Timbaland turns his back on hip-hop scene

Hip-hop producing legend announces a turn away from the genre in favour of pop.


Coming from arguably the best hip-hop producer on the planet, the statement Timbaland made about being "done with hip-hop" ultimately marks the sorry end of commercial hip-hop for me. Having done research, he may have realised that it's European, pop-loving women that are buying his CDs; but on a deeper level, his decision depicts how the hip-hop market is increasingly becoming an unprofitable Autotuned wasteland. 


Undeniably, to say that the music industry is just that, music, would be the largest understatement measurable - apart from Britney saying "I'm not crazy!" in early 2008. The aim is MONEY! Without it, Cribs would be non-existent and neither would the 17 bedroom houses accompanying it. Timbaland's decision to shift is one of convenience and one that I applaud, music is a business. Plus, let's face it, the percentage of Afro-Caribbeans actually buying these albums are probably diminishing every second. I mean, why buy when you can download or transfer. It is for this exact reason that most hip-hoppers are on their mixtape grind, no doubt. Timbaland in his wisdom, has obviously realised this and opted for his 'Morning After's - without doubt, much credit must go to his creativity and versatility, but at it's root, there must have been a financial ticker somewhere in his anatomy, telling him it's time to move on. The new album Shock Value 2 (if you haven't got it yet shatap) justifies this whole article into 55 minutes of eargasm, with an array of artists from Miley Cyrus through to Nickelback rocker, Chad Kroeger, masterfully bundled together with Timbo's trademark twists and twirls.


The question that remains to be answered is, who will be the next one to see the 'pop-world' light?