Timbaland is similar to producers such as Norman Whitfield in that he helped to redefine the sound of an entire genre of music with an immediately recognizable production style. The songs he produces feature unusual arrangements, sounds, and instrumentation, tied together by a trademark sense of rhythm. Like Spector and Whitfield, Timbaland's production sometimes overshadows the credited performer and becomes the actual "star" of the song. With songwriters Steve "Static" Garrett and childhood friend Missy Elliott, Timbaland has helped to create some of the most successful songs in modern pop music and urban music, including singles for Aaliyah, Ginuwine, SWV, Total, and 702.
Mosley grew up in Norfolk, Virginia, where he became acquainted with Missy Elliott and Melvin Barcliff, whose MC name was "Magoo." Originally a disc jockey known as "DJ Timmy Tim," Mosely began making hip-hop backing tracks on a Casio keyboard he owned. In 1993 Elliott heard his material and, taken by Mosley's unique sense of rhythm, immediately began working with him.
Elliott and her girl group Sista auditioned for DeVante Swing, producer and member of successful R&B act Jodeci. Devante signed Sista to his Swing Mob label, and Elliott brought Mosely and Barcliff along with her. Mosely began working under Devante, who renamed the young producer Timbaland, after the Timberland boot popular in hip-hop fashion.
Sista and Timbaland & Magoo became part of Devante's stable of Swing Mob signees known as "Da Bassment" crew, joining artists and groups such as male singer Ginuwine, male vocal group Playa, and girl group Sugah. Timbaland did production work on a number of projects with Devante, including the 1995 Jodeci LP The Show, The After-Party, The Hotel, and Sista's debut LP, which was shevled and never saw release.
Timbaland was also friends with Pharrell Williams, and had dabbled in projects with him as S.B.I., or Surrounded By Idiots. Pharrell recalls in an interview: "“In seventh grade I met Chad. That’s twenty years ago by now. Like I said earlier, we started producing beats together. But then again, I also played with this famous group which consisted of Timbaland, Magoo, myself and some other guy. Chad wasn’t a part of the group, so I was in The Neptunes and in Surrounded By Idiots at the same time.” A few tracks produced by the group float around on the internet, the most distributed being "Big White Spaceship".
In 1995, most of Devante's acts broke their ties with the producer and went their own ways. Elliott, Timbaland, Magoo, Playa, and Ginuwine continued to collaborate, and began working on individual projects of their own. Elliott began receiving recognition as a songwriter and guest artist for artists such as 702 and MC Lyte, and Timbaland was sometimes assigned to produce remixes of Elliott-penned songs. One of these, the remix to 702's "Steelo" in 1996, became Timbaland's first important production credit.
Also in 1996, Ginuwine released his debut album, Ginuwine...the Bachelor, which was produced entirely by Timbaland. The album was both a commercial and critical success, and its first single, "Pony," was the first example of what would later become the signature Timbaland sound.
The track for "Pony," which Timbaland had created two years prior during the Swing Mob days, was characterized by a shifting, syncopated rhythm, similar to samba or jungle music, which used snare and kick hits on typically non-accented beats in the measure. Stuttering high-hats typical of southern bass music accompanied the basic drum sounds, which were, unusual for hip-hop and R&B of this period, severely gated to create short, strong sounds. This use of the "short snare" is in marked contrast to the "long snare" sound in New Wave music in the 1980s, which featured a heavily amplified, almost white noise snare drum put through reverb. Accompanying the unusual rhythm were melody lines created by playing odd sound effects (vocal effects and cartoon slide whistles) through a sampling keyboard. The other tracks on Ginuwine...the Bachelor also featured similar production and arrangements. On many of the tracks, Timbaland can be heard either rapping or providing ad-libs, similar to what both Elliott and Puff Daddy where doing at the time; Timbaland's deep voice was usually vocoded to give it an electronic sound.
While work was being completed on Ginuwine...the Bachelor, R&B artist Aaliyah contracted Timbaland and Missy Elliott to write and produce most of her second album, One In A Million. The tracks that were crafted for Aaliyah featured innovative arrangements similar to those on Ginuwine...the Bachelor. One In A Million went on to sell over two million copies, and made superstars out of not only Aaliyah, but Elliott and Timbaland as well.
