Doobie Doo
Veteran
Photo: Vibenonfilms.com
BY GIANNA SCOTT
NOVEMBER 27, 2017
TIMBALAND OPENS UP ABOUT DRUG ADDICTION AND DEPRESSION
“Music is a gift and curse... it plays with your mind"
“As a producer and a soundmaker, I had to find out what God had in store for me.” So says super producer Timbaland in a recent interview with Rolling Stone, where he comes clean about his battles with depression and OxyContin addiction.
“I felt like I wasn’t committed, I was riding off ego,” Timbaland states. “It was really about me neglecting my gift.”
Struggling with not having a hit since Beyoncé’s 2013 self-titled LP, Tim became addicted the painkillers in an attempt to cope. Feeling the pressure of living up to his name in this new world of music, he lost sight of his own talents.
Almost 15 years ago, Timbaland started taking pain medication to help him recover from a gunshot wound he got as a teenager. His usage became a gateway to other drugs, resulting in his marriage failing and songs not charting. His current girlfriend began to worry that he would die in his sleep because of his heavy intake of the medication. Industry friends like fellow producers Pharrell and Swizz Beats grew worried and offered words of encouragement. JAY-Z suggested that Timbaland opt out of talking to the press. “I was on OxyContin,” he says. “Music is a gift and curse. Once you’re not popping, it plays with your mind. The pills helped block out the noise. I’d just sleep all day. I remember Jay-Z told me one time, ‘Don’t do no more interviews’ because I was saying crazy shyt.”
He recounted the night he was faced with an almost fatal experience, three years ago. “All I can tell you is that there was a light,” he explained. “I woke up trying to catch my breath, like I was underwater. But through that whole thing, I saw life. I saw where I would be if I don’t change, and where I could be if I did.” With the death of Lil Peep— who openly struggled with depression and addiction—igniting some pretty heavy conversations about drug use within the music industry, Timbaland empathizes with many younger artists who rely on drugs to cope, and wants to spread awareness about the dangers of these drugs. “I came from the era of drug dealers [making rap hits],” he said. “Now we’re in the era of drug users. These kids come from a place where they don’t have money, don’t have a real home,” he continued. “It affects them, and you hear it in the music.”
Tim’s frightening epiphany led to a positive change in his life. He’s now dedicated to his own fitness and well-being, and focusing on being a father. He’s re-committed himself to producing and has been in the studio with Sam Smith, Young Thug, JAY-Z, Ty Dolla $ign, Wiz Khalifa and Ski Mask the Slumpgod among others. He says we can also anticipate a solo LP, arriving next year, that features Timberlake, Zayn Malik and Rick Ross. Sounds like Timbo’s back!
Timbaland Opens Up About Drug Addiction and Depression
