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.
What Cha Know About This
timbaLand Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For my females, ha ha
I'ma let my females shine on this track
You see? I ain't biased
I ain't racist either
So I'ma let uh
Mocha bring it in
Honey I wanna score with, money, I'm all for it
Speak the raw shit, they on the floor quick
Prepare to be surprised, if you think I'm a poor chick
Got off the wall shit, who could be more thick?
Plus I can flip, rough-up, or flatten out, four bricks
As for the mic, I can break flow out, or either bless em
My style is my own, and a shorty, can't test it
So y'all, ramble on, I'ma get my gamble on
Ceram' handle-arm, while y'all scramble on
Want to battle? It's on, I'll take you on anywhere
I'll take you on a bus, on a boat, or up in the air
I'll take you on with the gat, I'll take you on on the track
I'll take yo' ass on a trip, and you never come back
Though this a freestyle, these styles ain't free
When I'm done, better believe, they got a PILE for me
[Chorus: x2]
What cha know about this, ha? You don't know
Lemme show you bout this, ha? We gon' blow
We don't go without hits, ha? Get the dough
You can never doubt this, ha? Ha?
Y'all go 'head and yap on, I'ma keep rap strong
Talk but don't act on what you rap on (say what?)
I speak facts to beat clacks, and lead tracks
Heed that, relax, feedback? Keep that
Bet-ta ease back, never see me slack
Break your kneecaps, then, have you do three laps
Tryin' to see this half a mil, y'all, dingy stacks
For, weed in sacks, tote, ki's to crack
Wonder why they can't keep they eyes off me?
Y'all chicks ain't 8, I'm a dime plus 3
Got a 6? I got a stack
Got a whip? I got a jet
Got a clip? I got a tech
That's why you not a threat
Wanna know how you could be down too?
Can not do, make em say "ah, ooh"
Been through it, put too much into it
And writin' so long, I ran out of pen fluid
What cha know about this, ha? You don't know
Lemme show you bout this, ha? We gon' blow
We don't go without hits, ha? Get the dough
Babe Blue
Y'all chicks assed out, Babe Blue's here
Shook out your mind, cause my debut's near
All y'all demo chicks see me when you master yours
I surpass you whores, then I smash your broads
Shorty, don't get your hopes high, praise the most high
Babe Blue, livin' loca
I crush all those, small hoes, what?
My go-to-the-store clothes is better than your wardrobe
You ain't seein' mine, I walk right in the club
You one of them chicks that be in line
Me? Studded out, ice flooded out
Bitch you ain't nice, please, cut it out
Bronx to the death, we gon' spit raw
Timbaland got beats, what you talkin' shit for?
Forget yours, Moch' and Blue, comin' through
Bystorm, Z Man, tell me what you gon' do?
[Chorus]
It ain't over!
Y'all chicks talk a lot, now you wanna hate me?
Moch' and Blue, Cagney and Lacey
Start the biddin' wars at 1 point 2
We gonna show all of y'all what one joint do
You wanna get the third degree, cause you never heard of me?
See thugs murder me, deep blood burgundy?
Hell nah, see I'm tryin' to get my mail ma
But y'all chicks didn't know, so I had to tell y'all
[Chorus]
Doubt this, uh uh uh, what?
Let it ride, uh uh, uh-uh uh-uh
Tonight (1 Life 2 Live) uh uh, uh-uh uh-uh
Uh uh, uh-uh uh-uh
(1 Life 2 Live baby) Uh uh, uh-uh uh-uh
Uh uh, uh-uh uh-uh, 1 Life 2 Live
What what? Uh uh uh uh
What cha know about this, ha?
The lyrics to Timbaland's song "What Cha Know About This" feature three female rappers, Mocha, Babe Blue, and Ms. Jade, asserting their abilities and confidence on the rap scene. The opening lines of the song indicate that Timbaland is setting the stage for his female collaborators to shine. Mocha starts off with lines that showcase her raw talent and bravado, saying that she is willing to go toe-to-toe with anyone, anywhere. Babe Blue, on the other hand, contrasts her fashion sense and self-assurance with other "demo chicks," claiming that her clothes are better than theirs. Ms. Jade brings up the rear, dismissing haters and challengers alike as she delivers her confident and self-assured verse.
The chorus repeats the lines "What cha know about this, ha? You don't know, let me show you about this, ha? We gon' blow, we don't go without hits, ha? Get the dough, you can never doubt this, ha? Ha?" This reflects the overall message of the song, which is that the featured female rappers are confident they will succeed in the industry and that their abilities will speak for themselves.
