Short answers, pulled from the story.
Timbaland was shot in 1986 while working at a Red Lobster restaurant in Norfolk, Virginia, which left him partially paralyzed for nine months. This accident forced him to relearn how to manipulate a turntable using only his left hand, creating the stuttering and glitchy rhythmic style that defines his signature sound.
R&B singer Missy Elliott introduced Timbaland to DeVante Swing, the producer behind the group Jodeci. Swing Mob became the label where Timbaland received his name and where he worked with artists like Ginuwine, Aaliyah, and Magoo to dominate the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Timbaland pioneered a stuttering, glitchy rhythm that broke the smooth flow of traditional tracks, creating moments of tension and release that became his trademark. His work on Aaliyah's One in a Million and Missy Elliott's Supa Dupa Fly established a new genre that blended hip-hop beats with R&B vocals.
Timbaland released his second album Shock Value in 2007, which spawned hits like The Way I Are and Apologize. The album was a commercial triumph that followed his 2007 single Give It to Me, which peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100.
Timbaland founded the record label Beat Club in 2001 and its successor, Mosley Music Group, in 2006. Through these labels, he signed artists including Nelly Furtado, OneRepublic, Keri Hilson, and Chris Cornell.
Timbaland and Swizz Beatz launched the Verzuz Instagram webcast series in 2020, which became a cultural phenomenon for artists to showcase their talents. In 2021, both Timbaland and Swizz Beatz appeared on the Time 100, Times annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world.