The Emperor of Sound: A Memoir

Hailed by the New Yorker as “the eminence grise behind half of what is great in the Top Forty these days,” world-renowned producer Timbaland has been a fixture on the pop charts, with more top-ten hits than Elvis or the Beatles. An artist whose fans are multi-racial and multi-generational, Timbaland works with the hottest artists, from Mariah Carey and Missy Elliott to Justin Timberlake, Nelly Furtado, Madonna, and his childhood friend, Pharrell Williams. Yet this celebrity is a uniquely private man who shuns parties, stays out of gossip columns, and rarely gives interviews. Deliberately choosing to tour by bus and conspicuously bling-free, he maintains a low-key lifestyle. If he’s not at the recording studio, he is at home with his family.

In The Emperor of Sound, Timbaland offers fans an unprecedented look into his life and work. Completely uncensored and totally honest, he reveals the magic behind the music, sharing the various creative impulses that arise while he’s producing, and the layering of sounds that have created dozens of number one hits. Cinematically written, full of revealing anecdotes and reflections from today’s most popular music icons, The Emperor of Sound showcases this master’s artistry and offers an extraordinary glimpse inside this great musical mind.

This look behind the curtain of the music industry reveals:

• The Creative Process: How Timbaland’s unique “catalog of sound” helped him layer beats, find inspiration in the rain, and create dozens of number one hits.
• Legendary Collaborations: The real stories of working in the studio with music icons like Missy Elliott, Justin Timberlake, Aaliyah, and Jay-Z.
• Rise to Stardom: An uncensored, honest account of his journey from a kid making beats in Virginia to becoming one of the most influential producers in music history.
• Behind the Music: Revealing anecdotes and private reflections from a man who shuns the spotlight, offering an unprecedented look into the life of a musical genius.