Timbaland

It all started for Timothy Mosley when his mother bought him a Casio keyboard when he was a teenager. The Virginia Beach native taught himself how to play—but he didn’t stop there. He also taught himself how to play the guitar and drums.

By the time he was finished with high school, Mosley, nicknamed Timbaland, was already sure that his life would be dedicated to music. He began writing songs, experimenting with sounds, and joining bands. His real talent, though, lay in helping others create a sound that was right for them.

Find out how, from his first tinkerings on that Casio keyboard, Timbaland became one of the music industry’s most popular producers, helping people like Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, Nelly Furtado, and Missy Elliott become megastars, and how he found a successful career as a recording artist in his own right.