E! True Hollywood Story: Timbaland Begins

In the span of just a few years, Tim Mosley transformed from a struggling teenager sleeping on an air mattress to a Grammy- winning artist known worldwide as Timbaland. Having collaborated with the likes of Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake and Madonna, Timbaland's music is as infectious as it is successful. However, his life has often been far from glamorous. A true survivor, Mosley was shot at close range, nearly dead after a tragic car accident, and has been broke, hungry and on the brink of suicide. Sheer will, determination and a love of music pulled Timbaland up from despair and allowed him to create an unmatched body of work in pop, R&B and hip-hop. For the first time ever on television, Timbaland and his family reveal the details of his triumphant story. This hour-long THS packs some major star power: Justin Timberlake, Pharrell Williams, Missy Elliott, Keri Hilson and Ryan Tedder all sat down with E! to share their thoughts on this musical savant and what his work has meant to them. The E! True Hollywood Story: Timbaland premieres on December 20th at 9:00 PM on E!.

Timbaland's early life was rough and money was tight. Still, Mosley's love of music was always apparent.

"I had this record player that I always used to play. This Fisher-Price record player and it had grooves in it, and it played stuff like Mary Had A Little Lamb.' But it was cool to me. I always used to cut up the stereo and jam in my little underwear."

"We didn't have clothes. We had holey drawers. I rode in a car with no brakes...we lost our house twice. Not once, twice."

While still in high school, Timbaland partnered up with Missy Elliott.

Timbaland - "How she [Missy Elliott] sung onto my beats - nobody was doing that. And putting harmonies and stuff, nobody had done that, she was just super dope."

Elliott - "I was at his house every day after school. From that moment we knew, it was something both of us had."

Timbaland - "It was Godsent; that was my sister.

When Timbaland met Timberlake, the connection was instantaneous.