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.
Joy
timbaLand Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Me and Magoo gonna chill on the track
Let my man Ginuwine bring it in like this
I know I sound bold, yeah
(What's your favorite position?)
Not every player's cold, no, baby
(That's a superstition)
I'd like to take a hold of you, baby
(Ask me for permission)
I won't even tell a soul, oh
(Once you feign submission)
Well go on an isley track, yeah, yeah
(Would you like that production?)
And I'mma massage your back, baby girl
(That's called my seduction)
I'm headed down this life soon
(Listen up my instruction)
Baby, you need to relax, sit back
(Sit back)
'Cause I wanna bring you joy, joy, baby
(Joy, joy, joy, joy)
Every day and every night, joy
(Joy, joy)
Yeah joy, c'mon, I wanna give you joy, baby
(Joy, joy, joy, joy)
Joy, c'mon, joy
(Joy, joy, joy)
I'll say it's lost when you're fast, girl, c'mon now, girl
(You can't have your perfection)
Baby, don't close your eyes, lady
('Cause you see my reflection)
And even though I know your shine
(Make no signs of reflection)
I see that you're willing to try
(You're headed in my direction)
I wanna bring you joy, joy, joy, joy, joy, joy, joy
(Joy, joy, joy, joy)
You hear me, baby, I wanna bring you joy, joy
(Joy, joy, joy)
In the morning, joy
(Joy, joy, joy)
You're joy, joy
(Joy, joy, joy)
Out of all my candy coated cooters, you my almond joy
You can be my boy, my little toy, I'm a freakazoid
I can't fight the feelin' 'cause the feelin' got me fightin' fast
Gimme twenty minutes, I'mma be to see that ass
'Cause after the last time we started fightin' fire
You be my queen, fiend-da-deen-deen, I'll be your supplier
This ain't no carbon copy, hoe, this is the real thang
Young mack on the attack, girl, you can't complain
It's gonna be
(It's gonna be)
Be
(Be, be, be, be, be, be, be, be so live)
It's gonna be
(It's gonna be)
Yeah, yeah
(Be, be, be, be, be, be, be, be so live)
It's gonna be
(It's gonna be)
Be
(Be, be, be, be, be, be, be, be so live)
It's gonna be
(It's gonna be
Be, be, be, be, be, be, be, be so live)
Somebody say joy, joy, joy, joy
(Joy, joy, joy, joy)
All about joy to you, joy, joy
(Joy, joy, joy)
Joy in the morning, in the evening, joy, joy
(Joy, joy, joy)
Late in the midnight hour, joy, joy
(Joy, joy, joy)
Joy, joy, joy
(Joy, joy, joy)
Joy, joy
(Joy, joy, joy, joy, joy, joy)
Joy, joy
(Joy, joy, joy)
Joy all the time y'all, joy, joy
Joy that you can feel, joy, joy
All that we even need is joy y'all, joy, joy
(It's gonna be)
Just a little bit, just a little bit of joy, joy
(It's gonna be)
The chorus of Timbaland's song "Joy" expresses the desire to bring joy to a romantic partner's life. The song opens with Timbaland and Magoo introducing themselves and welcoming Ginuwine, who sings the chorus, onto the track. Timbaland's first verse begins by subverting expectations; he suggests that not all players are cold and then turns to the topic of consent, saying that he won't take advantage of someone without their permission. He then suggests going to an Isley Brothers track and offering to massage his partner's back as part of his seduction.
In the second verse, Timbaland encourages his partner to keep her eyes open and to engage with him fully, acknowledging her shyness but also her willingness to try. The final verse features Magoo and a repeated refrain of "be so live," emphasizing the joy and energy of the song. Overall, "Joy" is a playful and celebratory song about finding pleasure and connection with a romantic partner.
Line by Line Meaning
Sup party people, how y'all doin'?
Timbaland is greeting his audience and asking how they are doing.
Me and Magoo gonna chill on the track
Timbaland and Magoo are going to perform on the song together.
Let my man Ginuwine bring it in like this
Timbaland is introducing Ginuwine, who will sing on the track.
I know I sound bold, yeah
Timbaland is confident and self-assured.
(What's your favorite position?)
Timbaland is asking a sexually suggestive question.
Not every player's cold, no, baby
Not every man who is good with women is also heartless or unfeeling.
(That's a superstition)
Timbaland is dismissing the idea that all men who are good with women are also heartless.
I'd like to take a hold of you, baby
Timbaland is expressing his desire for a woman.
(Ask me for permission)
He wants the woman to ask for permission before engaging in sexual activity.
I won't even tell a soul, oh
Timbaland is promising to keep their relationship private.
(Once you feign submission)
Timbaland expects the woman to pretend to be submissive in order to have sex with him.
Well go on an isley track, yeah, yeah
Timbaland is referring to the Isley Brothers, a famous R&B group, and suggesting that they collaborate on a track with him.
(Would you like that production?)
He is asking the woman whether she would like the idea of a collaboration with the Isley Brothers.
And I'mma massage your back, baby girl
Timbaland is promising to give the woman a massage.
(That's called my seduction)
He hopes the massage will lead to a sexual encounter.
I'm headed down this life soon
Timbaland is acknowledging that his life will not last forever.
(Listen up my instruction)
He is advising the woman to listen to his advice.
Baby, you need to relax, sit back
He is telling the woman she needs to relax and take it easy.
