12on12 has announced Beatmaker, a groundbreaking edition developed in partnership with legendary American Multi GRAMMY®-Award winning producer-artist Timbaland and acclaimed artist Derek Fordjour.
Set to launch on December 3rd, 2024, this unique collaboration presents a vinyl record and limited-edition print, reflecting a powerful fusion of music and visual art that honors each artist’s legacy while exploring new creative horizons.
Sitting at the intersection of art and music, 12on12 provides cultural icons with a platform to tell their stories in innovative ways. Timbaland and Fordjour, both deeply influenced by hip-hop’s rise, share a passion for advancing the scope of Black creative excellence through pioneering approaches to sound and material. With 12on12’s support, Beatmaker brings their shared vision to life, celebrating cultural and historical significance while embarking on bold artistic frontiers.
“At 12on12, we are incredibly excited to have brought together two icons in their fields,”
says Claudia Moross, Founder and Creative Director of 12on12.
“Derek Fordjour’s passion for art mirrors Timbaland’s drive and energy for music, and together they have created this unique masterpiece, Beatmaker.”
The Beatmaker release includes 400 hand-numbered vinyl records, priced at $150 each, featuring a carefully curated selection of tracks by Timbaland, as well as original cover and sleeve art by Fordjour. Accompanying the record is a limited-edition print (a run of 25, priced at $15,000 each), printed on 28 x 36’’ white, cotton rag archival paper. Both the vinyl and print are available on
12on12.com/collections/timbaland-x-derekfordjour crafted as rare collectibles that merge sound and art.
Fordjour’s original Beatmaker artwork situates the viewer in the intimate setting of a young artist’s makeshift bedroom studio. The vertical lines of the headboard and repeated circular forms are inspired by sonic structures of loops and bars. Conceptually, Beatmaker presents an exploration of the parallels in approach to composition and balance in both music production and visual art.
“Our creative lives are both rooted in an obsession that has very humble beginnings”
says Derek Fordjour.
“I am grateful to 12on12 for giving us the space and time to reflect on the young boys growing up in the south we once were, locked away in our studios trying to change the world”
As a compliment to Fordjour’s visionary artwork, Timbaland’s hand-selected tracks reflect the emotional resonance and personal memories associated with each piece, underscoring the unique role vinyl plays as a cultural artifact that captures and celebrates singular moments in time.
In collaboration with global fashion and media brand Highsnobiety, 12on12 will celebrate Beatmaker’s debut with a special launch event in Miami on December 3rd, 2024. This event will be part of Highsnobiety’s “Not in Miami” series—a branch of the brand’s broader global cultural festival. Held at their pop-up space in the Miami Design District, the celebration will include an instore release of a small portion of the records and a conversation between Timbaland and Fordjour, offering fans and collectors a unique insight into the creative process behind Beatmaker.
“I’m beyond excited to share this 12on12 vinyl, a true piece of my journey as a producer,”
says Timbaland.
“Each track is a chapter, and with Derek Fordjour’s custom artwork, this collection becomes more than music – it’s a visual and sonic experience. Derek’s artistry brings a unique, vibrant layer to these beats, capturing the spirit and energy of the sounds that defined a generation. Together, the music and artwork create a story that listeners can feel, see, and hold – a piece of history that lives on in a form that’s as timeless and powerful as the music itself.”
Beatmaker is a defining project for 12on12, underscoring its mission to bring art and music together in dynamic and meaningful ways. By harnessing the depth of Black cultural expression, Timbaland and Fordjour’s collaboration promises to leave a lasting mark on the landscape of both music and art.
PRE-ORDER: HERE
About
Derek Fordjour was born in Memphis, Tennessee to parents of Ghanaian heritage. In 2018, he was awarded commissions for the Whitney Museum of American Art Billboard Project and the MTA Arts & Design program. Recently, he was the inaugural artist for the Building Art Series on the façade of MOCA Grand Avenue in Los Angeles. His work has been reviewed in The New York Times, Financial Times, The Los Angeles Times, and Hyperallergic. He has also been featured in several publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Juxtapoz, Vanity Fair and Forbes Magazine. His work is held in the private and public collections of The Studio Museum of Harlem, Guggenheim Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, SFMOMA, Brooklyn Museum, The Whitney Museum and LACMA. He is a graduate of Morehouse College, earned a Master’s Degree in Art Education from Harvard University and an MFA in painting from Hunter College. Fordjour is the founder of Contemporary Arts Memphis.
With a discography second to none, Timbaland’s signature sound remains downright inescapable. His dramatic keys, swaggering grooves, and unmistakable drums have underscored successive generations of smashes—ranging from Jay Z’s “Dirt Off Your Shoulder” and “Big Pimpin,” Justin Timberlake’s “Sexy Back” and “Cry Me A River,” and Missy Elliott’s “Get Ur Freak On” and “Work It” to Aaliyah’s “Are You That Somebody” and “One In A Million,” Ginuwine’s “Pony,” and One Republic’s “Apologize.” His discography spans cuts for Madonna, Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, Rihanna, Elton John, Drake, Coldplay, Alicia Keys, Ludacris, Nelly Furtado, Nickelback, Sam Smith, The Fray, Bryson Tiller, and Chris Cornell, to name a few. Along the way, he has collected four GRAMMY® Awards out of 18 nominations in addition to 200-plus ASCAP Music Awards. Scoring more Top 10 hits than either Elvis Presley or The Beatles, Billboard
voted him #3 on its “50 Greatest Producers of the 21st Century,” and is a 2024 inductee to the Songwriters Hall of Fame. No stranger to tech, he also launched the music technology platform Beatclub as a co-founder, owns and operates his label Mosley Music Group, and co-created VERZUZ alongside Swizz Beatz.
12on12 is a lifestyle brand at the intersection of Music and Art. Drawing on decades of experience in product ideation and creative execution, 12on12 provides a distinctive and unique canvas for storytelling through the powerful analogue medium of vinyl records. Whether through new music releases, greatest hits collections, or bespoke compilations, each 12on12 record is a curated musical experience, preserved on a pressed 12” vinyl. Collaborations with renowned visual artists transform the vinyl sleeve into a collectible piece of art, embodying a shared creative vision between the music and artwork. In addition to vinyl releases, 12on12 offers a curated selection of editioned fine art prints and lifestyle pieces, featuring artwork from its collaborations. Grammy Award-winning artists Swizz Beatz and Timbaland have a strategic stake in 12on12. Successful past collaborations include Nas x Futura, RUN DMC, Swizz Beatz, Dita Von Teese, Travis Scott x Saint Laurent, and ComplexCon featuring artwork by Takashi Murakami. www.12on12.com
