Timbaland joins Fox hip-hop drama as songwriter

Fox has signed Grammy-winning producer Timbaland for Lee Daniels’ hip-hop drama pilot Empire.

Timothy “Timbaland” Mosley — who has produced tracks by Madonna, Beyonce, Jay Z, Elton John, Justin Timberlake, and Keith Urban — will serve as the show’s songwriter and song producer.

Empire is directed by Daniels and co-written with his The Butler partner Danny Strong. The show is described as a family drama set in the world of a hip-hop empire, featuring original and current music. Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson star.