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.
Symphony
Timbaland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Before I became a feign
I took over the world
When they gave me a beat machine
And then I made my city jump, jump
Who's your favorite producer?
Come on baby, let it bump, bump
I'm like a music cyclone when I'm in the zone
A tycoon, I just went and brought another home
Who you stunting on? I'm never off
I set it off like you was never home
Was dedicated, bop bop
Lit up my way, bounce bounce
Anyway I want, private jet, get it out
Will bread do? You know what Tim about?
Ferrari 599, windows tinted out
I, I, I'm the man, my, my beats is crazy
You want the sound, freaky freaky you gotta pay me
But don't get it confused
Never had no silver spoon
But you gotta long walk
Try and fit Timbaland's shoes
And next up
I'm a lead that's me (ay, what's your name?)
D.O.E on the M.I.C (and where you from?)
N.Y.C, make a billion G
Why don't you get on the mic
For the symphony (Okay, okay)
When you see me walk through, got the whole crew
Timbaland, he produced, if you're a fruit, produce
Riding it in the old school
Living like I'm old school
She french kissed my neck
And then I told her merci voux cou
Put it in your bag, no baby I ain't fat
When I fuck you it's a wrap
I'm a put you in the cab
Better be happy I rap
If I wasn't I'd be trapped with the mass
And I, and I'm coming for your stash
When I find out where you at
I'll be shimmying your lock
Get the fuck up out your bed
You better give me what you got
Want your money, money, money, money
Blind like there's no money, oh gotta go money
And his pocket's fully drained
And he's back to nothing change
And I'd wish he'd come run up on me
He gone find that he'd done made the wrong move
I ain't changed, still the same
D.O.E be the name
I'm from north side queens
Next up
Ha, ay yo, believe that's me
(And what's your name?) Bran'Nu A.K.A Brandy
(And where you from?) Mississippi
But was raised in Cali
Why don't you get on the mic
For the symphony (I got it, I got it ha)
It's been a long time coming, I'm back
Like I forgot something important
Hey, have a problem with me?
I've faded to black like church slacks
Now I'm in a range, no Cadillac
So you don't want it with me
I'm on the tip of your tongue like bubble gum
I got you head strung
It's my return like the kingdom come
I'm taking off like a rocket
I got this beat in my pocket
I keep your heart dropping (Bran'Nu)
Never gonna hold me back
Timbo put me on the map
Now you wanna say I act brand new
Just like my Pradda boots
Strutting like a model do
Don't you wish you had another chance to
Get up under my skin
Fronting like you getting in it
You keep running your mouth like them frogs do
I gotta learn, you like a school dude
Cause clearly you don't have a clue
So next up
Yeah, ay yo believe that's me
(And what's your name?) Attitude on the M.I.C
(And where you from?) Alabama be the bigger G
And why don't you get on the mic
For the symphony (okay)
All this dope shit never mediocre
Plenty bread so you know I gotta keep a toaster
On my side, pride leashing, it's over
Come to fly to drive, I'm a need a chauffeur
I get a whole lot of, like a G's supposed to
They can put me in the fed for what's in my sofa
Rap, wait, smack 'em if they say a part
Diss me, I'll put the ratchet
On you and your fading heart
I know that man never thought that it could happen
Got my shit on and then I hoped in the Aspen
Every chick I cash in, bigger pain in the ass and
Better new freak, she thicker then the last one
Naw I ain't never homie, music is my passion
I ain't show compassion at all, I be fucking
Yelling I'm the shit, if you with nobody's asking
Oh I'm on fire like the shit in the ass man
That's why I stay soaked on player
Like how we are fucking up the ozone layer
I drop a hit every time I got some shit to say
And If I miss I come back like a ricochet
The lyrics of Timbaland's song Symphony are boastful and celebratory of the rapper's success in the music industry. The song begins with Timbaland bragging about how he took over the world after he was given a beat machine. He also compares himself to a music cyclone and a tycoon, indicating that he is a force to reckon with. He then emphasizes the fact that he has worked hard to get to where he is, and he did not have a silver spoon.