Elliott and Timbaland became one of the most successful and prolific songwriting/production teams of the late-1990s. By the end of the decade, Timbaland's sound had been heard in records from artists such as SWV, Destiny's Child, Nicole Wray, Jay-Z, Nas. Most of his production work during this period was reserved for his original stable of collaborators: two Missy Elliott albums (Supa Dupa Fly and Da Real World), a second effort by Ginuwine (100% Ginuwine), and Playa's debut album (Cheers 2 U). Timbaland produced much (if not all) of the material on many of their albums during this period, and also made two albums of his own: one with Magoo, and one solo album. Timbaland's own raps, which were usually ghostwritten by Elliott, Magoo, or his younger brother Garland Mosley (AKA Sebastian), were almost always accompanied by other MCs, including his main collaborators and numerous guest artists.
Timbaland spawned a plethora of imitators, some of which went as far as to sample sections of his work to create similar-sounding tracks. The popularity of the "Timbaland sound" marked a shift in hip-hop music from rougher, sample-based tracks to simpler, more synthetic musical accompainiment (unlike many hip-hop producers, Timbaland rarely sampled older records; most of his tracks were crafted by him and his in-house band). Since Timbaland worked in both hip-hop and R&B and often combined elements of one in tracks for the other, his work aided the blending together of the two genres, which became less and less distinct during the first half of the 2000s.
Foreign, especially Asian, instrumentation is present through much of his early work (Xscape's "My Secret" remix, especially, with a rollicking sitar outro and Timbaland ad-libbing "Let's take a little trip...to India"), but was most successful and prevalent with Jay-Z's "Big Pimpin'" (1999), which borrowed directly from the song "Khosara" by Egyptian composer Baligh Hamdi. Missy Elliott's 2001 hit single, "Get Ur Freak On" from her third album, Miss E...So Addictive, was also likewise a smash, using a speedy dhol drumline typical of Bhangra. His borrowing from these cultures has resulted in mixed reactions, with many critics embracing his musical adventurousness and eclecticism and more esoteric, purist factions reacting catiously, and sometimes negatively. In an interview with Missy Elliott in RayGun Magazine, he mentioned a diverse base of influences, from UK Drum 'N Bass to Garage.
Timbaland-produced songs such as Ludacris' "Roll Out (My Business)," Jay-Z's "Hola' Hovito," Petey Pablo's "Raise Up," and Beck's "Diamond Dogs" were recorded and released during this period, and he contributed to Limp Bizkit's 2001 remix album, New Old Songs. He also contributed three songs--all eventually released as singles--to Aaliyah's self-titled third album.
Timbaland & Magoo's second album together, Indecent Proposal, had been scheduled for release in November 2000, and was to feature appearances by Beck, Aaliyah, and new Timbaland proteges--some of whom were signed to his new Beat Club Records imprint--Ms. Jade, Sebastian, Petey Pablo, and Tweet (who was a member of Sugah during the Swing Mob days). The album was delayed until for an entire year, finally being released the following November, and was a commercial disappointment. Beck's vocals for the track "I Am Music" were not included on the final released version, which instead featured Timbaland singing alongside Static (Steven Garrett) of Playa and Aaliyah, who had been killed in a plane crash three months before the release of the album. The loss of Aaliyah deeply affected Timbaland, whose work was less omnipresent after 2001.
The first release on Beat Club was the debut album by Caucasian MC Bubba Sparxxx in October 2002, Dark Days, Bright Nights. Timbaland contributed three tracks to Tweet's debut album, Southern Hummingbird, and produced most of Missy Elliott's fourth and fifth LPs, Under Construction and This Is Not A Test! He also produced hit singles and album tracks for artists such as Li'l Kim ("The Jump Off") and Pastor Troy during this period. Collaborating with Scott Storch, Timbaland also produced a number of tracks on former *NSYNC lead singer Justin Timberlake's solo debut, Justified, including the hit single "Cry Me a River".
Late in 2003, Timbaland delivered the second Bubba Sparxxx album, Deliverance, and the third Timbaland & Magoo album, Under Construction, Part II. Both albums were released to little fanfare or acclaim even though Deliverance was praised by reviews and embraced by the internet community.
Timbaland continues to produce hit singles and albums for artists; in 2004 Timbaland-produced singles by LL Cool J, Xzibit, and Jay-Z became staples on urban radio, and he produced the bulk of Brandy's fourth album, Afrodisiac. New songs from artists such as Tweet and The Game are set for release in 2005.
2005 saw Timbaland producing a song on Tweet and The Game's albums ("Steer" and "Put You on The Game" respectively). He also produced 2 songs on Missy Elliott's 6th album (The Cookbook), "Joy" featuring Mike Jones and "Partytime."
