Personnel includes: Timbaland, Nas, Mad Skillz, Magoo, Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, Jay-Z, Mocha, Babe Blue, 1 Life 2 Live, Lil' Man, Static, Yoshamine, Ludichris, Crowds, Twista (rap vocals); Kelly Price, Ginuwine, Aaliyah, Playa, Virginia Williams, T.K. Kirkland, Troy Mitchell (vocals); Bill Pettiway (guitar); Dante Nolan (bass); Nisan Stewart (drums).
Recorded at Manhattan Center, Sony, The Hit Factory, New York, New York; Mastersound, Virginia Beach, Virginia; Village Recording Studios, Los Angeles, California.
Personnel includes: Timbaland, Bassey, Nas, Mad Skillz, Magoo, Missy "Missdemeanor" Elliott, Jay-Z, Mocha, Babe Blue, 1 Life 2 Live, 'Lil Man, Static, Ludichris, Twista (rap vocals); Kelly Price, T. K. Kirkland, Ginuwine, Aaliyah, Playa, Virginia Williams, Troy Mitchell (vocals); Bill Pettiway (guitar); Dante Nolan (bass); Nisan Stewart (drums); Darryl Pearson, Lisa Smith (background vocals).
Recorded at Manhattan Center, The Hit Factory, Sony Studios, New York, New York; