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.
Smile
timbaLand Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(There when you call me)
You're my favorite song that I sing in the morning
You're the cream to my coffee
You're the sound of my heart beat
Baby you're that one I can't lose
'Cause I got that winner, can't lose if I got you here
Oh, I would climb or move any day that you ask me
If you're there then I'm happy
If you're not then I'm crappy
You make everything better
When it pours baby you're my umbrella
Even on my worst day
I know that we gon' make it when I see you smile
See you smile
Yeah, I know that we gon' make it when I see you smile
So let me turn that frown upside down
Let's just toast to love that we found, yeah
'Cause I know that we gon' make it when I see you smile
See you smile
Oh, when the chips are down, I'd bid you all that I got
With your poker face, we can still hit the jackpot
Then we ball 'til we cash out, then we ball 'til we cash out
I ain't leaving you never, I ain't lea-lea-leaving you never, never
Oh when I need a lift baby, you never let me down
And when I fall off you put me right back together now
Put me right back together now, put me right back together now
I ain't leaving you never, I ain't lea-lea-leaving you never
Even on my worst day
I know that we gon' make it when I see you smile
See you smile
Yeah, I know that we gon' make it when I see you smile
So let me turn that frown upside down
Let's just toast to love that we found, yeah
'Cause I know that we gon' make it when I see you smile
See you smile
When I see you smile
When I see you smile
See you smile
Come on y'all, everybody out there
Just clap your hands, let me hear you say
When I see you smile
When I see you smile
When I see you smile
When I see you smile
When I see you smile
When I see you smile
When I see you smile
When I see you smile
When I see you smile
When I see you smile
When I see you smile
When I see you smile
The lyrics of Timbaland's song "Smile" express a love so strong that it brings joy even on the darkest days. The singer declares that he is there for his loved one no matter what, through both good and bad times. He compares this love to a favorite song that he sings in the morning and to the cream in his coffee, showing that it is an essential part of his life. The partner is the sound of his heartbeat and the one he cannot afford to lose, as he knows he is a winner as long as he has them by his side. The singer is so devoted to their relationship that he would go to any length to make them happy, even if it means climbing or moving.
The chorus reaffirms the singer's belief that he and his partner will overcome any obstacles as long as they both smile. He wants to turn their frown upside down and celebrate the love they have found together, knowing that they will make it through anything with each other. The bridge of the song reinforces the idea that the singer is committed to his partner, even when things get tough, and that they make each other better.
Overall, the lyrics to "Smile" convey a message of enduring love and devotion, and the belief that happiness can be found even in difficult times as long as they have each other.
Line by Line Meaning
Through the rain or shine, I'll be there when you call me (There when you call me)
I'll be there for you no matter what, always available when you need me
You're my favorite song that I sing in the morning
You are my favorite part of my day, the thing that makes me happy to wake up
You're the cream to my coffee
You are the perfect addition to my life, the thing that makes it sweeter
You're the sound of my heart beat
You are the rhythm of my life, without you I would lose my way
Baby you're that one I can't lose
You are the most important thing in my life, the thing I would never want to lose
'Cause I got that winner, can't lose if I got you here
I have everything I need in life as long as you are with me, you make me feel like a winner
Oh, I would climb or move any day that you ask me
I will do anything for you, no matter how difficult or challenging
Need no parachute, 'cause your loves gonna catch me
I don't need anything else to protect me, your love is enough to catch me
If you're there then I'm happy
Your presence in my life brings me joy and happiness
If you're not then I'm crappy
Without you, my life feels empty and unhappy
You make everything better
You have the power to improve any situation, to make everything in life feel better
When it pours baby you're my umbrella
When life gets difficult or challenging, you are always there to protect me and keep me safe
I know that we gon' make it when I see you smile See you smile Yeah, I know that we gon' make it when I see you smile
Your smile brings me hope and reassurance, that we can overcome anything together
So let me turn that frown upside down Let's just toast to love that we found, yeah
I want to bring you joy and happiness, a reminder of our love and all that we have together
Oh, when the chips are down, I'd bid you all that I got With your poker face, we can still hit the jackpot
Even when things are difficult, I am willing to do whatever it takes, and with your strength and support, we can still come out on top
Then we ball 'til we cash out, then we ball 'til we cash out I ain't leaving you never, I ain't lea-lea-leaving you never, never
Together, we will live our lives to the fullest, enjoying every moment, and I will never leave you
Oh when I need a lift baby, you never let me down And when I fall off you put me right back together now Put me right back together now, put me right back together now
When I am feeling down or struggling, you are always there to lift me up and help me get back on track
When I see you smile, See you smile Yeah, I know that we gon' make it when I see you smile
Your smile is a sign that everything is going to be alright, that we can overcome any obstacle together
When I see you smile, See you smile
Your smile brings me joy and happiness
Come on y'all, everybody out there Just clap your hands, let me hear you say When I see you smile
I want to share my love and happiness with everyone, and inspire others to find the same joy in their own lives