Timbaland started his new label, Mosely Music Group, once again under Interscope. On the label are singers Nelly Furtado and Keri Hilson, and rapper D.O.E. Timbaland's parternship and mentorship of upcoming producer Nate "Danjahandz" Hills is evident in Timbaland's rejuvination in music.
Furtado looks to have her third album, Loose, released under MMG with in the first half of 2006 with Hilson's debut following shortly after. Timbaland is also slated to work with Justin Timberlake, Hilary Duff as well as albums by Jamie Foxx, JC Chasez, Busta Rhymes, Diddy, Ludacris, Chingy, Chilli of TLC, Tweet, and a lot more.
In 2006, Timbaland produced songs "Promiscuous" "My love" and "Sexyback" topped the charts for over fourteen weeks. In 2007, the tracks "Say It Right" and "What Goes Around" also topped the charts. The year 2007 also saw the release of his album "Timbaland presents Shock Value" which featured Fall Out Boy, The Hives, Elton John, Nicole Scherzinger, Justin Timberlake, Nelly Furtado, Missy Elliot, Sebastian (his brother), Keri Hilson, Money, Attitude, and Jim Beanz.
Say Something
Timbaland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You and me, only
I did it all for you
Still, you were lonely
We could've worked it out
Uh, but I guess things change
It's funny how someone else's success brings pain
When you're no longer involved
And you just stuck standin' there
I'm gon' need you to say something, baby
Say say something, baby, say something, baby, say something, baby
I'm gon' need you to say something, baby
I'm gon' need you to say something, baby, oh, ooh-whoa
Yeah, it really sucks but ever since I've been long gone
I traded in my señorita for a microphone
I hate the way you fell apart girl, its sad to see
Your life is good but me and you we're a catastrophe
If I was unsuccessful would you be satisfied
I need a paramedic girl, I'm feeling paralyzed
If I could choose, you will always be a friend to me
The more money I made you actin' like my enemy
It's crazy, I can't help it if you feel ashamed
All the pressure would turn you into my diamond babe
How can something so familiar be so strange?
Closest friends get estranged when your status change
Ah, is it my mistake, think that where I am and where you at?
And my homeboy Larry Live is the only one that had my back
We were the perfect pair, and now it seems that we don't match
Is it the money, want me to give it back?
This shit was all I knew
You and me, only
I did it all for you
Still, you were lonely
We could've worked it out
Uh, but I guess things change
It's funny how someone else's success brings pain
When you're no longer involved
That person has it all
And you just stuck standin' there
I'm gon' need you to say something, baby
Say say something, baby, say something, baby, say something, baby
I'm gon' need you to say something, baby
I'm gon' need you to say something, baby, oh, ooh-whoa
Uh, I am the topic of conversation
This is celebration
Let's toast to the fact that Imoved out my mama basement
To a condo downtown, 'cause it's all about location
I'm sitting, drink wine and watch Californication of life
You shoulda been here to kick it with me
We coulda split this whole thing up fifty-fifty
But now I'm at the 40/40 gettin' bitches tipsy
Killing shit, the ever-so talented Mr. Ripley
How I go from bein' the man that you argue with
To me and Dwayne Carter putting out the hardest shit
I should want to go back to the one I started with
But I'm addicted to this life, it's gon' be hard to quit
Yeah, just ask me how things are comin' along
You could tell me that you've never heard none of my songs
Long as you end up sayin' one day you plan to listen
'Cause what's a star when it's most important fan is missing?
This shit was all I knew
You and me, only
I did it all for you
Still, you were lonely
We could've worked it out
Uh, but I guess things change
It's funny how someone else's success brings pain
When you're no longer involved
That person has it all
And you just stuck standin' there
I'm gon' need you to say something, baby
Say say something, baby, say something, baby, say something, baby
I'm gon' need you to say something, baby
I'm gon' need you to say something, baby, oh, ooh-whoa
The lyrics to the song "Say Something" by Timbaland are about a past relationship gone sour due to the singer's success, fame, and fortune. The song begins with the singer expressing that his music was all he knew, and he did it all for his former partner, but still, they were lonely. The singer acknowledges that things could have been worked out between them, but everything has now changed. He observes that success can bring pain for others and how a person who once had nothing could now have it all, and the other person is still standing still. The singer then begs his former partner to say something, anything, to bridge the gap between them.
