory for what you have, your gift. And don't get above the gift. And I got above the gift. And the drugs had me like, I'm Timbo. Everybody's going to come to me. Right. And then when I realized, ain't nobody coming to me. You know what I'm saying?

And my energy is wearing off on the world. And I didn't even know it in social media. Stuff I was saying was just all. Yeah, a reporter that Hov told you said, man, don't do no interviews. Yup. That's what I'm trying to say. He's a prophet. Right.

You know, even Drake told me. That's why I said that's when I look at people like those guys. Those guys are like special to the world. Like, you know, Drake, I think I did something, talk crazy on one revoke, and Drake's like, yo man, you don't wanna do that and have to go back and apologize later. You wanna check it.

I commend people like that for correcting me on my behavior. Chris Brown correcting me on my behavior. So I commend people because that's what we need right even though it might cut to the night right I don't look at it as what's up would you try to say I don't look at it as a baby that used to be that used to be how we did a community raised kids exactly growing up if the elderly people or somebody of older than you saw you do

it wrong they say Tim don't do that mm-hmm step jump so I know curse you too young to curse. Are you too young to steal you too young to smoke? But somehow we lost that now that if we see other blacks and we try to correct them I'll let that man live you being an all the time you speaking man. He's thinking negative, but they thought enough of you They say man Tim. This ain't you man. That's why I say it's love they thought enough of you. They say, man, Tim, this ain't you, man. That's why I say it's love.

That's why I love it. Because nobody got to say nothing just to watch you fall. You know what I'm saying? Now, once they give you the information, it's up to you to do what you do. Now, I didn't do it as much because the drugs had a little bit more to it. But once I started breaking myself off,

weaning myself off, divorce, then all the stuff started coming out in my divorce like Who was doing this by you know? And I say behind my back but stuff I wasn't paying attention to right because I fought me because I couldn't pay if be something Different if I was paying attention, right? So I can't say oh nobody did me wrong because the drugs have my mind and thinking that I'm always be this I'm always do that which is kind of like You kind of need that mentality because that mentality kept me going

I didn't like how the mentality came on from a drug abuse if it was just me being natural being like all right That's what it is because it'll allow me to get out of the situation It's the thing that makes us great that also makes us most valuable exactly Heroes and the villain in one. What is a Timbo studio session like? I mean, is there ambiance going on? You got, I mean, what's a,

we coming in, we got, okay, we got a studio. What time you normally, you're sitting? What time? Which, okay, which era are you talking about? Okay, I guess these young dudes, they coming to that thing at like midnight, 2 o'clock, 2 a.m. Well, that's how I used to start. Okay. I didn't go to school until like 1 o'clock.

So what the hell you doing? You ain't got no other job? Sleep. Like a vampire. I'm going to tell you, I was gone, man. I was gone. I keep the shades down. I was in the dark, bro.

I was in get out, for real. Like, for real. Like, for real. Like, for real. Like, I tell people now, people on lean and stuff, I be like, I know the feeling. I know the goodness of it, but I know the bad outweighs the good. Right. I slept with the shades down.

Like, who sleeps in darkness? I never wanted the shades up. I constantly just, oh, the sunlight's hurting my eyes. That's darkness, man. Like, I ain't start. I ain't come out to the dark. Right. And I constantly just, oh, the sunlight's hurting my eyes. That's darkness, man. Like, I ain't start. I ain't come out to the dark. And I felt like, you know, I look back at it like now, and Pharrell always had the like, nine to five, I'm out of there. I was like, nine to five? I don't want to get started until 12 o'clock. You know what I'm saying? So it was like, but now I look at it like I'm getting better because, you better because I train, I work out, I take care of my body.

I do all of that. So I started around about 12, and I try to stop at like 9 because of my brain. Look, I ain't got no more juices in me, bro. We got two hits today. Because after that, I know it's going to be bull crap. I ain't going to fool myself. I'm going home to watch some TV, watch your show. You a skimp.

