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Hip-hop trailblazer Timbaland resists Grammy hype

Producer Timbaland said he is focusing on his work instead of worrying about who will win this year's Grammys.

(CNN) -- Producer and rapper Timbaland, best known for bringing new school hip-hop beats into the mainstream, is not too jazzed about this year's Grammys, his own nomination notwithstanding.

Instead, he is focused on introducing acts such as Philadelphia rapper Ms. Jade on his new record label, Beat Club.

While recognizing his influence on the music industry, he said of this year's class of Grammy nominees, "I don't know if we have paid our dues."

"The people that get the most press ... those are the ones that win. It isn't real music like it used to be," he added, pointing out that such artists as Aretha Franklin and Patti LaBelle should be in the running for their body of achievement. "[When] Carlos Santana won -- that was a real Grammy."

Nevertheless, Timbaland -- who was born Tim Mosley and turns 31 on March 10 -- is up for an award this year. He and Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott are nominated for best R&B song for "Get Ur Freak On."

Two years ago, Elliott's "Da Real World," an album that Timbaland produced, engineered and mixed, lost to Eminem's "The Slim Shady LP" as best rap album.

A force in the industry

EXTRA INFORMATION Gallery: Timbaland's scope of influence  In-Depth Special: 2002 Grammys    RESOURCES EW.com: All about Timbaland

Timbaland, like members from his former Da Bassment crew (Elliott, Playa, Ginuwine and Magoo), has become a major force in the music industry in recent years.

He's collaborated with acts such as Jay-Z, No Doubt's Gwen Stefani, Destiny's Child, Limp Bizkit, Ludacris, Nelly Furtado and Beck -- big sellers all -- and he and Dr. Dre are working out the kinks on a deal to collaborate on an album.

So when asked if he feels passed up for the producer of the year Grammy, he shyly admitted, "Yeah."

"I don't play the politic game enough to be in it," he said.

He said that he prefers to focus on music, spending his restless energy on a wide variety of projects. He will produce a few album tracks, rap on another, help out on a soundtrack (most recently "Moulin Rouge") and return to working with any number of big-name artists.

He has even dabbled in film as executive producer on the movie "30 Years to Life," which received rave reviews at last year's Sundance Film Festival.

But he plays down his cinematic accolades -- or, for that matter, most events in his past. Asked about his work with Stefani or Beck -- collaborations that took place last year -- he replied, "That was way back in the day."

Timbaland said he challenges himself to stay ahead of the pack. "I'm a little bit different from everybody in the game," he said. "I try to be ahead of myself every time."

Creating a new beat

Ms. Jade is Timbaland's latest protege on the Beat Club label.

Timbaland has created his own music label, Beat Club. "There is no more artist development going on in a lot of these [big] labels," he said. "That's what I do, I try to develop an artist."

The idea, he said, is to have fun, innovate and not necessarily sell 3 million records.

Timbaland's latest protege is Ms. Jade, an edgy rapper whose song "Ching Ching Ching" features Furtado. Ms. Jade's debut album, "Girl Interrupted," is due out in the spring.

"It's just basically me introducing myself to the rap game and me spittin' roll over Tim's beats," she said.

She credits Timbaland with developing a style of rap beyond her roots in Philadelphia. "None of the songs on the album are the same, and I learned that from Tim," she said. "I learned how to flow on his beats, and I learned to get into the beat more than I did."

Timbaland said that the industry has "bit Tim's sound," but he doubts they will bite the new acts on his label.

Nevertheless, Beat Club artist Bubba Sparxxx's first album, "Dark Days, Bright Nights," debuted at No. 3 on Billboard's 200 album chart in October.

"If they go gold, that's good with me," Timbaland said of his new crop of Beat Club artists.