In the second verse, the singer discusses how he's moved on with his life, switched his partner for a career and is now successful. However, he's not entirely happy with his new life, especially knowing how his ex-partner feels about his success. He reflects that if he weren't successful, would she have been content with him? He also shares his vulnerability, saying he feels paralyzed and needs a paramedic or a friend. The singer admits that he wishes things had turned out differently, and he's addicted to this life, and it'll be hard to quit. But he also acknowledges that his former partner was his most significant fan, and even if she never heard any of his songs, he hopes she'll listen to them one day.
Overall, the song is a touching confession about the aftermath of a failed relationship and expressing the singer's desire to reconnect with his former partner.
Line by Line Meaning
This shit was all I knew
My entire life and career revolved around you and our relationship.
You and me, only
Our relationship was the only thing that mattered to me.
I did it all for you
I worked hard and made sacrifices to provide for us and make you happy.
Still, you were lonely
Despite my efforts, you were still unhappy and unfulfilled in our relationship.
We could've worked it out
There were ways for us to fix our relationship and make it better.
Uh, but I guess things change
Unfortunately, things don't always work out the way we want them to.
It's funny how someone else's success brings pain
Seeing someone else succeed can be painful when you're no longer a part of their life or success.
When you're no longer involved
Once you're no longer a part of someone's life, their successes and failures no longer affect you.
That person has it all
The person who succeeds without you seems to have everything that you wanted or needed in your life or relationship.
And you just stuck standin' there
You're left feeling stuck and unable to move forward while they continue to succeed without you.
I'm gon' need you to say something, baby
I'm asking you to speak up and express your feelings about our relationship and what went wrong.
Say say something, baby, say something, baby, say something, baby
I'm urging you to communicate and share your thoughts and feelings with me.
Yeah, it really sucks but ever since I've been long gone
I recognize that our relationship is over and that it's been a long time since we were together.
I traded in my señorita for a microphone
I gave up my romantic relationship for my music career.
I hate the way you fell apart girl, its sad to see
I feel sad and guilty for the negative impact my career had on our relationship and your life.
Your life is good but me and you we're a catastrophe
Although your life is good now, our relationship was a disaster and caused a lot of pain.
If I was unsuccessful would you be satisfied
If I had not become successful in my music career, would our relationship have ended differently?
I need a paramedic girl, I'm feeling paralyzed
I feel stuck and unable to move on from our failed relationship.
If I could choose, you will always be a friend to me
If given the choice, I would still want to be friends with you despite our failed romantic relationship.
The more money I made you actin' like my enemy
As I made more money and became more successful, you seemed to become resentful and distant.
It's crazy, I can't help it if you feel ashamed
I can't control how you feel, but it's crazy to me that you might feel ashamed or embarrassed of our relationship or my success.
All the pressure would turn you into my diamond babe
The pressure of my success would have made you shine like a diamond and brought out the best in you.
How can something so familiar be so strange?
It's strange how our once-familiar relationship has become so distant and unfamiliar.
Closest friends get estranged when your status change
Close relationships can be affected and even destroyed when one person's status or success changes.
Ah, is it my mistake, think that where I am and where you at?
I wonder if my success contributed to the end of our relationship and the different paths our lives have taken.
And my homeboy Larry Live is the only one that had my back
In the midst of all these changes and difficulties, my friend Larry was the only one who supported me and had my back.
We were the perfect pair, and now it seems that we don't match
We used to be perfect for each other, but now we seem incompatible and unable to make our relationship work.
Is it the money, want me to give it back?
I wonder if our failed relationship and your resentment is due to my success and wealth, and if you want me to give it all up.
Uh, I am the topic of conversation
I am the subject of gossip and discussion among people who know me and our relationship.
This is celebration
Despite the difficulties and challenges, my success is something to celebrate and be proud of.
Let's toast to the fact that I moved out my mama basement
Let's raise a glass to my success and the fact that I've come a long way from living at home with my mother.
To a condo downtown, 'cause it's all about location
I now live in a nicer home in a better location, which is a reflection of my success.
I'm sitting, drink wine and watch Californication of life
I'm enjoying the fruits of my labor by relaxing and watching a TV show, savoring the good life.
You shoulda been here to kick it with me
I wish you were here with me to enjoy my success and celebrate together.
We coulda split this whole thing up fifty-fifty
We could have shared in my success and enjoyed it together if we had stayed together and worked things out.
But now I'm at the 40/40 gettin' bitches tipsy
Instead, I'm at a fancy club, drinking and having fun with other women.
Killing shit, the ever-so talented Mr. Ripley
I'm killing it in my music career and am a talented and successful artist.
How I go from bein' the man that you argue with
It's strange how we used to argue and fight, to now being completely estranged and no longer communicating.
