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.
Talkin
timbaLand Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Uh oh
Ha ha, what?
Uh oh, what?
Told y'all
What?
Told y'all
I'm the Lil' Man, join with the Timbaland
People walkin' around sayin' to theyself "Damn!"
People can't realize who the fuck who I am
I'm like the VCR tech they call bad
People don't know what they gonna see next
They might see Timbaland with Funkmaster Flex
Or doin' a duet with the group called Beck
Or back in the studio gettin', gettin' sex
I'm the ill nigga that loves Chips Ahoy
Timbaland where you at?
Here I go boy, I got yo' back with a Tec 9
You see them niggas creepin', what?
I thought you knew, I told you so
Never, ever step over my toe (nah nah)
I got that nigga (what what)
From the "V", Static, where you at?
Here I go, if ya pearlin' in a 'lac, then turn that shit up
If ya chillin' at the club, then tear the party up
And if you got shove, let it bump bump
Not speakin' for yo' cheddah, but I keep mine in lumps
Nigga, my momma taught me that, can't sneak me from the back
So I found her chasing cheese, so I watch for dirty rats
See I'm wise like the guys, and smart like the streets
See I be rollin' blunts while Timb' be makin' them beats, Timbaland
What cha talkin' 'bout?
What you sayin' to me?
Why you staring at me?
Let's have a party, B
What cha talkin' 'bout?
What you sayin' to me?
Why you staring at me?
Let's have a party, B
What cha talkin' 'bout?
What you sayin' to me?
Why you staring at me?
Let's have a party, B
Play that guitar, man, eh, and damn!
That shit is tight like a bowl of crisps
Listen to the words that I spit, makin' ya sick
It's the Lil' Man puttin' it down
Got all my females flashin' around
It's that little voice that's makin' ya tickle
Come on Timbaland, and gimme some of that liquor
Are you drunk? (Yes, I'm drunk)
Are you pump? (Yes, I'm pump)
Do you wanna see the party get chrump?
(Yes, I pump)
This ain't nothin' but a party (Say what?)
After the party (Where ya goin'?)
Hearty, I gotta make my way back to the crib
I forgot I was on probation (Yeah that shit is real)
But ain't nothin' gon' happen to me
Magoo, finish it baby
Ha ha, yeah
One more again from VA
Yes, your southern representative
Keep two Tecs in my Lex, 'cause I'm sensitive
All my competition stop wishin' for my demise
'Cause I'm hard like my dick, we'll ever be on the rise
Get between some thighs, and fuck until I'm stuck
Order the main course, four bitches, I'm serving duck
How da fuck you payin' a bitch just to fuck?
If a bitch want money for me, pray for luck
Only thing I love is weed and big cash
If yo' ass ain't a check, nigga kiss my ass
Leavin' freaky bitches in stitches, 'cause hoe's be envious
Me and Timbaland still friends and will continuous
Oh, what a web we weave
When I achieved to fuck the baddest bitch you niggas them ever seen
Possible, if you got game they blaze a zing
Pockets of rubbers, bitches go rump with just my name
What cha talkin' 'bout?
What you sayin' to me?
Why you staring at me?
Let's have a party, B
What cha talkin' 'bout?
What you sayin' to me?
Why you staring at me?
Let's have a party, B
This is how we do it
We make it ride on through
Like liquid fluid
This is how we do
We make it ride on through
Like liquid fluid, what?
Me and my posse
I know you hear you little airplanes flyin' around
Yeah, have a couple people lookin' forward to this
Now we gotta be out
For the '98
What cha talkin' 'bout?
What you sayin' to me?
Why you staring at me?
Let's have a party, B
The song "What Cha Talkin' About" by Timbaland & Magoo is a boastful and playful track where the rappers assert their status and confidence while also inviting others to join in their party. The opening line, "I'm the Lil' Man, join with the Timbaland," signals their partnership and introduces them to the listeners. Throughout the lyrics, they mention their skills and achievements, such as Timbaland's collaborations with other artists like Funkmaster Flex and Beck, or their love for Chips Ahoy cookies. They also reference their friendship and loyalty, as well as their ability to handle any potential threats or challenges, as depicted by Magoo's mention of his two Tecs and his status as a hard and rising rapper. The chorus echoes the title of the song and invites others to let loose and have fun with them.
In terms of interpretation, the lyrics present Timbaland and Magoo as confident and self-assured, without being too serious or aggressive. They are able to poke fun at themselves and celebrate their quirks and passions, such as Magoo's love for duck and Timbaland's ability to roll blunts while making beats. This creates a party atmosphere and a sense of camaraderie that suggests that anyone can join in and enjoy themselves.
Line by Line Meaning
(What cha talkin' 'bout?)
What are you talking about?
Uh oh
Oh no
Ha ha, what?
I find that amusing, what is it?
Uh oh, what?
Oh no, what is happening?
Told y'all
I already informed all of you
What?
What is it?
Told y'all
I already informed all of you
What? Check it out
What? Pay attention to this
I'm the Lil' Man, join with the Timbaland
I am the small, yet important figure, collaborating with Timbaland
People walkin' around sayin' to theyself "Damn!"
People are walking and expressing surprise to themselves
People can't realize who the fuck who I am
People are unable to comprehend who the heck I am
I'm like the VCR tech they call bad
I am similar to the notorious VCR technician
People don't know what they gonna see next
People are unaware of what they will witness next
They might see Timbaland with Funkmaster Flex
They may witness Timbaland with Funkmaster Flex
Or doin' a duet with the group called Beck
Or collaborating in a musical performance with the band called Beck
Or back in the studio gettin', gettin' sex
Or back in the recording studio engaging in sexual activity
I'm the ill nigga that loves Chips Ahoy
I am the sick person who adores Chips Ahoy cookies
Timbaland where you at?
