Timbaland said he received up to $500,000 to produce tracks earlier in his career when “the producer was respected way more.”
During a recent interview, the Hip-Hop icon revealed he was earning half a million dollars to make beats while crafting hits for the likes of Aaliyah, Ginuwine, Jay-Z, Ludacris, and Missy Elliott.
“I usually get like $300K, $500K back in the day,” Timbaland told ProducerGrind. “We ain’t come from a world where you send beats; we come from when that b#### was tailor-made, you understand? The producer was respected way more.”
According to Timbaland, artists and producers aren’t putting the same effort into their music.
“You needed a dope producer as an artist,” he explained. “You needed that, and now you got YouTube. People putting beats; it’s just not the same. It’s just like Wild Wild West out there.”
Timbaland also expressed his fear for the future of production in Hip-Hop with the introduction of AI technology.
“I knew this guy, one of my homeboys. He was working on this whole program that while the computer’s asleep, it’s generating sounds,” he explained. “When he opens it up, it takes white noise and makes kicks, the dopest snares while he sleeps. He’s been working on this for years, and I’m sure he’s mastered it now. The computer makes his kits; he don’t get drum kits from people. Makes samples while he sleeps.”
He also revealed he’s been working hard on his new Beatclub platform for upcoming producers. The Virginia native wants to ensure beat-makers are receiving their worth.
“It’s really like a high-end concierge service, telling producers how to charge, don’t charge, you would not be making no money,” Timbaland explained. “We show you how to get to the money.” Watch the interview in full below.