Legendary Music Producer Almost Dies from Overdose
Tim Mosley, better known as Timbaland, has produced songs and albums for many of the biggest R&B and hip hop artists in the world including Nas, Ludacris, Bubba Sparxxx, Madonna, Rihanna, OneRepublic, Brandy, Drake, Rick Ross, Jay-Z and Justin Timberlake.
In the midst of his legendary career, he also struggled with a crippling drug problem that eventually nearly killed him. Interviewed in Rolling Stone, Timbaland recently described how he found himself teetering on the brink of life and death:
“I was on drugs, dude,” he says. “I was on OxyContin.” He started taking pills because of a gunshot injury, but his use spun out of control, and as his drug intake increased, his chart success declined, he blew through a lot of his money and his marriage collapsed – fueling a vicious cycle of depression and addiction. “Music is a gift and curse,” he says. “Once you’re not popping, it plays with your mind. The pills helped block out the noise – I’d just sleep all day. I remember Jay-Z told me one time, ‘Don’t do no more interviews’ – because I was saying crazy shit.”
Finally, about three years ago, Timbaland hit a low point, and took so many pills that he nearly died.
“All I can tell you is that there was a light,” he says. “I woke up trying to catch my breath, like I was underwater. But through that whole thing I saw life – I saw where I would be if I don’t change, and where I could be if I did.” The following day he began weaning off the pills, and soon after made a clean break – which resulted in a brutal period of withdrawal. “But I thought about Michael Jackson,” he says. “I didn’t want to be old and taking these pills.”
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To learn more about how Timbaland started down the road to recovery, please visit RollingStone.com.