The next verses by D.O.E, Bran' Nu, and Attitude Bran' Nu continue with the same theme of success and achievement. D.O.E declares that he is still the same despite his success, and he is from North Side Queens. Bran' Nu exudes confidence and celebrates her return to the music scene, while Attitude Bran' Nu brags about his wealth and success in the music industry. Overall, the lyrics of the song Symphony highlight the success and perseverance of the rappers in their music ventures.
Line by Line Meaning
Aye, I was mean
Hey, I used to be rude and unkind
Before I became a feign
Before I became addicted
I took over the world
I gained dominance and influence globally
When they gave me a beat machine
When I was provided with a musical instrument
And then I made my city jump, jump
And then I energized my city, making it lively
Who's your favorite producer?
Who do you consider the best music producer?
Come on baby, let it bump, bump
Come on, baby, let the music play loudly
I'm like a music cyclone when I'm in the zone
I'm like a powerful, swirling force in music when I am focused
A typhoon every time I can hold a song
An extremely powerful storm of creativity whenever I create a song
A tycoon, I just went and brought another home
A wealthy and successful person, I just acquired another property
Who you stunting on? I'm never off
Who are you trying to show off to? I'm always active
I set it off like you was never home
I start the excitement as if you were never there
Was dedicated, bop bop
I was committed, expressing it with a sound
Lit up my way, bounce bounce
Brightened my path, moving with energy
Anyway I want, private jet, get it out
However I desire, private jet, make it happen
Will bread do? You know what Tim about?
Will money suffice? You understand Tim's perspective?
Ferrari 599, windows tinted out
Ferrari 599, windows have been darkened
I, I, I'm the man, my, my beats is crazy
I, I, I'm the best, my, my musical productions are extraordinary
You want the sound, freaky freaky you gotta pay me
If you want my unique musical style, you have to pay for it
But don't get it confused
But don't misunderstand
Never had no silver spoon
I never had a privileged upbringing
But you gotta long walk
But you have a difficult journey ahead
Try and fit Timbaland's shoes
Try to match Timbaland's success
And next up
And now, onto the next artist
I'm a lead that's me (ay, what's your name?)
I'm a prominent figure, that's who I am (hey, what is your name?)
D.O.E on the M.I.C (and where you from?)
D.O.E on the microphone (and where are you from?)
N.Y.C, make a billion G
From New York City, making a billion dollars
When you see me walk through, got the whole crew
When you see me entering, I am accompanied by my entire group
Timbaland, he produced, if you're a fruit, produce
Timbaland, he created the music, if you are unproductive, start being productive
Riding it in the old school
Driving in a classic car
Living like I'm old school
Living with a nostalgic and traditional mindset
She french kissed my neck
She passionate kissed my neck
And then I told her merci voux cou
And then I thanked her with a French phrase
Put it in your bag, no baby I ain't fat
Put it in your bag, no, I am not overweight
When I fuck you it's a wrap
When I have sex with you, it's fantastic
I'm a put you in the cab
I am going to take you home in a taxi
Better be happy I rap
You better be glad that I am a rapper
If I wasn't I'd be trapped with the mass
If I wasn't, I would be stuck with the majority
And I, and I'm coming for your stash
And I, and I am coming for your hidden money
When I find out where you at
When I discover your location
I'll be shimmying your lock
I will be picking your lock
Get the fuck up out your bed
Get out of your bed immediately
You better give me what you got
You better give me all that you have
Want your money, money, money, money
I want your money, money, money, money
Blind like there's no money, oh gotta go money
Blind as if there is no money, oh, I need to acquire money
And his pocket's fully drained
And his pockets are completely empty
And he's back to nothing change
And he is back to having no money
And I'd wish he'd come run up on me
And I wish he would come confront me
He gone find that he'd done made the wrong move
He will realize that he made a mistake
I ain't changed, still the same
I haven't changed, I am still the same person
D.O.E be the name
D.O.E is my name
I'm from north side queens
I am from the northern side of Queens, New York
Next up
Next artist
Ha, ay yo, believe that's me
Ha, hey, believe that it's me
(And what's your name?) Bran'Nu A.K.A Brandy
(And what is your name?) Bran'Nu also known as Brandy
(And where you from?) Mississippi
(And where are you from?) Mississippi
But was raised in Cali
But I was raised in California
It's been a long time coming, I'm back
It's been a while, but I have returned
Like I forgot something important
Like I forgot something significant
Hey, have a problem with me?
