Timbaland's beats impress on third solo album
By Ryan Groshong
For more than 10 years, Tim "Timbaland" Mosely has been churning out hits for everybody from Jodeci to Ludacris, with a sound that satisfies mainstream and radio-friendly audiences without alienating hip-hop purists.
Looking at Timbaland's catalogue of hits is like going on a walk down memory lane through your school days, starting with Missy Elliot's "The Rain," around elementary school; Jay-Z's "Big Pimpin'" in middle school; Ludacris' "Rollout" in high school; and culminating with his most recent mega-hits, Nelly Furtado's "Promiscuous" and Justin Timberlake's "SexyBack."
With all of these hits, Timbaland has solidified a place among hip-hop's super-producers. But what separates Tim from the rest is that he's done it without Diddy's relentless self-promotion, Pharrell's smooth high-pitched vocals or the publicity-building controversy that has surrounded Dr. Dre's career. Timbaland is a musical genius, whose beats speak for themselves.
In his new solo album, "Timbaland Presents: Shock Value," he builds on his extensive catalogue of hits, experiments with some new sounds and brings back some old friends like Missy Elliot and Magoo in the process. The result is an album that, despite faltering in a few places, is far more innovative and engaging than almost anything being released in hip-hop today.
The first single, "Give it to Me," features Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake, who should credit Timbaland's production for reviving and redefining their careers. It was Tim's "Promiscuous" track that expanded Furtado past her bland sound on tracks like "I'm Like a Bird." And before Tim's beats on "Cry Me a River," "SexyBack" and "My Love," current king of R&B Justin Timberlake was making meaningless pop drivel. Anybody remember "Digital Get Down?"
"Give it to Me" isn't quite as catchy as the hits that Timbaland created for his two prodigies, but it's still tons of fun to hear the three of them together gloating over the way they've dominated the charts for this past year, and it should stay in heavy radio rotation all through the summer.
Despite the considerable star power featured on this album, the standout song features two new artists, Keri Hilson and D.O.E. The track, "The Way I Are," sounds like the best techno song you've ever heard, but with a hip-hop twist. The synthesizer-heavy beat and energetic vocals are infectious.
Other tracks, including "Fantasy," Timbaland's reunion with Magoo on "Boardmeeting" and the bollywood-infused, Panjabi MC-esque "Bombay" also stand out. Nonetheless, the album is far from perfect, mostly because of missed opportunities and the fact that, despite his beat-making prowess, Timbaland's vocals and lyrical ability leave much to be desired.
Anytime Timbaland, Missy Elliot, Dr. Dre and Timberlake get together on one track, the results should be much more profound than the formulaic ode to strip clubs, "Bounce." And the most intriguing featured artist on the album, Elton John, is completely wasted. "2 Man Show" features Sir Elton, but for some reason that I will never understand, the only voice we hear on the track is Timbaland's. All that comes from Elton is an un-distinctive and un-remarkable piano riff. For all those who are hoping for "Tiny Dancer" with a hip-hop influence, you will be sorely disappointed.
Still, given the current climate in hip-hop, this album is a shining success.
While other artists and producers are happy to simply follow current trends to get themselves on the radio, Timbaland has never been content with just being part of the crowd. His growth as an artist is reflected in the ways that he has continuously tried to refine and expand on his progressive sound. Timbaland's ability to innovate, to experiment without being overtly experimental and get people moving with his beats are reason enough to pick up "Shock Value."
Grade: B+
Contact Ryan Groshong at (408) 551-1918 or rgroshong@scu.edu.