As of March 10, 2025, it is Timbaland’s 53rd birthday, and for half of the producer’s life, he’s given us straight bangers. We aren’t just talking songs for Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, Ludacris and Nelly Furtado–while making his breakthrough in mid-1990s Virginia, Timbo was cooking up songs for members of Tha Supafriends collective. The crew branched off the DeVante Swing-helmed Swing Mob. It consisted of members like Missy Elliott, Ginuwine, Aaliyah, Tweet, Playa (including late singer-songwriter Static Major) and Magoo, all of whom went on to amass commercial success in their primes.

In this Timbaland-focused retrospective, we check out some songs that the hitmaker was behind, which made him a household name.

Missy Elliott feat. Nicole Wray and Big Boi - “All N My Grill”

Among the singles on Missy Elliott’s sophomore album “Da Real World” was the symphony-driven “All N My Grill,” where Timbaland’s production matched the energy of Missy along with featured artists Nicole Wray and Big Boi.

Ginuwine - “Same Ol’ G”

Timbaland slowed it down for Ginuwine on “Same Ol’ G,” where the singer contemplates coming into manhood, while the producer can be heard ad-libbing in the background.

Aaliyah - “More Than a Woman”

On her third and final album, Aaliyah sounded more sure of herself than ever. “More Than a Woman” still sounds like the future, where Timbaland’s production skitters and blares but doesn’t overpower the late singer.

Tweet - “Call Me”

Tweet sang with assuredness over the experimentation of Timbaland’s beat and oozed sexiness on her “Southern Hummingbird” classic “Call Me.”

Playa - “Cheers 2 U”

With a beat reminiscent to Aaliyah’s “One In a Million,” Timbaland soundtracked the male perspective to love on Playa’s biggest hit “Cheers 2 U.”

Timbaland & Magoo - “Luv 2 Luv U”

In rap duo Timbaland & Magoo, the Virginia natives brought out the best in each other on their three albums, but nothing beat the futurism of their track “Luv 2 Luv U.”