Timbaland has worked with some of my favorite artists and had a hand in some of my favorite songs. Aaliyah’s Try Again is often stuck in my head. So, I figured that I don’t often read memoirs, so I could use it as a Diverse stacks, Diverse Lives Challenge entry.

I like Timbaland’s music but until I read this I didn’t know hardly anything about the man. This book starts with a Fischer Price record player and goes all the way to his involvement with the television show Empire. I learned a lot about the ’90s and early 2000’s music scene. I got to hear a little bit about the process of making a hit song. This book was inspiring and uplifting. Timbaland talks about his process. He talks about focus. He tells you about all of his successes and some of his failures. He points out that you have to pay  your dues but that you don’t have to let yourself be used (important to remember when people offer you something and want to pay you in “exposure”).

I really liked this book. I listened to the audiobook (which I got from audible). Timbaland didn’t read the book himself but William Harper who does narrate it did a great job.

So, if you’re interested in music, music production, the ’90s and early ’00s or Timbaland, I recommend that you check it out.

This counts as my Book from a genre you’ve never read (or that I can’t remember the last time I read).

Oh, and because I think everyone should have it suck in their head, here is the video for Try Again: