A Hip-Hop Primer on Timbaland

For all you bubble-headed, blondes out there who twirl your hair and ask, "Who the heck is Timbaland?", shame on you! He is a major god of hip hop and responsible for so many songs and celebrities, we demand that your ignorance stop here! His career began alongside childhood friend Missy "Midemeanor" Elliott in Norfolk, Virginia where they met and began a collaboration process that would quickly prove lucrative for both. His success began largely with his production of Ginuwine's debut album-many of you will remember the number one hit, "Pony"-which was soon followed by his and Elliott's co-production of Aaliyah's second album, One in a Million, which went on to sell eleven million copies worldwide. Of course, both of their careers took off immediately, and when Elliott rose to success as a solo artist, Timbaland was there with her collaborating on tracks like "Get Ur Freak On" and "Work It." Among his recent great successes, Timbaland's production of Loose, the 2006 Nelly Furtado album, is probably the most famous, with chart-topping hits like "Maneater" and "Promiscuous." Intrigued? We thought you might be. For more information, check out his website at timbalandmusic.com or look him up on Wikipedia. You'll be surprised just how much of your collection he's responsible for.

We can dance...TO HIM
It's back and hotter than ever-it's So You Think You Can Dance-and the drama has already begun. (They kicked out the girl with the bad heart for Christ's sake!) But beneath the drama, beneath the sexy costumes giving us a peek at washboard abs and bulging pecs, even beneath the choreography, there is something that the show depends on in its entirety: a hot beat. Not surprising that two of the four hip-hop numbers performed in the first three shows happen to be tracks off space-and-rhythm guru Timbaland's most recent project, Shock Value. Choreographing the Danny/Anya duo to "Oh Timbaland" and Neil and Lauren to "The Way I Are," the choreographers have been snatching up the album's tracks like hot cakes. So while the album may have earned less-than-positive feedback after its release, one thing is obvious. America loves him just the way he are.

Collaborate and Listen
It isn't every day you listen to a Timbaland track and think to yourself, "Wait, is this Bjork?" But turn on the first tracks of Shock Value, Timbaland's latest album, and you might experience that sensation. It turns out there's a reason for this-Timbaland actually collaborated with Bjork on three tracks for her latest project Volta, the greatest of these being "Earth Intruders." A bit startling in theory perhaps, the phenomenon should not shock Timbaland. Being the giant that he is, Timbaland works with whomever he wants, whenever he wants.

Shock Value makes no exception to this rule, and that might be the album's Achilles' heel. Some of the safer collaborations work-"Give It To Me" with Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado being among the best of these-but too many others just don't. But bizarre guest appearances by Elton John and The Hives make for lackluster collaborations.

Finally, the album gives off a darker feel overall-the "shock"-and while the darker tracks probably keep the album from achieving anything great as a whole, they might also be the album's salvation. "Bounce" featuring Dr. Dre and Missy Elliott might not impress lyrically (e.g. "yo ass had the hiccups"), but musically it achieves something great-a dark trancey, hip-hop combo that is authentically Timbaland. Featuring 50 Cent, "Come & Get Me" makes for another hot track, utilizing sweet vocal harmonies and a fresh beat. And with other successful numbers like "Oh Timbaland" and "Release" featuring Justin Timberlake, Shock Value turns out to be a pretty worthwhile buy.

Your five-dollar Download To-Do List

1. Oh Timbaland
2. The Way I Are ft. Keri Hilson
3. Give It To Me ft. Nelly Furtado & Justin Timberlake
4. Release ft. Justin Timberlake
5. Apologize ft. One Republic

Extra Credit: "Earth Intruders," Bjork