Throwback: Timbaland starts Z-Man

Tim's current Mosley Music Group imprint was not his first venture as a label head. Of course as we all know Tim had Beat Club Records before MMG home to Bubba Sparxxx, Ms. Jade, Kiley Dean, and many others. What you might not have known is Tim had a label before Beat Club. Yes it's true. The year was 2000 and Blackground's worldwide pressing and distribution agreement with Warner Music Group's Atlantic Records had just expired and Blakground was moving over to Virgin. Part of that deal was Virgin's participation in helping with promotion for Zman artists. Check out this first article:

****TIMBALAND'S ZMAN: Picking up on the Blackground/Virgin announcement that included Timbaland's Zman venture, the busy producer and soon-to-be-artist-in-his-own-right describes Zman as a production deal with Blackground that launches with upcoming album projects by male artist Sincere and male rapper Montana.

In the meantime, Timbaland—who says he goes into the studio soon to start Missy Elliott's next album—is putting the finishing touches on his and Magoo's upcoming album, the 14-track "Indecent Proposal," which will bow in February on Blackground/Virgin. Asked to describe what Timbaland the artist brings to the table musically, the 10-year industry veteran says, "I'm just doing whatever comes to mind. People won't expect what they're going to hear on this album—it's something different that doesn't sound like what people know about Timbaland." In Los Angeles to record with "Proposal" guest artist Beck ("We met through FarmClub, and I enjoy his music"), Timbaland notes that other guests include Jay-Z, Aaliyah, Elliott, Ginuwine, and Twista.****

So what sticks out about the article? How about who is Montana? That's a start but there's one more thing...

There's also this article about the details of the deal and what Virgin's new role was to be with Blackground:

****The first Blackground/Virgin title, the soundtrack to the Warner Bros. film "Romeo Must Die," was released March 28 and debuted at No. 3 on The Billboard 200. The project—featuring Aaliyah's single "Try Again," which reached No. 1 on The Billboard Hot 100—was used to "set up the whole relationship," Cooper says. " 'Romeo Must Die' was a film project that was brought to Barry Hankerson from Joel Silver. Everyone preferred that it be part of a relationship that was developing with Blackground and Virgin. We were then still finalizing details of a long-term agreement." Zman's first release will be the debut album by Sincere."*****

So what's the commonality between the 2 articles? One name: Sincere.

You may remember Sincere (Sin) from his feature on "Party" with Timbo (produced by Budd'ha) or Aaliyah's "Try Again" remix so what happened to his debut album? It never took off and neither did Z Man Records BUT 3 years later, in 2003, a single surfaced called "What" by Sincere featuring Tim with both of them riding one of the sickest, evilest, and best (top 10 for me) Timbaland beats ever created:





2 other tracks "Sick" and "Drugs" are also unreleased Sincere/Timbaland tracks that one day I hope to get my hands on. Where has Sincere gone is a good question, we're all wondering. Big time props to my man Roderick, thanks for planting the seed.