You ain't out there to ring one. Watch your show. You would skip. You know what I'm saying? I'd ring one. Then I'd go back into a beat. So coming to a Timberland session today is like I go in there with my team of young producers and I go in there and be coach, Coach Simbo. And go in there, dictate, let's move this, let's change this, let's do this.

And we go in there, we make about three or four hot ones and let's go live life. Let's go look at some TVs, read a book, let's go look at something. Because you can't just sit in there and just constantly do music, it's repetitious, it's repetitious. And after a while, you're kind of like overloading. You have to take a break.

And I've learned that through time, taking a break helps you recover and come back. Stay focused. I watch and follow you on social media and I see that you work out, you spend a lot of time and I want to commend you on that because I like to see when brothers take care of themselves and that their health is a big priority. I mean, wealth doesn't mean anything

if you're not healthy. To see you do that and see the transformation that you've put your body through and you did it all through hard work. Thank you You inspired me Look how you look I tell I tell my coach feels it loaded out tell him all the time man look how Shannon look

I hope you don't ever take off his shirt Yeah, I see a fishy task rate to me so he said he got here replace I said, I see a picture you tag straight to me. He said he got hip replaced. I said, his hips don't look bad to me. I'm over here like, yo, it's you, The Rock. And I'm like, being 50 is like being 20 all over again. And my dad just had two strokes. And, you know, and God bless him. He still, you know, didn't lose too much. Don't have, you know, just got a little speech.

Got hit by 18 willa ran over him back and forth that's all only thing he did was poopoo on herself but you know i'm saying so i look at the bloodline of our of our family right my dad so i'm like yo i've been on heavy narcotics right um my kids i want to be i don't and i just i don't want to be, I don't want to be lazy. I know that I'm better than this. And I always had vision when I look in the mirror. Some people can look at their weight and everything. I was just one who always saw, when I look at, say you, Jerome Bettis, The Rock, I'm

like, see that's, I got that bone structure. I pull the fit, like when they go line each other up, I want to stand, at least I'm at the end of the line. I ain't gonna say that because I ain't know. I said, then I was looking at athletes and I just started like, yo, I could be like that. But then I always like food used to be a part

of it. So I had to just say, you know what? I'm like John Wick. I got sheer will. You know what? I could do this. And so I just started like, I look at you and I just watch you in the gym. I look at all y'all and I'm like, no, this 50s and new 30s. Like, you know what I'm saying? Look at these guys. Like, that's how you're supposed to look. You're supposed to

be healthy, keep it going. Like, you're not supposed to get old. And then it's just like, you only get one car. Your body's your car. You get one life. You know what I'm saying? You get one life. I mean, I got both hips replaced. You can get knee replacement. You know, heart, lung, kidney. You can't replace life. No you can get your knees replacement, you know, heart, lung, kidney.

You can't replace life. No. I'm looking at him like, look at this, he's 20 years old, bro. I'm like, I just told him, I said, man, TB don't do him justice. These cameras gotta stop. They gotta stop that, bro. These cameras adding, no, y'all lenses is off. Because I'm looking at him like, you still play.

Y'all still T.O. all these people. I beat, I'm looking at him, bro, like, he still playing. You know, y'all still T.O., all these people. Right. I beat, I'm amazed at athletes. Like, I took a new liking to all athletes because the abuse that y'all take. Yeah. The critic, people who don't even work out tell you that you, you know, I see you in skip and you talk, oh, he made, but have you got on the field? Have you lifted weight? Until you start looking at what y'all do and what y'all put your body through,

it's a respect that I love. I worked out with Chris Paul. He was like, man, just you being not an athlete, this is what I do for a job. But you come out here and put it in with me, I respect you. I would buy anything you're selling because you put in the work. And I ain't really understood that. But until I saw them, I'm like, man, we talk about the big pays. That's cool, but what they go through.