Where are you, Timbaland?
Here I go boy, I got yo' back with a Tec 9
Here I come, I support you with a Tec 9 firearm
You see them niggas creepin', what?
Do you see those individuals sneaking around?
I thought you knew, I told you so
I assumed you were aware, I already informed you
Never, ever step over my toe (nah nah)
Absolutely never cross my boundaries
I got that nigga (what what)
I have that person under control
From the "V", Static, where you at?
Representing Virginia, Static, where are you?
Here I go, if ya pearlin' in a 'lac, then turn that shit up
Here I come, if you are cruising in a Cadillac, then increase the volume
If ya chillin' at the club, then tear the party up
If you are relaxing at the club, then bring excitement to the party
And if you got shove, let it bump bump
And if you have a forceful attitude, express it vigorously
Not speakin' for yo' cheddah, but I keep mine in lumps
Not talking about your money, but I keep mine in stacks
Nigga, my momma taught me that, can't sneak me from the back
My mother taught me that, you cannot deceive me from behind
So I found her chasing cheese, so I watch for dirty rats
Therefore, I discovered her pursuing money, so I remain cautious of sneaky people
See I'm wise like the guys, and smart like the streets
You see, I possess wisdom like other individuals, and intelligence like the streets
See I be rollin' blunts while Timb' be makin' them beats, Timbaland
You see, I am smoking marijuana while Timbaland creates the music beats
What cha talkin' 'bout?
What are you talking about?
What you sayin' to me?
What are you saying to me?
Why you staring at me?
Why are you looking at me?
Let's have a party, B
Let's celebrate and have a party, my friend
Play that guitar, man, eh, and damn!
Perform with skill on that guitar, man, oh, and wow!
That shit is tight like a bowl of crisps
That thing is amazing, like a bowl of potato chips
Listen to the words that I spit, makin' ya sick
Pay attention to the lyrics that I rap, causing you to be impressed
It's the Lil' Man puttin' it down
It's the small, yet influential person expressing himself
Got all my females flashin' around
I have all my female companions attracting attention
It's that little voice that's makin' ya tickle
It's that small voice that is amusing you
Come on Timbaland, and gimme some of that liquor
Come on Timbaland, and give me some of that alcoholic drink
Are you drunk? (Yes, I'm drunk)
Are you intoxicated? (Yes, I am intoxicated)
Are you pump? (Yes, I'm pump)
Are you excited? (Yes, I am excited)
Do you wanna see the party get chrump?
Do you want to witness an energetic party?
(Yes, I pump)
(Yes, I am excited)
This ain't nothin' but a party (Say what?)
This is just a celebration (What are you saying?)
After the party (Where ya goin'?)
Following the party (Where are you going?)
Hearty, I gotta make my way back to the crib
Sincerely, I have to return home
I forgot I was on probation (Yeah that shit is real)
I overlooked the fact that I am under legal supervision (Yes, that situation is serious)
But ain't nothin' gon' happen to me
But nothing bad will occur to me
Magoo, finish it baby
Magoo, complete it, my dear
Ha ha, yeah
Laughs, yes
One more again from VA
Once more, representing Virginia
Yes, your southern representative
Indeed, I am your representative from the South
Keep two Tecs in my Lex, 'cause I'm sensitive
I carry two handguns in my Lexus, because I am easily provoked
All my competition stop wishin' for my demise
All my competitors should cease desiring for my downfall
'Cause I'm hard like my dick, we'll ever be on the rise
Because I am tough like my penis, I will always succeed
Get between some thighs, and fuck until I'm stuck
Get involved in sexual activity and continue until I can't stop
Order the main course, four bitches, I'm serving duck
Call for the most desired women, I will handle the situation
How da fuck you payin' a bitch just to fuck?
Why the hell are you giving money to a woman just for sex?
If a bitch want money for me, pray for luck
If a woman desires money from me, she better hope for luck
Only thing I love is weed and big cash
The only things I truly love are marijuana and large amounts of money
If yo' ass ain't a check, nigga kiss my ass
If you cannot provide financial benefits, then I have no interest in you
Leavin' freaky bitches in stitches, 'cause hoe's be envious
Leaving promiscuous women in awe, because other women are jealous
Me and Timbaland still friends and will continuous
Timbaland and I are still friends and will always be close
Oh, what a web we weave
Oh, the complicated situation we have created
When I achieved to fuck the baddest bitch you niggas them ever seen
When I successfully had sex with the most attractive woman you guys have ever seen
Possible, if you got game they blaze a zing
It is achievable, if you possess the necessary skills, they will be impressed
Pockets of rubbers, bitches go rump with just my name
Having numerous condoms in my pockets, women become excited just by hearing my name
This is how we do it
This is our way of doing things
We make it ride on through
We make it flow smoothly
Like liquid fluid
Like a fluid substance
This is how we do
This is our way of doing things
We make it ride on through
We make it flow smoothly
Like liquid fluid, what?
Like a fluid substance, you know?
Me and my posse
Me and my group of friends
I know you hear you little airplanes flyin' around
I know you hear the sound of small airplanes flying around
Yeah, have a couple people lookin' forward to this
Yes, there are a few individuals who are anticipating this
Now we gotta be out
Now we have to leave
For the '98
For the year 1998
What cha talkin' 'bout?
What are you talking about?
What you sayin' to me?
What are you saying to me?
Why you staring at me?
Why are you looking at me?
Let's have a party, B
Let's celebrate and have a party, my friend
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: MELVIN LEE BARCLIFF, STEPHEN ELLIS GARRETT, TIMOTHY Z MOSLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind