Timbaland Reveals He Became Addicted To Pain Killers After Root Canal

Timbaland is speaking candidly about his addiction to prescription drugs. During an interview with Men’s Health the super-producer, 47, detailed his drug abuse. He also explained how he was able to kick the habit and transform his body through fitness which resulted in a 130-pound weight loss.

The “Apologize” producer's battle with painkillers began in 2011 after getting a root canal. Timbaland admitted that he started to abuse OxyContin and Percocet. His troubles got worse after going through a messy divorce with his ex-wife Monique Idlett. The separation process began in 2013 and went on for year. The split was coupled with an IRS investigation for three years of unpaid taxes—a lapse he attributed to confusion and inattention during his addiction period.

The rapper confessed that the painkillers helped him escape. “It put me in a great feeling of not caring, of just being free,” Timbaland told Men’s Health. “I’m like traveling, doing shows, popping ‘em, having fun, just being ignorant.”

The “Say Something” rapper said that while he didn’t know the exact number of pills he would take in a day, he did admit that he knew it was “way over the limit.”

Along with prescription drug abuse, Timbaland found himself eating poorly. The musician weighed 350 pounds  and he was diagnosed with pre-diabetes. “I had a dream that death was near,” the “2 Man Show” rapper said. He added, “I saw myself with a white face.”

Timbaland explained that the dream, along with the thought of his 3 kids, daughter Reign, and sons Demetrius and Frankie, motivated him to change his ways. “It’s like a bright light going on in your brain,” Timbaland said of his children. “That’s how you know what true love really is.”

The “Know Bout Me” rapper ultimately weaned himself off of painkillers on his own. He called it “one of the toughest things I’ve been through.” The rapper also started boxing, which he said was easier than going through pill withdrawal. “When you get beat up the way I got beat up mentally, this ain't hard,” Timbaland explained.

In his first year post-addiction, the producer lost 50pounds and soon increased his workouts to two-a-day. In total, Timbaland lost 130 pounds but admits that he doesn’t feel like he’s done yet. “I don’t want to ever feel like I’m complete, ‘cause my mind would probably get idle,” the rapper explained. “God needed me to be clear so I could see what is needed, not what I want.”