When I see you smile, See you smile When I see you smile, See you smile
Your smile is the most beautiful thing in the world, and it brings me endless happiness and joy
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Timothy Zachery Mosley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tha Gahdess
Through the rain or shine, I'll be there when you call me
(There when you call me)
You're my favorite song that I sing in the morning
You're the cream to my coffee
You're the sound of my heart beat
Baby you're that winner, can't lose cause I got that winner
Can't lose if I got you here
Oh, I would climb or move any day that you ask me
Need no parachute, cause your loves gonna catch me
If you're there then I'm happy
If you're not then I'm crappy
You make everything better
When it pours baby you're my umbrella
Even on my worst day
I know that we gon' make it when I see you smile
See you smile
Yeah, I know that we gon' make it when I see you smile
So let me turn that frown upside down
Let's just toast to love that we found, yeah
Cause I know that we gon' make it when I see you smile
See you smile
Oh, when the chips are down, I'd bid you all that I got
With your poker face, we can still hit the jackpot
Then we ball 'til we cash out, then we ball 'til we cash out
I ain't leaving you never, I ain't lea-lea-leaving you never, never
Oh when I need a lift baby, you never let me down
And when I fall off you put me right back together now
Put me right back together now, put me right back together now
I ain't leaving you never, I ain't lea-lea-leaving you never
Even on my worst day
I know that we gon' make it when I see you smile
See you smile
Yeah, I know that we gon' make it when I see you smile
So let me turn that frown upside down
Let's just toast to love that we found, yeah
Cause I know that we gon' make it when I see you smile
See you smile
When I see you smile
When I see you smile
See you smile
(Come on y'all, everybody out there just clap your hands, let me hear you say)
When I see you smile
When I see you smile
When I see you smile
When I see you smile
(If you got something to smile about, put your hands up in the air, put your hands up in the air, let me hear you say)
See you smile
When I see you smile
When I see you smile
When I see you smile
When I see you smile
(Put your hands up in the air, put your hands up in the air, in the air, let me hear you say)
See you smile
When I see you smile
When I see you smile
When I see you smile
When I see you smile
See you smile
When I see you smile
When I see you smile
When I see you smile
When I see you smile
See you smile
When I see you smile
When I see you smil
kin Jones
My mom has Alzheimer since 46 so now her mind is gone but this song makes her move and me cry...I realize a lot that a non verbal message is still her communicating her love and happiness
Aleta Muhammad
Amen
Jonathan Jackson
Prayers love and happiness
M. 🦊
🙏
Tha Gahdess
Through the rain or shine, I'll be there when you call me
(There when you call me)
You're my favorite song that I sing in the morning
You're the cream to my coffee
You're the sound of my heart beat
Baby you're that winner, can't lose cause I got that winner
Can't lose if I got you here
Oh, I would climb or move any day that you ask me
Need no parachute, cause your loves gonna catch me
If you're there then I'm happy
If you're not then I'm crappy
You make everything better
When it pours baby you're my umbrella
Even on my worst day
I know that we gon' make it when I see you smile
See you smile
Yeah, I know that we gon' make it when I see you smile
So let me turn that frown upside down
Let's just toast to love that we found, yeah
Cause I know that we gon' make it when I see you smile
See you smile
Oh, when the chips are down, I'd bid you all that I got
With your poker face, we can still hit the jackpot
Then we ball 'til we cash out, then we ball 'til we cash out
I ain't leaving you never, I ain't lea-lea-leaving you never, never
Oh when I need a lift baby, you never let me down
And when I fall off you put me right back together now
Put me right back together now, put me right back together now
I ain't leaving you never, I ain't lea-lea-leaving you never
Even on my worst day
I know that we gon' make it when I see you smile
See you smile
Yeah, I know that we gon' make it when I see you smile
So let me turn that frown upside down
Let's just toast to love that we found, yeah
Cause I know that we gon' make it when I see you smile
See you smile
When I see you smile
When I see you smile
See you smile
(Come on y'all, everybody out there just clap your hands, let me hear you say)
When I see you smile
When I see you smile
When I see you smile
When I see you smile
(If you got something to smile about, put your hands up in the air, put your hands up in the air, let me hear you say)
See you smile
When I see you smile
When I see you smile
When I see you smile
When I see you smile
(Put your hands up in the air, put your hands up in the air, in the air, let me hear you say)
See you smile
When I see you smile
When I see you smile
When I see you smile
When I see you smile
See you smile
When I see you smile
When I see you smile
When I see you smile
When I see you smile
See you smile
When I see you smile
When I see you smil
Danny Yeager
I still don't understand why this song isn't on the radio every day
MzJaeRenee
They play it on one where I live that's how I heard it....
Sweet Sugar 101
Cause it's a Black person singing something uplifting. The songs that call our Black women 'hoes' 'tricks' and Bitc@#$' and rant about killing their Black brothas get plenty of air play. I just turn the station when I hear that 'divisive' mess! Same reason you don't hardly hear Neo-Soul music (i.e India Arie, Jill Scott, Musiq Soulchild) on air as well. They sending out MUCH NEEDED positive messages to our communities.
Mihailo Janković
@Sweet Sugar 101 i'm so sad both Timbo and V Bozman have a tone of music, they should have released "Opera Noir" Timbland's album and V's "Music is my boyfriend" by now... i heard a lot of snippets, that music is INSANE, but fucking music industry man..... fuck this world....
gseidel82
Just posted again. we will get there.