Timbaland and Metro Boomin sit in 11th Street Records in Las Vegas one afternoon in July, talking about the difference between a hit and a classic.
Timbaland, 52, became one of the defining beatmakers for the 1990s and 2000s by pushing acts like Missy Elliott, Aaliyah, Ginuwine, and Justin Timberlake into spaces that were at once undeniable pop and verging on the avant-garde. His work with Jay-Z includes many of the legendary rapper’s best-remembered songs, and while he’s mastered wildly disparate sound palettes, Timbaland’s intricate percussion work and industrial melodies make his beats instantly recognizable.
Metro, 31, has followed in this auteurist lineage, his heavy bass and relentless bounce buoying work by rappers including Young Thug, Future, Migos, 21 Savage, and many others. Both are having big years — Timbaland has played a key role in albums by longtime collaborators Kanye West and Timberlake. Meanwhile, Metro has scored not one, but two Number One albums in 2024, with his Future collaborations We Don’t Trust You and We Still Don’t Trust You. Timbaland is passing through Vegas in the midst of a tour-heavy year, while Metro is in town for a DJ set the night before, where he pulled from his catalog as well as Timbaland’s. The pair have an easy chemistry; they can also speak credibly about asserting their personality, even when behind the scenes.