25 iconic songs produced by Timbaland

Although Timbaland had production sessions with Jodeci back in the ‘90s, his prominent placement came with Ginuwine’s debut single “Pony.” The track’s bassline and melody driven by vocoded vocals come blazing across speakers as Ginuwine details horseback riding as a metaphor for sex.

In 1997, Timbaland & Magoo released Welcome to Our World, their debut studio album. The album was led by “Up Jumps Da Boogie,” which featured a verse from Missy Elliott and vocals from Aaliyah. The smooth party anthem helped set the tone for their success in hip-hop and R&B.

When Jay-Z fans think of “Dirt Off Your Shoulder,” they often refer to the viral clip showcasing the rapper and Timbaland working in the studio creating it. Timbaland plays a few instrumentals in the clip, but the one that really blows Jay away is the infectious beat to “Dirt Off Your Shoulder.” It’s no wonder Jay and Timbaland continue to be great collaborators.

Missy Elliott was building her career as a producer and songwriter for other artists, and she broke out on her own in 1997 with “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly),” her debut single. Teaming up with her friend and frequent collaborator Timbaland, the production contains thunderstorm sounds and samples of Ann Peebles’ song “I Can’t Stand the Rain.”

Timbaland is a master at perfectly mixing sounds that don’t always seem like they could fit together. While Aaliyah’s 1998 hit “Are You That Somebody” oozes with Timbaland’s signature beatboxing style, the producer also adds a sound of a baby cooing throughout the song.

In “Make Me Better,” Fabolous and Ne-Yo detail how women are solid forces on their own and make men better when they're by their side. Timbaland’s production applies a heavy string section sampling Sherine’s “Al Sa’ban Aleh" that helps make this track a standout.

Jay-Z has worked with Timbaland several times throughout his career, going back to his 1998 album Vol.2…Hard Knock Life. However, one of their most iconic collaborations came with Jay’s hit single “Big Pimpin.’” While a song sample caused years of copyright lawsuits, “Big Pimpin’" remains one of Jay’s biggest hits.

The production of Lil' Kim’s hit song “The Jump Off” sounds like a song one would hear while attending a college football game. The track’s blaring snares and horn elements showcase the essence of a marching band.

Timbaland is a master at making songs with a whole lot of bounce. He did just that on Bubba Sparxxx’s breakthrough single “Ugly.” Toward the end of the track, Timbaland adds a sample of Missy Elliott’s “Get Ur Freak On” as he switches back and forth between that beat and “Ugly.”

A beatboxing rhythm is often heard in Timbaland’s productions. This was the core of Justin Timberlake’s “Cry Me A River.” The beginning of the track sounds like an opera singer's chant before the beatboxing and synthesizers come in. “Cry Me A River” also features a choir toward the end with additional vocals from Marsha Ambrosius.

Fans and critics were shocked when Nas released the single "You Owe Me," most likely because it was so different from anything he had released. Although the song received mixed reviews, Ginuwine’s vocals and Timbaland’s catchy production make for a party track about people owing Nas some money.

Jay-Z teamed up with Timbaland a few times on his 12th studio album, Magna Carta Holy Grail. “Tom Ford,” the second single, received production from Timbaland alongside J-Roc. In typical Timbo fashion, the beat on the hook turns into a mesh of sounds that surprisingly work together and seemingly could be production heard in a video game.

Although Timbaland is typically known for producing hip-hop and R&B records, he’s capable of jumping to any genre. He did that when he teamed up with Nelly Furtado on her 2006 hit single “Promiscuous.” While the song is primarily electro-pop, Timbaland mixes in hip-hop elements, and it helped Furtado earn her first No. 1 hit in the US.

Missy Elliott’s 1999 hit “All N My Grill” showcases how the worlds of hip-hop and classical music can be a perfect marriage. The string section gives elements of an orchestra backing the essential Timbaland drum sound.

In 2008, pop legend Madonna released her eleventh studio album, Hard Candy. She teamed up with Timbaland and Justin Timberlake on the album’s lead single, “4 Minutes.” Timbaland brings a marching band sound as the track reflects on saving the world in record time.

The magic that Aaliyah and Timbaland created propelled the late singer as the "it girl" of R&B. With additional songwriting and composing from Static Major, Aaliyah's single “We Need A Resolution” helped showcase how Timbaland was constantly innovating her timeless sound. 

Ludacris teamed up with Timbaland on his 2002 hit song “Rollout (My Business).” The heavy horn section lends a marching band sound, which helps showcase Ludacris’ Southern roots.

There was a point during Timbaland’s career where a lot of his production was inspired by bhangra. That was evident when he worked with Missy Elliott on her hit single “Get Ur Freak On.” The song reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100.

In 2007, Timbaland released his second studio album, Shock Value. Timbaland teamed up with hitmaker Ryan Tedder on the third single, “Apologize,” which featured OneRepublic. The piano-driven track initially sounds like a drama pop song before Timbaland adds his signature beatboxing sound.

During the late '80s and early '90s in Jay-Z's career, he appeared on several songs such as "The Originators" alongside his mentor Jaz-O. In 1999, he teamed up with Jaz-O again on his hit single "Jigga What, Jigga Who," which seemed like a full circle moment for them. 

If there was ever a track that helped put the state of North Carolina on everyone’s radar, it was Petey Pablo’s debut single, “Raise Up.” The song samples Egyptian percussionist Hossam Ramzy’s “Enta Omri III,” and Pablo had every Carolina native proud of their home state. 

In 1996, Aaliyah worked with Timbaland and Missy Elliott on her sophomore album, One In a Million. “If Your Girl Only Knew” was the album’s lead single. It showcased how much Aaliyah was ready to elevate her sound. The track was a mid-tempo groove filled with funky guitar licks, and it became a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

When Timbaland released his second studio album, Shock Value, fans understood he was experimenting with different sounds than what they were used to. “The Way I Are” is filled with electro-pop, house, and R&B elements.  

In typical Timbaland bounce fashion, he added a huge horn, string, and drum section on Memphis Bleek's "Is That Your Chick." Timbaland would also use his production on other songs he crafted. Missy Elliott's "Get Ur Freak On" samples this Memphis Bleek track. 

Timbaland gave The Lox their biggest hit on the We Are the Streets album with “Ryde or Die, Chick.” The production is hip-hop meets Latin music, as percussions and Spanish guitars drive the song.