Jay-Z and Timbaland have created some genuinely epic hits together. From ‘Big Pimpin’ to ‘Dirt Of Your Shoulder’, there was undoubtedly a synergy between the two. However, the pair once had a significant disagreement that led to the former collaborators entering a feud.
In 2008, Jay-Z began working on his album The Blueprint III. While creating the project, the Brooklyn rapper (real name Shawn Carter) called upon Timbaland to help him craft some exciting songs. However, following a creative impasse, a rift began to appear.
In an interview with BBC Radio 1, Carter explained the debacle, unveiling, “The fall out happened at the end of that album… A couple of songs were getting leaked, and they were his songs, and it just ruined the whole process.”
Jay continued, “Kanye, who was executive producer of The Blueprint III, was like, ‘Let’s get Tim, let’s bring Tim in,’ and we were all inviting of him, and he just wasn’t accepting of the process. It seemed like it was more about him than the actual album.” The Brooklyn musician claimed that the Virginia beatmaker (real name Timothy Mosley) had an ego problem.
Asserting that there is never a need for that kind of attitude, Carter divulged, “When you go and make an album, you have to put all ego aside… he wasn’t accepting of that thing, and that was almost the last straw type of thing, and we just went our separate ways.”
Jay ended up finishing the album without Timbaland. However, the pair would not part ways forever. Following a tour, Jay-Z revealed that Mosley was different and had evolved, stating, “After those concerts and he came back, I’d seen a new Timbaland, he had this maturity and this growth, and I was like, ‘Oh, ok, this is gonna work out.'”
The dynamic duo teamed up for Jay’s 2013 body of work, Magna Carta Holy Grail, and in an interview with Revolt TV, Timbaland clarified what had happened, explaining, “It was over petty stuff. It was more personal, and I was wrong. I was wrong. When I was working with Justin [Timberlake], he sent me a text. ‘We need to talk. We need to hook back up.'”
He concluded by detailing their reconciliation, revealing, “We looked at each other and just gave each other a hug. He was like, ‘What you been doing, man?’ ‘Man,’ I said, ‘I’m right. I’m back. I got my mind right.’ He said, ‘You look totally different.’ I was like, ‘I get it now. I understand life a little more.'”
You can watch Timbaland’s Revolt TV interview in the video below.
