Timbaland Says Jay-Z is a Prophet Sent by God
Timbaland, in an interview with Shannon Sharpe on Club Shay Shay, has made a controversial take about Jay-Z, likening him to a prophet sent from heaven by God.
According to the producer, rapper, and songwriter, Jay-Z’s influence can’t be glorified enough, likening him to a prophet.
“Jay-Z is a prophet. I don’t know if y’all read the Bible or any scholars of the Bible. God sent him. Like, I’ve never seen nobody like HOV. Hov actually raised me—he don’t even know it. He raised me in the music business. He was so prolific, so wise beyond his age that I was just amazed just watching him. That’s why I had a different bond with Jay-Z when it comes to my music. It was like we were rewriting the Bible in a way or rewriting history as it’s gonna be.”
It’s no surprise that the two legends have had a great professional and personal relationship for the longest time. Timbaland has produced some of Jay-Z’s most iconic tracks, some of which are: Big Pimpin’ (1999), Dirt Off Your Shoulder (2003), Lobster and Shrimp (1998), **** What, **** Who (1998), Come and Get Me (1999), Off That (2009), and Picasso Baby (2013). They both share a strong chemistry, with Timbaland’s beats blending seamlessly with Jay-Z’s lyricism and word flow.
Even though they both had a fallout during the Blueprint 3 era over creative differences—when they were working on Blueprint 3, his beats didn’t deliver as expected by Jay-Z, which led to him working more with Kanye West, No I.D., and others—Timbaland felt slighted. Instead of addressing these concerns with Jay-Z, he rather distanced himself, leading to strains in their working and personal relationship. Although some unconfirmed rumors linked the fallout to finances and faulty business dealings, no confirmation was ever made.
They later reunited in 2013 for Magna Carta Holy Grail, where Timbaland handled key production for Picasso Baby and F****WithMeYouKnowIGotIt, admitting that he [Timbaland] put his ego over simple conflict resolution, stating that it was part of the stages of growth and maturity. He has seemingly praised Jay-Z at every opportunity since then and has also maintained a great personal relationship with him.
He admitted that Jay-Z has influenced him way beyond how much he knows, in the music business, as an inspiration, and in their overall bond—reasons why he likens him to a prophet sent by God.
While this interview hasn’t come off as cozy as he might have expected, fans have bashed him, saying it’s bl**phemy. They argue that he could have simply talked about Jay-Z’s influence, the inspiration he’s been to the young, and his wisdom in aiming high without categorically stating that he’s a prophet sent by God.