Line by Line Meaning
You see? I think it's time for me put it down
I believe it's the right moment for me to make my mark
For my females, ha ha
I want to showcase the talent and strength of women
I'ma let my females shine on this track
I will give space and opportunity for women to excel in this song
You see? I ain't biased
I want to make it clear that I am not favoring anyone
I ain't racist either
I want to emphasize that I am not discriminatory towards any race
So I'ma let uh
Therefore, I will allow
Mocha bring it in
Mocha, a talented artist, to contribute to this
The one boss bitch, not on that horse shit
I am a powerful and confident woman, not engaging in trivial matters
Honey I wanna score with, money, I'm all for it
I want to achieve success and wealth in life
Speak the raw shit, they on the floor quick
I express my unfiltered thoughts, leaving others shocked and impressed
Prepare to be surprised, if you think I'm a poor chick
Get ready for a shock if you underestimate my abilities
Got off the wall shit, who could be more thick?
I have unconventional and unique qualities that make me stand out
Plus I can flip, rough-up, or flatten out, four bricks
Not only can I adapt and handle different situations, but I can also handle illegal activities like drug dealing
As for the mic, I can break flow out, or either bless em
When it comes to rapping, I can switch up my style or deliver incredible performances
My style is my own, and a shorty, can't test it
My unique artistic style cannot be imitated or challenged by others
So y'all, ramble on, I'ma get my gamble on
While others keep talking aimlessly, I'll take risks and seize opportunities
Ceram' handle-arm, while y'all scramble on
I'll handle my business efficiently while others struggle
Want to battle? It's on, I'll take you on anywhere
If you want to compete against me, I'm ready to face you no matter the location
I'll take you on a bus, on a boat, or up in the air
I'll challenge you in different settings, whether it's on land, water, or even in the sky
I'll take you on with the gat, I'll take you on on the track
I'll confront you with a gun or in a musical competition
I'll take yo' ass on a trip, and you never come back
I'll defeat you completely and leave you in a state of defeat
Though this a freestyle, these styles ain't free
Even though I am improvising, my unique rap styles come at a cost
When I'm done, better believe, they got a PILE for me
After my performance, people will highly appreciate and admire me
What cha know about this, ha? You don't know
Do you have any understanding of this? No, you don't
Lemme show you bout this, ha? We gon' blow
Let me educate you on this matter, and together, we'll achieve great success
We don't go without hits, ha? Get the dough
We always deliver impactful songs and make money
You can never doubt this, ha? Ha?
You can never question our abilities and achievements, understand?
Y'all go 'head and yap on, I'ma keep rap strong
You all keep talking, but I'll continue to excel in rap
Talk but don't act on what you rap on (say what?)
You talk about things in your songs, but you don't actually act on them, understand?
I speak facts to beat clacks, and lead tracks
I speak truth in my lyrics to outshine other rappers and lead the music industry
Heed that, relax, feedback? Keep that
Pay attention to this advice, stay calm, and ignore any negative feedback
Bet-ta ease back, never see me slack
You better back off because I'm always on top of my game
Break your kneecaps, then, have you do three laps
I'll physically harm you and then make you endure a humiliating punishment
Tryin' to see this half a mil, y'all, dingy stacks
I'm aiming to make half a million dollars while the rest of you struggle with small amounts
For, weed in sacks, tote, ki's to crack
I'm involved in illegal drug trade, carrying and selling large quantities of marijuana and crack cocaine
Wonder why they can't keep they eyes off me?
I'm so captivating and intriguing that people can't help but stare
Y'all chicks ain't 8, I'm a dime plus 3
You other women are average, but I am incredibly attractive
Got a 6? I got a stack
If you have a small amount of money, I have a large sum
Got a whip? I got a jet
If you have a nice car, I have a private jet
Got a clip? I got a tech
If you have a gun magazine, I have a high-tech firearm
That's why you not a threat
This is why you are not a challenge or danger to me
Wanna know how you could be down too?
Do you want to know how you can also be successful?
Can not do, make em say 'ah, ooh'
If you can't accomplish something, impress others with an 'ah, ooh' reaction
Been through it, put too much into it
I've experienced hardships and invested a lot of effort into my career
And writin' so long, I ran out of pen fluid
I've been writing music for a long time, and now I've run out of creative inspiration
Y'all chicks assed out, Babe Blue's here
The rest of you women are lacking, but Babe Blue has arrived
Shook out your mind, cause my debut's near
Prepare yourself mentally because my first appearance is coming soon
All y'all demo chicks see me when you master yours
All of you aspiring female artists should observe and learn from me once you improve your skills
I surpass you whores, then I smash your broads
I am superior to you promiscuous women, and I will dominate and defeat your female partners
Shorty, don't get your hopes high, praise the most high
Don't have high expectations, instead focus on showing gratitude to God
Babe Blue, livin' loca
I, Babe Blue, live a wild and exciting life
I crush all those, small hoes, what?