To me and Dwayne Carter putting out the hardest shit
Now, I've teamed up with another successful artist, Lil Wayne, to create great music together.
I should want to go back to the one I started with
I should want to return to my roots and the person I started my career and life with, but it's difficult to let go of my newfound success.
But I'm addicted to this life, it's gon' be hard to quit
I'm addicted to the success and glamour of my life now, and it will be difficult to give it all up.
Yeah, just ask me how things are comin' along
People often ask me how things are going in my career and life.
You could tell me that you've never heard none of my songs
Even if you've never heard my music, I still value your opinion and want to share my success with you.
Long as you end up sayin' one day you plan to listen
As long as you show an interest in my music and success, that's all that matters to me.
'Cause what's a star when it's most important fan is missing?
No matter how successful I become, it doesn't mean anything if the person I care about most isn't there to support me.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Anthem Entertainment, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Aubrey Graham, John Maultsby, Leslie Harmon, Timothy Clayton, Timothy Mosley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@33Oak
[Chorus: Drake]
This shit was all I knew, you and me only
I did it all for you, still you were lonely
We could've worked it out, uh, but I guess things change
It's funny how someone else's success brings pain
When you're no longer involved, that person has it all
And you just stuck standin' there but
I'm gon' need you to say something, baby
Say-say something, baby
Say something, babe, say something
I'm gon' need you to say something, baby
I'm gon' need you to say something, baby, oh-whoa
[Verse 1: Timbaland]
Yeah, it really sucks, but ever since I’ve been long gone
I traded in my señorita for a microphone
I hate the way you fell apart, girl, it's sad to see
Your life is good, but me and you, we a catastrophe
If I was unsuccessful, would you be satisfied?
I need a paramedic girl, I’m feeling paralyzed
If I could choose, you will always be a friend to me
The more money I made you acting like my enemy, it's crazy
I can’t help it if you feel ashamed
Thought the pressure would turn you into my diamond babe
How can something so familiar be so strange
Closest friends get estranged when the status change, ah
Is it my mistake, thinking that where I am and where you at?
And my homeboy Larry Live is the only one that had my back
You were the perfect pair and now it seems that we don’t match
Is it the money, want me to give it back?
[Chorus: Drake]
This shit was all I knew, you and me only
I did it all for you, still you were lonely
We could've worked it out, uh, but I guess things change
It's funny how someone else's success brings pain
When you're no longer involved, that person has it all
And you just stuck standin' there but
I'm gon' need you to say something, baby
Say-say something, baby
Say something, babe, say something
I'm gon' need you to say something, baby
I'm gon' need you to say something, baby, oh-whoa
[Verse 2: Drake]
Uh, I am the topic of conversation, this is celebration
Let's toast to the fact that I've moved out my mama's basement
To a condo downtown, 'cause it's all about location
I sit and drink wine and watch Californication, to life
You shoulda been here to kick it with me
We could have split this whole thing up 50/50
But now I'm at the 40/40 getting bitches tipsy
Killing shit, the ever-so talented Mr. Ripley
How I go from being the man that you argue with
To me and Dwayne Carter putting out the hardest shit
I should wanna go back to the one I started with
But I'm addicted to this life, it's gon' be hard to quit
Yeah, just ask me how things are coming along
You could tell me that you've never heard none of my songs
Long as you end up saying one day you plan to listen
'Cause what's a star when it's most important fan is missing?
[Chorus: Drake]
This shit was all I knew, you and me only
I did it all for you, still you were lonely
We could've worked it out, uh, but I guess things change
It's funny how someone else's success brings pain
When you're no longer involved, that person has it all
And you just stuck standin' there but
I'm gon' need you to say something, baby
Say-say something, baby
Say something, babe, say something
I'm gon' need you to say something, baby
I'm gon' need you to say something, baby, oh-whoa
@Mike-kn5jc
Damn back when days were simpler, easier, and calmer 😞
@bunnywitvh2
YESSS can we please go back
@dreamchaserforlife3667
Facts life moves so much faster and gets so much harder music now sucks
@jordynbryant5357
Fr😭😭
@shakirjones5843
I want the old drake back
@DubBeats
In high school was fun too...
@problematiccartoons
It's crazy when you finally relate to a song you loved as a child.
@YouFoundMeSomehow
That is what is happening to me right now. I now understand the lyrics so much
@Skacymaecatchu777
Or hated. 😂
@quinceymattox2505
@@Skacymaecatchu777I hated Drake voice when I was younger now I fw with his music