Justin Timberlake: Everything I Thought It Was review – pop pariah dances past the discourse
Painted as a villain following Janet Jackson and Britney Spears controversies, the pop-R&B megastar gets back to brass tacks – and bed-rattling
November 2023
Timbaland apologises after saying Justin Timberlake should ‘muzzle’ Britney Spears over memoir
Music producer caused outrage with language used to describe Spears, who wrote at length about ex-boyfriend Timberlake in The Woman in Me
August 2023
Magoo: rapper who collaborated with Timbaland, Missy Elliott and Aaliyah dies aged 50
Hailing from then unfashionable Norfolk, Virginia, Timbaland and Magoo’s partnership went on to become a decisive influence on 90s Black music
August 2021
Aaliyah: ‘Her sound is the R&B blueprint’
She died in a plane crash 20 years ago – but her records still sound like the future. As they finally hit streaming services, fans and acquaintances explore Aaliyah’s enduring appeal
February 2021
‘Record companies have me on a dartboard’: the man making millions buying classic hits
Hit songs can be a better investment than gold – and by snapping up the rights, Merck Mercuriadis has become the most disruptive force in music
September 2019
Missy Elliott – Beyoncé said: ‘If I sound crazy, don’t put this out!'
As she returns to the spotlight, the hip-hop icon talks Michelle Obama, collaborations and the truth behind her hiatus
October 2016
Louder than a bomb: 40 years of hip-hop photography – in pictures
A new photography book, Hip-Hop Raised Me, chronicles the rise of rap as it spilled from the US to the world – featuring the likes of Eminem, Notorious BIG and Lauryn Hill
August 2016
How Nelly Furtado's Loose created a blueprint for modern pop
Made with Timbaland, her gloriously eclectic album still sounds like stapled-together heterogenous perfection, and remains relevant a decade after release
March 2016
Bryson Tiller review – heavy-lidded R&B builds in confidence
Timbaland’s advice to this Louisville purveyor of Weekndish ambience to quit his day job looks like a promising bet
October 2015
Jay Z and Timbaland arrive at court for copyright trial – video
Jay Z heads to court for Big Pimpin' copyright trial in long-running lawsuit
September 2015
Empire's season two sound needs to look beyond industry cliche
The Fox drama has followed in Glee’s footsteps by creating a ratings hit that also climbs the charts, but as it embraces mainstream sounds and artists in season two will it dilute a winning formula?
August 2015
What we learned this week
The week in music: David Bowie dress-up, Nicki Minaj's wax disaster and more
Jay Z and Timbaland set to testify in Big Pimpin' lawsuit
June 2015
How R&B got its groove back
In the late 00s, R&B had lost its edge. But in 2015 it reigns supreme again thanks to innovative, introspective artists such as Frank Ocean, Drake and Miguel, all of whom are due to release eagerly awaited albums soon
May 2015
Alexis Petridis's album of the week
Various Artists: Empire Season 1 Original Soundtrack review – pretend stars get properly famous with Timbaland’s help
Timbaland’s soundtrack for the hip-hop drama Empire has its high points, but the super-producer has kept his best tracks under wraps
February 2015
Jodeci announce release of The Past, The Present, The Future
The crush
Crush of the week: Missy Elliott
November 2014
Timbaland accuses Lifetime of disrespecting Aaliyah in new biopic
Fans joined Timbaland in voicing criticisms of the biopic on social media, using the hashtags #LifetimeBeLike to mock studio’s casting decisions
May 2014
10 of the best
Timbaland: 10 of the best
It's time to round up the pick of the futuristic R&B and hip-producer's choicest tracks, from minimal beats to dance-pop with Katy Perry
