One of the biggest #1 Producers in the business

When one of the hottest producers in the land releases an album featuring an all-star cast of collaborators like Justin Timberlake, 50 Cent, Fall Out Boy and Nelly Furtado, you'd expect that LP to have a fighting chance for a #1 debut on Billboard's albums chart. And last week, had you asked music-industry insiders where they figured Timbaland's latest, Timbaland Presents Shock Value, would open, odds are they'd have told you the chart's peak position was well within Timbaland's reach.

While Shock Value did sell more than 138,300 copies during its first week, it simply wasn't enough for a first-place finish. Instead, Timbaland's disc occupies the chart's #5 slot, behind the latest releases from contemporary country singer Martina McBride and tween queen Hilary Duff. But none of them could contend with the 24th installment of the long-running Now That's What I Call Music! compilation series, which claims this week's crown with more than 213,000 scans.

The set, featuring tracks from the likes of Fergie, Furtado, Ciara, Beyoncé, Nickelback and Daughtry, settled for the chart's #2 slot last week, behind country star Tim McGraw's Let It Go. This week, though, the two albums traded places, with McGraw's latest moving 176,600 units during its second week, according to the latest SoundScan totals. Meanwhile, McBride's Waking Up Laughing bows at #3, having sold close to 143,700 copies.

Following at #4 is Duff's Dignity, which scanned more than 140,300 units during its first week, making for the weakest debut of the pop star's career. Metamorphosis (2003) sold 203,700 units, opening at #2, while 2004's self-titled effort sold close to 191,900 copies, with the same chart position. Duff's 2005 Most Wanted collection opened at #1, selling to the tune of 207,600.

Surging ahead 63 positions to #6 this week is Beyoncé's B'Day, thanks to 126,000 scans; sales increased by 903 percent, chiefly because a deluxe edition of the 2006 album was released last week, with unreleased tracks and updated renditions of three songs, sung in Spanish. The self-titled debut offering from "American Idol" season-five finalist Chris Daughtry's rock outfit slips one spot to #7 with 98,500 copies sold, followed at #8 by rapper Paul Wall's latest, Get Money, Stay True, which sold more than 92,300 units during its first week on shelves. Akon's Konvicted clings to the top 10 at #9, selling 74,600 copies, while A Hundred Miles or More: A Collection, the retrospective offering from country artist Alison Krauss, rounds things out at #10 with 72,700 scans.

Altogether 27 new releases debut on next week's top 200, including Chi-town rockers Chevelle's Vena Sera, which sold 61,900 copies to open at #12. Kings of Leon resurface at #25, thanks to sales of 41,900 for their newest, Because of the Times, while the Academy Is ... follow at #32, selling 33,100 copies of their latest, Santi. Static-X's Cannibal claims the chart's #36 slot, scanning 30,400 units, while the debut disc from Underoath offshoot the Almost, Southern Weather, bows at #39 with 29,100 sold.

The major-label debut from New England metallers Shadows Fall, Threads of Life, sold close to 24,300 copies during its initial week, which was good enough to finish in the chart's top 50 — the disc sits in the #46 spot. Black Sabbath's The Dio Years collection follows at #54 with sales reported at 20,600, and popping up at #76 is The Story, the new one from singer/songwriter Brandi Carlile, which generated 14,700-plus scans.

Anthony Hamilton's Southern Comfort follows at #90 with 12,500 scans, and Fountains of Wayne return to the top 200 this week at #97, with their Traffic and Weather selling 11,500 copies. Poison the Well's Versions claims the #147 slot with sales of 7,700 and then some, while Ozomatli's Don't Mess With the Dragon trails at #154 with 7,500 copies sold. The Chariot's The Fiancée opens at #169 with 6,800 sold, while Sick Puppies' Dressed Up as Life bows at #181 with 6,200 units scanned

Super-producer Timbaland has stamped his indelible imprint on the music scene since the mid-1990s.  His production has helped create career-defining hits for artists such as Jodeci, Aaliyah, Ginuwine, Missy Elliott, Destiny’s Child, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg and Jay-Z, among many others.  Respected beyond the genres of urban and hip hop music, Timbaland, whose musical influences cross cultural lines, has also been sought by diverse superstars whose music similarly knows no boundaries, from pop star Justin Timberlake to avant-singer Bjork.  Released April 3, 2007 is his second solo album, Timbaland Presents Shock Value (Blackground/Interscope/Mosley Music Group). That disc follows his producing of the majority of the tracks, including the #1 “SexyBack,” on Timberlake’s #1 charting, multiplatinumFutureSex/LoveSounds, which followed their work together on Timberlake’s previous smash, Justified. Born Timothy Z. Mosley in Norfolk, Virginia on March 10, 1972, Timbaland, so named by Jodeci member Devante Swing after the Timberland boot, has had many reincarnations--from disc jockey DJ Tiny Tim to half of the hip hop group Timbaland & Magoo; from membership in Devante Swing’s Swing Mob crew known as Da Bassment to S.B.I. (Surrounded By Idiots), a production ensemble including Pharrell Williams, to being CEO of his own label, Mosley Music Group.

Ginuwine’s hit single “Pony” and debut LP Ginuwine…the Bachelor, produced by Timbaland, introduced a unique rhythmic style that defined the new wave of music in the ‘90s--R&B and hip hop mixed with an eclectic smorgasbord of effects held together by complex syncopated snare beats. At the same time, his partnership with high school friend Missy Elliott blossomed into a pairing that delivered Aaliyah’s double platinum One In A Million and they became one of music’s most successful production/songwriting teams.  Naturally, Elliott looked to Timbaland to also define her as an artist and their work together, tracks such as “The Rain,” propelled Elliott to major stardom and critical acclaim.  

Timbaland’s trademark sound has spawned numerous imitators—yet he has always remained the acknowledged originator. Not surprisingly given his talents, he started a new label in partnership with Interscope even as he delivered another three albums for Elliott, including 2005’s The Cookbook.  He also launched Tweet, who debuted withSouthern Hummingbird, and produced Lil’ Kim’s “The Jump Off.”  The Game relied on Tim for “Steer” and “Put You On The Game.” 

Along the way he built an impressive 5,000 square foot studio in Virginia Beach where he does most of his production, and he regularly travels between that location, his Miami residence and the West Coast. In 2006 he founded a new label, again at Interscope, appropriately called Mosely Music Group (MMG). Open to all types of artists, MMG debuted with a bang: Nelly Furtado’s “Promiscuous” featuring Timbaland, which hit #1, as did her album, Loose. 

Timbaland’s genre breaking has changed popular music today, and he takes pride in his success at staying ahead of the curve with his originality and experimentation. Confident and charismatic, his goal is still to blow the listener’s mind and make them move to the beat.  On the personal side, this artist/producer is an avid bodybuilder committed to a strict diet and training regimen, and as serious about working out as he is about his time in the studio.

“You can accomplish anything you put your mind to if you stay persistent and disciplined,” explains the driven and dedicated Timbaland, an innovator of sound who continues to set popular tastes while adventurously expanding his musical palette.