Hey, do you have an issue with me?
I've faded to black like church slacks
I've disappeared from the limelight
Now I'm in a range, no Cadillac
Now I have a luxury car, not a Cadillac
So you don't want it with me
So you don't want to challenge me
I'm on the tip of your tongue like bubble gum
I am always on your mind like chewing gum
I got you head strung
I have you obsessed
It's my return like the kingdom come
It's my comeback like the Second Coming
I'm taking off like a rocket
I am rising quickly, just like a rocket
I got this beat in my pocket
I have this musical rhythm under control
I keep your heart dropping
I keep surprising you, making your heart skip a beat
Never gonna hold me back
They will never hinder my progress
Timbo put me on the map
Timbaland made me known in the music industry
Now you wanna say I act brand new
Now you want to say I am acting different
Just like my Pradda boots
Just like my designer boots
Strutting like a model do
Walking confidently like a fashion model
Don't you wish you had another chance to
Don't you wish you had another opportunity to
Get up under my skin
Get close to me emotionally
Fronting like you getting in it
Pretending like you are involved in it
You keep running your mouth like them frogs do
You keep talking excessively like those annoying frogs
I gotta learn, you like a school dude
I have to recognize, you are like an inexperienced person
Cause clearly you don't have a clue
Because obviously you have no understanding
So next up
So, onto the next
Yeah, ay yo believe that's me
Yeah, hey, believe that it's me
(And what's your name?) Attitude on the M.I.C
(And what is your name?) Attitude on the microphone
(And where you from?) Alabama be the bigger G
(And where are you from?) Alabama, representing greatness
All this dope shit never mediocre
All this exceptional stuff is never average
Plenty bread so you know I gotta keep a toaster
Plenty of money, so you know I need to keep a gun for protection
On my side, pride leashing, it's over
With my pride held back, it's finished
Come to fly to drive, I'm a need a chauffeur
I need a driver when I travel by plane or car
I get a whole lot of, like a G's supposed to
I receive a large amount, just as a gangster should
They can put me in the fed for what's in my sofa
Authorities can arrest me for what I hide in my couch
Rap, wait, smack 'em if they say a part
Rap, wait, strike them if they disrespect
Diss me, I'll put the ratchet
Insult me, and I'll use a firearm
On you and your fading heart
Against you and your diminishing courage
I know that man never thought that it could happen
I know that person never expected it to occur
Got my shit on and then I hoped in the Aspen
Got my belongings and then I entered the luxurious car
Every chick I cash in, bigger pain in the ass and
Every woman I gain wealth from, it becomes a bigger hassle
Better new freak, she thicker then the last one
Better new lover, she is more attractive than the previous one
Naw I ain't never homie, music is my passion
No, I am never stagnant, music is my true love
I ain't show compassion at all, I be fucking
I don't show any kindness, I am focused on sexual activity
Yelling I'm the shit, if you with nobody's asking
Exclaiming I am excellent, even when nobody inquires
Oh I'm on fire like the shit in the ass man
Oh, I am on fire like something explosive
That's why I stay soaked on player
That's why I stay well-prepared in my player lifestyle
Like how we are fucking up the ozone layer
Similar to how we are damaging the Earth's ozone layer
I drop a hit every time I got some shit to say
I release a successful song whenever I have something to express
And If I miss I come back like a ricochet
And if I fail, I return successfully like a rebound
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, ANTHEM ENTERTAINMENT LP, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: TIMOTHY CLAYTON, LESLIE JEROME HARMON, TIMOTHY Z. MOSLEY, JOHN M. MAULTSBY, BRANDY NORWOOD, KEITHIN JAMAL PITTMAN, JAMES DAVID WASHINGTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind