Timbaland Inducted Into Songwriters Hall of Fame: “God’s Timing Is The Best Timing”

Timbaland is getting his flowers for the impact he has made in the music industry. On Thursday night (June 14), the legendary producer was honored at the Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Gala at New York Marriott Marquis Hotel, where he was officially inducted into the prestigious institution.

The Virginia hitmaker briefly spoke with NBC News on the red carpet about the achievement. “You just be in awe, but you just think of you legacy. Half of your legacy is complete. And now I’m still living, so it’s like, what’s the other half?” he said with a smile. “I feel like it’s the new beginning of what’s to come.”

He then explained how the reception to his work throughout his career is what validated his confidence as a songwriter. “The people let me know I was a good songwriter. I didn’t know. Consistency let me know I was a good songwriter. The many hours I put in to my work. The many sleepless nights,” he added.

In his official acceptance speech, the Shock Value creator reflected on his long journey and how this moment was the most special. “I always pray a lot and I always wonder why I didn’t get certain awards,” he said. “But this is the best award, so God’s timing is the best timing.”

Kicking off his trailblazing career in the mid-90s, Timb has been an instrumental part in pushing the culture forward with his daring sounds, other worldly instrumentals, and collaborations that were well ahead of their time. His work is closely associated to being pivotal to the success of stars like Missy Elliott, Justin Timberlake, the late Aaliyah, Nelly Furtado, and countless others. He has won four Grammys and has seven Platinum records.

Also honored at last night’s ceremony were members of R.E.M., Steely Dan, Hillary Lindsey, and Dean Pitchford. SZA accepted the Hal David Starlight Award, a distinction given to young songwriters. Previous honorees include Alicia Keys, Lil Nas X, Post Malone, Ed Sheeran, and more.

After performing an acoustic version of her SOS standout “Snooze” alongside frequent collaborator Carter Lang, the New Jersey-raised superstar shared a speech on why this specific award “means the most” to her.

“As an artist, I’ve been a lot of different people. I’ve been 200 pounds. I’ve been 130 pounds. I’ve been someone who doesn’t dance at all onstage, someone that can only close their eyes and look down, someone that is dancing and trying their best. I’ve just been all these things and I feel like, ‘Oh man, I struggle at the artist thing.’ Like, writing was where I felt like a person and that I had value and that I could show that I was smart, and it was beyond, ‘Am I pretty? Am I liked?’ And that basically meant everything to me,” she said according to The Hollywood Reporter. 

“It made me feel like a person, that I was doing something worth something. So basically receiving this award validates my entire career.”