Timbaland to Perform on ‘The Four’ as Fill-In for Contestant Battling Cancer (EXCLUSIVE)

This Thursday
 night’s group number of “The Four” will feature a 


high-


profile


 stand-in, as 


hip-hop


 mega producer and artist 


Timbaland


 will fill in for contestant 


Sharaya


 J.

 

Sharaya, 


who is battling Stage 2 breast cancer, as revealed on the Fox show, is on 


doctor’s


 orders to save her voice and was encouraged to sit out the round and concentrate on 


her challenge performance. The group number planned for the episode is “The Way I Are” by 





. 

 

Timbaland


 is close with Missy Elliott 


— 


Sharaya’s


 mentor — and offered to perform as a special surprise. Originally from Jersey City, N.J., 


Sharaya


 relocated to Atlanta where she started her career as a dancer. 


Her father was a member of the ’90s hip-hop group “Double XX Posse” and she quickly moved into hip-hop herself, working closely with


 Elliott for years.

 

Timbaland


 was approached 


by P. Diddy,


 Mario 


Winans


, 


Laurieann


 Gibson, and Adam Blackstone to fill in and humbly accepted, he tells Variety. 


“I was very excited to be a guest on ‘,’ led by some of the biggest names in music — Puff, Khaled, Meghan Trainor, and Fergie,” says Timbaland. “


I’ve known 


Sharaya


 for years and when I heard that she was unable to participate in the group performance, I felt honored to step in. This platform inspires diverse, undiscovered stars to get started in their music careers with the very best.


”

 

Despite her vocal troubles, 


Sharaya


 J has been successful defending her chair against formidable opponents. Just last week, 


Sharaya


 was engaged in a female rap battle versus 17-year-old Texas challenger Briana Burns, who goes by the name Lil 


Bri


. 


Sharaya


 responded with a blistering version of “Stir Fry” by Migos, earning high praise from Diddy, who exclaimed “You did that!”

 

Before a rap battle with challenger James Farrow, 


Sharaya


 was featured openly discussing her chemo treatments, which she had to fly home for right after her first week.

 

“


I’m chasing the dream and fighting for my life,” she said.


 


“I am a survivor and a 


fighter,


 and I will be sitting in one of those chairs until the end.”

 

In her rap challenge to Farrow in week two, 


Sharaya


 threw down the gauntlet, declaring “


This is my seat and that 


ain’t


 


gonna


 change,” successfully keeping her seat.

 

Hosted by Fergie, “The Four” stars m


usic mogul 


Sean “Diddy” Combs


, mega-producer and hitmaker 


DJ Khaled


, and Grammy-award winning singer-songwriter 


Meghan Trainor


. It airs T




hursday
 nights on Fox.