(Sit back)
He repeats the advice for the woman to sit back and relax.
'Cause I wanna bring you joy, joy, baby
Timbaland wants to satisfy the woman sexually, which will bring her joy.
(Joy, joy, joy, joy)
He repeats the word 'joy' to emphasize his desire to please the woman.
Every day and every night, joy
Timbaland wants to keep the woman satisfied sexually all the time.
(Joy, joy)
He repeats the word 'joy' again, emphasizing his commitment to pleasing her.
Yeah joy, c'mon, I wanna give you joy, baby
He urges the woman to accept his offer to please her and give her joy.
I'll say it's lost when you're fast, girl, c'mon now, girl
Timbaland is warning the woman that if she rushes into sex, she will lose the pleasure and the fun of it.
(You can't have your perfection)
He is telling the woman that she cannot expect perfection in sex.
Baby, don't close your eyes, lady
Timbaland wants the woman to keep her eyes open during sex to experience the pleasure.
('Cause you see my reflection)
When she looks into his eyes, she will see the pleasure reflecting back at her.
And even though I know your shine
Timbaland acknowledges that the woman is special and shining in her own way.
(Make no signs of reflection)
Despite her special qualities, she needs to experience sex in a natural way, without any expectations or pressure.
I see that you're willing to try
He sees that the woman is open-minded and wants to explore the pleasures of sex with him.
(You're headed in my direction)
He interprets her willingness to try as a sign that she is heading towards a sexual encounter with him.
Out of all my candy coated cooters, you my almond joy
Timbaland is saying that out of all the women he has had, the woman he is talking to is the one he likes best.
You can be my boy, my little toy, I'm a freakazoid
He is suggesting that the woman can be his sex partner, and he will satisfy all her sexual desires.
I can't fight the feelin' 'cause the feelin' got me fightin' fast
He is saying that he is so sexually attracted to the woman that he cannot control his desire for her.
Gimme twenty minutes, I'mma be to see that ass
He is saying that he is so excited about having sex with her that he can hardly wait.
You be my queen, fiend-da-deen-deen, I'll be your supplier
Timbaland is saying that he will be the woman's sex supplier, and she will be his queen.
This ain't no carbon copy, hoe, this is the real thang
He is saying that he is not like the other men the woman may have been with. He is the real deal.
Young mack on the attack, girl, you can't complain
Timbaland is saying that he is a young man who wants to have sex with the woman, and she should feel fortunate to have him.
It's gonna be
Timbaland is emphasizing that something is going to happen.
(Be, be, be, be, be, be, be, be so live)
The repetition of the word 'be' suggests that something exciting is about to happen.
(It's gonna be)
He repeats the phrase, emphasizing that something is about to happen.
Yeah, yeah
He is expressing his enthusiasm for the upcoming event.
Somebody say joy, joy, joy, joy
Timbaland is encouraging his audience to express their excitement and joy for what is about to happen.
(Joy, joy, joy, joy)
He repeats the word 'joy,' emphasizing the positive nature of what is happening.
All about joy to you, joy, joy
Timbaland is saying that he wants to provide joy to everyone listening.
(Joy, joy, joy)
He repeats the word 'joy' again, emphasizing his goal of providing an exciting and pleasurable experience.
Joy in the morning, in the evening, joy, joy
He is emphasizing that the joy he wants to provide is available at all times of the day and night.
(Joy, joy, joy)
He repeats the word 'joy' again, emphasizing his goal of providing an exciting and pleasurable experience.
Late in the midnight hour, joy, joy
Timbaland is saying that even late at night, when people are usually asleep, he can provide joy.
(Joy, joy, joy)
He repeats the word 'joy' again, emphasizing his goal of providing an exciting and pleasurable experience.
Joy, joy, joy
He repeats the word 'joy' several times to emphasize the positive nature of what is happening.
Joy all the time y'all, joy, joy
He is saying that the joy he provides is available at all times.
Joy that you can feel, joy, joy
He is saying that the joy he provides is tangible and can be felt.
All that we even need is joy y'all, joy, joy
He is saying that all people need is joy to be happy.
(It's gonna be)
He repeats the phrase, emphasizing that something is about to happen.
Just a little bit, just a little bit of joy, joy
He is saying that even a little bit of joy can make a big difference.
(It's gonna be)
He repeats the phrase one last time, emphasizing that something exciting is about to happen.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Songtrust Ave, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Stephen Garrett, Benjamin Bush, Jawann Peacock, Timothy Mosley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@inexpugnabilis
Static‘s whole aura was different! Truly goated 🐐
Along with Ginuwine‘s vocals and Timbo‘s production skills, this track definitely brings joy 🔥🔥🔥
@lyingaboutcourtandthecops3876
Don't forget black and smokey
@inexpugnabilis
@@lyingaboutcourtandthecops3876 yes, you‘re right!
@zeke6319
I swear y'all ain't never gonna be ready for this one. It sounds even better now in 2022.
@user-hy2mi7zf2r
2023 bro
@risenshine888
@@user-hy2mi7zf2ralmost 24 now... 🎉
@garycanada7246
2024 🎉
@ceeceeceasar-hill5202
This song always puts me in a good mood 🎶 😊
@djmontyforyou
Me too
@ginapayne744
A song that has transcend its time. It is one that I don't mind playing over and over.