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.
Boardmeeting
timbaLand Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm timbo and I want you to know that these are the brakes
Uh-huh, uh-huh
Hey, get ya back up off the wall
Uh-huh, uh-huh
Hey, get ya back up off the wall
Uh-huh, uh-huh
Uh-huh, uh-huh
Let me tell ya
You got me feining for your body parts
You said you lonely and you need it bad
Come and see me when you wanna to start
And where we going you don't have to ask
Come in my sight? with the blunt in the air
Let me seduce you, let me play in your hair
I see that you're hyper, let's take it upstairs
Hey girl! Let's have a meeting, a meeting
I know a quiet place where we can talk
Girl, relax and let me do my thing
Baby I don't wanna to break your heart
I just want to make you say my name
Come in my sight? with the blunt in the air
Let me seduce you, let me play in your hair
I see that you're hyper, let's take it upstairs
Hey girl! Let's have a meeting, a meeting
I'm a chick nigga (heart with a man)? fo sho
In the back of my mind, girl you infidel
Even though you a skunk?, I'm a fan of chest
Role play you the best, you supply the sex
Yes, I'm a fein of your hole
One hit of you, when I lose control
I look in your eyes, I can see yo soul
Bankroll in the hole for you to cause and go
Come in my sight? with the blunt in the air
Let me seduce you, let me play in your hair
I see that you're hyper, let's take it upstairs
Hey girl! Let's have a meeting, a meeting
Uh-huh, uh-huh
Get ya back up off the wall
Uh-huh, uh-huh
Hey! Get ya back up off the wall
Uh-huh, uh-huh
Get ya back up off the wall
Uh-huh, uh-huh
Meeting's ajourned
Huh, the meeting's just begun
Watch this
The song "Boardmeeting" by Timbaland featuring Magoo is essentially about seduction and desire. The song begins with the lines "Clap ya hands everybody, if you got what it takes, I'm timbo and I want you to know that these are the brakes." The chorus urges the listener to get off the wall and be open to the idea of meeting up with the singer. The lyrics then go on to describe the desire and attraction the singer feels towards the subject of the song. The singer invites the listener to a quiet place where they can talk, relax and let him do his thing. The song suggests the idea of a meeting, which could refer to an actual physical meeting or simply a metaphor for a rendezvous.
The lyrics of "Boardmeeting" are vivid and suggestive, yet playful and flirty. Timbaland's smooth, seductive voice paired with the catchy beats and whimsical sound effects make for a fun and exciting listening experience. However, some critics have argued that the lyrics of the song objectify women and perpetuate a culture of sexual objectification. Despite this criticism, "Boardmeeting" remains an iconic song in pop culture and has inspired countless covers, remixes and parodies over the years.
Line by Line Meaning
Clap ya hands everybody, if you got what it takes
If you're confident and ready for an exciting interaction, show it by clapping your hands
I'm timbo and I want you to know that these are the brakes
I'm Timbo, and I'm here to let you know that things are about to get intense and thrilling
Hey, get ya back up off the wall
Don't be shy, and step away from the wall to interact and engage
Let me tell ya
Allow me to explain in more detail
You got me feining for your body parts
I'm incredibly attracted to your physical features
You said you lonely and you need it bad
You mentioned feeling lonely and strongly craving company
Come and see me when you wanna to start
Feel free to approach me whenever you're ready for some excitement
And where we going you don't have to ask
I have everything planned, so no need to worry or ask questions
Come in my sight? with the blunt in the air
Show up and make yourself known with confidence, holding a lit blunt
Let me seduce you, let me play in your hair
Allow me to charm and attract you, and feel free to let loose and enjoy yourself
I see that you're hyper, let's take it upstairs
I can tell you're excited, so let's elevate things even further
Hey girl! Let's have a meeting, a meeting
Hey, let's get together and experience something thrilling
I know a quiet place where we can talk
I have a location in mind where we can have some private, intimate conversation
Girl, relax and let me do my thing
Stay calm and let me take control of the experience
Baby I don't wanna to break your heart
I have no intention of hurting you emotionally
I just want to make you say my name
I want to leave such a memorable impression on you that you'll remember my name
I'm a chick nigga (heart with a man)? fo sho
I'm a man who enjoys the company of attractive women, for sure
In the back of my mind, girl you infidel
Deep down, I know that you may not be trustworthy or faithful
Even though you a skunk?, I'm a fan of chest
Despite any negative traits or flaws you may have, I'm still attracted to your physical attributes
Role play you the best, you supply the sex
You're great at engaging in role-play, and sex is your specialty
Yes, I'm a fein of your hole
I'm addicted and craving for intimacy with you
One hit of you, when I lose control
Just being around you can make me lose my composure and self-control
I look in your eyes, I can see yo soul
When I gaze into your eyes, I feel like I can see your true self
Bankroll in the hole for you to cause and go
I have a significant sum of money available to spend on you and our adventure
Meeting's ajourned
The interaction or meeting is over
Huh, the meeting's just begun
Actually, the experience has just started and there's much more in store
Watch this
Get ready for the excitement and thrills that are coming your way
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JAMES B. MOORE, LAWRENCE SMITH, KURTIS BLOW, ROBERT ARTHUR FORD, RUSSELL W. SIMMONS, NATHANIEL HILLS FLOYD, TIMOTHY CLAYTON, TIMOTHY Z. MOSLEY, MELVIN LEE BARCLIFF, ROBERT BELL, RONALD N. BELL, WARREN BROWN, EUMIR DEODATO, MELVIN GEORGE, ROBERT SPIKE MICK
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