I overpower and defeat all those insignificant women, understand?
My go-to-the-store clothes is better than your wardrobe
Even my casual outfits for running errands are more impressive than your entire wardrobe
You ain't seein' mine, I walk right in the club
You cannot compete with my fashion sense, and I effortlessly gain entry into exclusive clubs
You one of them chicks that be in line
You are one of those women who waits in line outside the club
Me? Studded out, ice flooded out
As for me, I'm adorned with expensive jewelry, covered in diamonds
Bitch you ain't nice, please, cut it out
You are not talented, so stop pretending and being arrogant
Bronx to the death, we gon' spit raw
I represent the Bronx wholeheartedly, and we will deliver raw and authentic rap
Timbaland got beats, what you talkin' shit for?
Timbaland produces amazing beats, so why are you criticizing him?
Forget yours, Moch' and Blue, comin' through
Forget about your favorite artists because Moch' and Blue are here
Bystorm, Z Man, tell me what you gon' do?
Bystorm and Z Man, what work or contributions do you have to offer?
It ain't over!
This is not the end!
Y'all chicks talk a lot, now you wanna hate me?
You women criticize and gossip about me, now you suddenly want to hate me?
Moch' and Blue, Cagney and Lacey
Both Moch' and Blue are powerful and united, like the famous female detective duo Cagney and Lacey
Start the biddin' wars at 1 point 2
We initiate intense competitions with bids starting at 1.2 million dollars
We gonna show all of y'all what one joint do
We'll demonstrate to everyone what our collaboration can achieve
You wanna get the third degree, cause you never heard of me?
Do you want to be interrogated because you are unfamiliar with my fame and accomplishments?
See thugs murder me, deep blood burgundy?
You expect violent criminals to harm me, causing bloodshed and chaos?
Hell nah, see I'm tryin' to get my mail ma
Absolutely not, I'm focused on achieving financial success, sweetheart
But y'all chicks didn't know, so I had to tell y'all
Since you women were unaware, I had to inform you of my accomplishments
Doubt this, uh uh uh, what?
Are you doubting my abilities? No, no, no, what?
Let it ride, uh uh, uh-uh uh-uh
Let the music continue playing, no interruptions
Tonight (1 Life 2 Live) uh uh, uh-uh uh-uh
Tonight, we're living life to the fullest, embracing the philosophy of 'one life, two lives'
Uh uh, uh-uh uh-uh
Uh uh, keep going
(1 Life 2 Live baby) Uh uh, uh-uh uh-uh
(One life, two lives, baby) Uh uh, keep going
Uh uh, uh-uh uh-uh, 1 Life 2 Live
Uh uh, keep going, this is the ethos of 'one life, two lives'
What what? Uh uh uh uh
What's up? Uh uh, keep going
What cha know about this, ha?
What do you understand about this subject? Ha?
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ALEESHA "MOCHA" RICHARDS, JUAN CORDOVA, TIMOTHY MOSLEY, TIMOTHY Z. MOSLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Unreleased/Underrated R&B Grooves
Two of the many lost voices in female rap entertainment. I hate that Mocha AND Babe Blue of 1 Life 2 Live had cancelled albums. They could've had some form of fame, shelving them was criminal. I always enjoyed their slick wordplay. It was refreshing just to hear sassy rhymes without the overused Lil' Kim formula that so many newcomers were doing over and over again.
ACE330
Agreed babe blue was dope. And mocha had one of the illest voices
MPK112233
I love the beat switch and the direction it takes after the second verse when the synths kick in. Wow, I'm listening for the first time in nearly 20 years and those synths came me goosebumps. Love it man! This track bangs!!
weepromotions
One of those tracks that make your head start bopping before the beat drops!
Kellen Jordan
This is one of my favorite Timbaland beats
Dex Kwasi
ON MY MAMA They killed this!!! Mocha to start and Babe Blue to end
jcrich80
Still fire in 2022 🔥🔥🔥
Nicole Snowten
My go to the store clothes betta than your wardrobe 🔥🔥🔥
Evalasting Fitness
2023 and still my jam
Brotha Jeff
FIRE!!!