Fresh from celebrating his 47th birthday on March 10, Timbaland has announced a deal with the iconic Def Jam Recordings.
According to a Variety, Timbo’s Mosley Music Group and Def Jam first move under their new partnership is the release of Chicago artist Cosha TG’s Summer Nights EP.
“We are happy to be partners with Paul Rosenberg and Def Jam,” Tim said in a press release. “Paul has an entrepreneurial perspective on our industry, as he comes from not only the label side of the business but management as well. Our Mosley Music team and roster are proud to be aligned with such an iconic label as Def Jam.”
Def Jam’s CEO Paul Rosenberg added, “Timbaland is nothing short of a living legend, having redefined and pushed the sound of hip-hop forward for decades. We are so proud and excited to partner with him on this next chapter of his remarkable journey.”
Before joining Def Jam, Mosley Music Group had a joint venture deal with Epic Records back in 2014. During the venture, Timbaland mentored and signed his former protégé Tink.
The celebrations for Timbo this week aren’t over yet. Today (Mar. 16) is the 20th anniversary of Ginuwine’s sophomore album 100% Ginuwine. After being the executive producer of Ginuwine’s debut album Ginuwine… The Bachelor, Timbaland went on to produce 13 out of 16 of the songs on 100%. “I treated each person like a superhero,” Timbaland told Billboard in a joint interview with Ginuwine celebrating the album’s anniversary. “I was probably one of the youngest [producers] at that time doing complete albums.”
“[It was] very scary because you always hear about the sophomore jinx,” Ginuwine also told Billboard. “I was like, ‘Man, how am I going to top this?’”
Thanks to the singles “What’s So Different?,” “So Anxious,” “None of Ur Friends Bussiness,” and “Same Ol’ G,” the album peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 and No. 2 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.