Timbaland.

At age 15, Timbaland was shot while working at a Red Lobster in Norfolk, Virginia, leaving him paralyzed for nearly a year. During that time he learned to DJ using his left hand. He attended Salem High School, where he graduated, and also Princess Anne High School in Virginia Beach, where he met future collaborators Missy Elliott and Pharrell Williams. His younger brother Sebastian was born in 1980.

Timbaland started as hip-hop DJ DJ Timmy Tim and later formed the duo Timbaland & Magoo with rapper Magoo. He produced for Missy Elliott and Aaliyah, leading to his breakthrough. After Aaliyah’s death in 2001, he took a break from music. He scored films Romeo Must Die 2000, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider 2001, and Doctor Dolittle 1998. His work on Justin Timberlake’s FutureSex/LoveSounds 2006 and Nelly Furtado’s Loose 2006 made him a top producer. He won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song for Say My Name with Destiny’s Child and was named to the Time 100 list in 2008.

Timbaland married Monique Idlett on June 10, 2008 in a private ceremony, followed by a larger celebration in Aruba on June 22 attended by Missy Elliott, Omarion, and others. They have a daughter named Reign, born November 27, 2007. From a previous relationship, he has two sons, Demetrius and Frankie. He became engaged to Idlett in 2006. He remains close friends with Missy Elliott and Pharrell Williams.

Timbaland shaped the sound of late 1990s and early 2000s pop music with his innovative production style, using syncopated rhythms and unconventional samples. He inspired a generation of producers. He was named to the Time 100 list in 2008. He continues to produce and mentor new artists.