Fans climbed all over superproducer Timbaland for supposedly suggesting that all-time great Quincy Jones didn’t get his big break and widespread recognition until he worked with Michael Jackson on Thriller.
The co-founder of the culture-shifting Instagram series Verzuz was trying to deliver a motivational post to his 3.5 million IG fans on achieving the success, fame and awards later in life than folks may think they deserve.
Many fans interpreted (or perhaps misinterpreting) Timbaland’s words as saying the incomparable Jones did not have any transcendent success until he teamed up with MJ to orchestrate Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad in the 1980s. And fans went ballistic on Timbaland.
I see people tweeting that Quincy Jones won 11 Grammy Awards before working with Michael Jackson
I gotta remind them that Quincy also won 10 Grammy’s WITH Michael Jackson
– 2 Grammy’s for “Off The Wall”
– 8 Grammy’s for “Thriller”
“Who’s BAD?”👟👟
— Alijah Armstrong (@_AuraSoundz_) January 11, 2022
Uh Timbaland? Quincy Jones produced Frank Sinatra's version of 'Fly Me To The Moon'.
In 1964.
— @mburchett.bsky.social (@mburchett) January 10, 2022
Some fans understood what Timbaland was attempting to convey to his fans, though some wish he could have articulated it better. They list the fact that Jones was scoring movies, nominated for Oscars in his 30s, and worked with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder and Count Basie before he famously met Michael Jackson on The Wiz.
One Instagram user said: “I mean Quincy was already a big dog wayyyy before thriller but I understand this post.”
Another IG user commented: “Quincy was #DizzyGillespie ‘s trumpet player and musical director in his 20s. In 1961, Jones was promoted as the vice-president of the Mercury label … Became #FrankSinatra ‘s musical director in the late 60s & met Michael in the late 70s after doing The Wiz. Everything he touched was gold. The man’s a genius. The meme’s a cute sentiment but, not actually factual. Love to you all. ✌🏽.”
Others on Twitter, however, went in on Timbaland for his alleged blasphemy against Jones.
Quincy Jones had twice been nominated for Academy Awards by the time he was 36! https://t.co/31QzXrqA8e
— PJ Rodriguez (@pjrodriguez) January 11, 2022
WTF?!?!?!?!
Quincy Jones arranged an album for FRANK SINATRA AND COUNT BASIE!!!!! He was an arranger for ELLA FITZGERALD, DINAH WASHINGTON, AND SARAH VAUGHAN.
BRUH!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/GonlFnp4Ad
— Caleb Riggers (@ThaCalebDume) January 11, 2022
