Timbaland opened up about his past struggles with drug addiction during a recent episode of The Pivot podcast, sharing how it affected his music and perspective on his career.
The producer said his addiction started during the production of Justin Timberlake’s The 20/20 Experience and continued as he worked on Jay-Z’s Magna Carta Holy Grail and Beyoncé’s “Drunk in Love.” Reflecting on that time, Timbaland said, “It was fun. Those were cool albums, but my best work was done when I wasn’t on drugs. It was just fun and creative. I was doing all of those albums back to back.”
While those projects were successful, Timbaland believes they don’t represent his strongest work. “I look back at it now and they were great, but they don’t stand out like my big records, like ‘Big Pimpin,’ ‘Dirt Off Ya Shoulder,’ and ‘One In A Million,’” he said. “Those are drug-free, so when I look back at my highlights, that (drug period) is probably a dip.”
Timbaland has since recovered and returned to music with renewed focus. Last month, during a livestream, he expressed interest in collaborating with artist Plaqueboymax. “Somebody said I should do a stream with Plaqueboymax,” Timbaland said. “Yes, we should… I’d love to be on his stream and do some music with him.”
In a separate interview last year on Club Shay Shay with Shannon Sharpe, Timbaland spoke in more detail about his addiction. He said it began with Vicodin and escalated to taking 160 milligrams of OxyContin daily. He credits Jay-Z and Drake with offering support during that time.
Timbaland’s openness about his journey highlights the challenges he faced during a high-profile period in his career and the steps he’s taken to return to a healthier creative space.