I mean, everybody sees the payday, but they don't know the process that took to get to the payday. It's just like you. I mean, they see the beat, but they don't understand what you went through growing up to perfect the craft. That finally, the culmination is, cry me a river suit and tie yeah missy beats and all that other thing they don't see that all they see is the payoff that's all this but see I have a whole not respect and I felt like I came with a program we call push and peace there I feel like people of our age our generation talking to the men's this from 40 on up right 30 on up look it's

not about it's about mental clarity right working out is cool for the body but it really makes me clear it gives me a high that I never I can't explain and it makes me look at life a little different it takes away anxiety for me it's just it's just a whole lifestyle like it's my whole life like I can't I don't like to travel if I like my meals is messed up. I'm very serious with it. I'm so serious with it. I'm like, wait a minute. What do I got to do for two days? Oh, man. Let me figure out my schedule. I need my supplements. I need this. I feel good. I have great doctors around me just teaching me about the body. They say, yo,

Tim, I'll get your glucose monitor. I say, I ain't got no disease I got a heart but no we want to turn you to a fat burning machine not a sugar burning machine right so I started getting the glucose monitor putting on my arm and going like this I'm really all into it because I feel like it's it's allowing me to do things like this you have a conversation when I used to be skiing right okay I didn't used to I didn't think I had enough in me to do this You don't say my education ain't all that great. You know I'm saying I don't know but I'm and it allows me to say Tim you good you I made your your imperfection perfection, right? Don't show your gift. You don't know who you can touch

So I just started just being free and be by me working out. It allows me the endorphins in my brain to say I'm a better me. Yeah, if you take ownership of your imperfections, your frailties, then no one can make you feel inferior about them. Exactly. And when I work out with the athletes and they go faster, they look at me and he got a lot of fighters that come in there. He trained all these fighters and they be like, I'm like man. I ain't trying with these guys ready

But but he said no get in there. That's what you need He get it now get in there and then they look at me they dap me up They really dap me up. Yeah, like I could tell ain't just because I'm Timbo the kid They really like yeah, yo Because that's because that's what we do. We're athletes. We train. That'll be like if we came in the studio and we did okay on the track, you're like, okay. Okay, okay, okay.

Yeah. Yeah. That's the same thing. We're going to give you yours because that's what we do. We train. Our job is body and to make sure our body is performing at peak condition and heat and heat. Yes.

Yes. And so I wanted to commend you on that. Let me ask you a question, get you out of here on this. Are we going to get a Timbo Missy reunion? And you got anything, any new music coming out? Yes, we are getting a Timbo Missy. I'm gathering up the sound because it's a certain sound

that I want her to have. You know, you see how good she look right now? Yeah. She look like she 20 years old. Yeah. So I want to give her a sound that fit how she looks. Okay. And that's my job to get her excited why she's doing all the things I think she's doing lovers and friends

She got a lot of festivals coming up. So I'm just gathering all my material to really go Sit down with her I know April's gonna be a busy month But I got to finish up with her and I'm gonna try that we're gonna try to put it out around her birthday in July Okay My god, Timbo appreciate you bro love and this was beautiful. Thank you, bro. I appreciate it and we gonna try to put it out around her birthday in July. Okay. My God. Kembo, appreciate you, bruh. Love.

Brandon, this was beautiful, bruh. Thank you, bruh. I appreciate you taking the opportunity to sitting down and talking with me, bruh. Amen. But look, this Shea. Cheese! All my life, been grinding all my life.

Sacrifice, hustle, pay the price. Want a slice, got to roll the dice. That's why all my life, I be grinding all my life. All my life, been grinding all my life. Sacrifice, hustle, pay the price. Want a slice, got to roll the dice. That's why all my life, I be grinding all my life. Wake up with football every morning and listen to my new podcast,

NFL Daily with Greg Rosenthal. Five days a week, you'll get all the latest news and the best analysis delivered by the time you get your coffee. The show hits every single game every single week, but I can't do it alone, so I'm bringing in all the big guns from NFL media like Colleen Wolf. Subscribe today and you'll immediately be smarter and funnier than your friends. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.