Timbaland Unearths A Petey Pablo Track That Puts The NC Vet In New Light (Audio)

Petey Pablo may seem like a blast from the past. In the closing days of 2001, the Greenville, North Carolina rapper put on for his state (and the South) with smash hit, “Raise Up.” As a result, the Jive Records artist scored a gold-certified album, Diary Of A Sinner: 1st Entry, featuring involvement from Timbaland and Eric “Vietnam” Sadler at once.

A decade later, things weren’t so good for Petey. Although P-squared garnered a strong commercial follow-up, Still Writing In My Diary: 2nd Entry, there was no more room to grow with Jive, who rolled into Arista—leaving Outkast, Clipse, and Roscoe P. Coldchain all stranded in the merger. By this time, Petey was running with Suge Knight in the last days of the original Death Row Records, though his LP never released. After attempting to carry a loaded gun onto an airplane in Carolina, the rapper was arrested and handed an extensive felony sentence.

Now free, Petey Pablo is looking to re-gain that gold-certified momentum. As a part of Timbaland Thursdays, the producer who largely stood by Petey for the duration of his career unveiled some fresh music. “Never Imagined” is not a pepped-up party track that incites pride or lust. Instead, the moment (it’s unclear how old or new this track is) shows an MC with sincerity, command on his emotions, and plans to win. Not your typical Timbo track, this is something that brings one of his pupils back into focus, while showing a different side of the Virginia giant:

Timbaland_PeteyPablo

Could Petey be poised to make impact with that overdue third album?

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