Like it or not, nobody in the hip-hop hemisphere is hotter than Timothy Mosley. After lead production on two albums that together went 4 times platinum, he can’t be ignored anymore. Sitting at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 like it’s his job, the man is responsible for “Maneater” (#16), “Ice Box” (#12), “SexyBack” (#1), “Promiscuous” (#1), “My Love” (#1), “What Goes Around…” (#1), and “Say it Right” (#1). That’s 7, count ‘em, 7 top 20 hits in less than a year. Remember, it’s 2007; chart-topping like this ain’t as easy as it was in the 60s. Now he’s gotta strike while the iron’s hot, right? Well, it’s scalding. Timbaland over the years has built a reputation on creating a distinctive brand of pop music and now is the perfect time for him to produce the rare record with his name and face on it.
Expectedly, on Timbaland Presents Shock Value Tim continues to do what Tim does best. Beginning with the essential sample, a repackaged dose of Nina Simone’s “Sinnerman” (also used in the Kanye West production of Talib Kweli’s “Get By”), the opening track “Oh Timbaland” introduces the listener to what’s to come: Lots of self-promoting rhymes, bass-filled synthesized beats, collaboration, call and response courses, and glamorously over-the-top lyrics. But “Oh Timbaland” truly is, only the beginning. “Bounce” which many listeners may immediately skip to (featuring Missy Elliot, Dr. Dre, and Justin Timberlake), includes all of these components, only ten-fold. A deep bass to snare baseline carries the song through star packed verses over an annoying and repetitive hiccup vocal reverberation. This noise might explain Timberlake’s metaphoric and sexed-out chorus: “Bounce / like yo’ ass had the hiccups / Bounce / … / I got the remedy, it’s you on me and me on you / And you on me and me on you and you on her / Then her on me and her on you and y’all on me… Dre and Missy carry the absurdity into their respective verses, with consecutive references to an extremely clever Asian language pun (”Sum Yung Ho”) and the first of several shots at Britney Spears spattered throughout the CD.
Other disappointments include “2 Man Show” (featuring Sir Elton John on piano killing Tim’s flow, not singing), Boardmeeting (featuring Timbaland’s former partner Magoo), and “One and Only” (with Fall Out Boy). Perhaps Shock Value might have been better off with a little less shock value. The truth is, the stand out songs all come from work with lesser known artists, save the Nelly Furtado and G-Unit appearances. Power-writer turned background vocalist Keri Hilson appears on three songs, all equally noteworthy. On the second single, “Throw It on Me”, alt-rockers The Hives add their unique flavor to Tim’s impeccable production. MySpace superstars OneRepublic are ‘Timbalandized’ on “Apologize” and the result might be the album’s best song.
Overall Shock Value is really a tribute to Tim’s ability to bring a rare versatility, fearlessness, and musical variety to a single album. Borrowing elements from nearly every genre, “Shock Value” gives hip hop a striking melting-pot of influence, something that the world of music desperately needs. In the end, the record’s greatest asset is its biggest weakness. The track list of eclectic mash-ups provides something for everybody, but not enough for everyone. Is it possible that Timbaland didn’t save his best (that is, most marketable) beats for himself, just the ones he was feeling? Without an open mind, this is an unremarkable piece of work. But undoubtedly, the fans of Timbaland capable of appreciating his creativity can find diamonds in the proverbial 17-track rough that is Shock Value.
by Brian Meredith
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