VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — The Salem High School Sun Devils rolled out the red carpet for producer, singer, rapper and songwriter Timbaland. It was the first stop in a visit to the three public schools Timbaland, aka Timothy Mosley, attended in his youth.
On stage with a packed gymnasium on hand, Timbaland asked the audience whether his alma mater still had the red lockers he used to bang on to create his first beats. Then he called on the teens to use what they have to chase their dreams.
Tre Threadgill, a junior at Salem armed with a video camera, listened intently to Timbaland’s message.
“I interpret it [Timbland’s message] as no matter what you want to do in life, you chase that dream, no mater what your parents tell you, no matter what you do.” Threadgill said. “… Always do what you want because you want to do it. Don’t do it for stability. Don’t do it for the money.”
The songs “Promiscuous,” “Cry Me a River” and “Give It To Me” are a sliver of Timbaland’s big hits that have transcended the generations.
Our next stop: Salem Middle School.
“I’m trembling — I’m so excited for this generation to be introduced to my generation of music,” said Salem Middle security officer Beverly Patrick. “I grew up in the 90s, so this is awesome.”
The final stop: College Park Elementary School, where the icon and fellow 757 based producers Hannon Lane and Danja [pronounced DANE-ja] encouraged the kids to stay in school.
After the speech, 10 On Your Side asked Timbaland about why his songs are spiked with mentions of his home state and the 757.
“We’re from a small place,” said Timbaland, who attended New Jerusalem Baptist Church in his youth. “We would let you know that we’re small, but we’re big [in influence] You know what I’m saying? Don’t look at the size of where we from. But we got the biggest producers, and we control probably 30% of the whole music genre. And that’s what you gotta show a small town such as Virginia Beach that was important because it gave people hope,”
Producer Hannon Lane is a multi-platinum winning producer who has worked with Madonna, Justin Timberlake, Toni Braxton and Fall Out Boy.
“It [Timbaland’s speech] resonated with me because I was once one of those kids,” Lane said. “I had a dream to become something and do something with my music that God blessed me with. And to be able to have somebody like Tim to be able to notice my gifts, that gave me hope. What helped me was I also came from a church home. I was raised in a church. That kept me grounded.”
Producer Danja has worked with superstars such as Britney Spears, Nelly Furtado, and Mariah Carey. A native of Virginia Beach, Danja expressed concerns about his hometown and the nation.
“I think we’ve been dealt some serious blows over the last few years,” Danja said. “You know, I think we’re living in the aftermath of COVID — a lot of mental, physical, and spiritual strain. And to some capacity, people have given up. … But I feel like … we can inspire each other and be aware that we are going through the same thing.”
Regina Mobley: I think about sitting here with three musical greats, but I also think about three musical greats that we’ve lost. There are many others Michael Jackson, Prince, Whitney Houston, all gone. This is an industry that did not protect them. It did not rescue them. How did you guys survive this business that involves all the perils that one could even think of doing?
Timbaland: I mean, you just got to stay grounded. You know, when you get out into this world … it’s like walking into, I wouldn’t say hail, but I would say, like, every temptation of the flesh that you can imagine. So if you don’t have no grounding in yourself, it’s really about testing yourself and seeing where you’re at, and know how to pull back and stay grounded.”
The man from Virginia Beach will be honored Saturday when the city unveils a new street named Timbaland Way. Other festivities will include a parade in the Salem section of Virginia Beach, and Timbaland will be presented with the key to the city.
To view an extended interview with Timbaland, Hannon Lane and Danja, watch below:
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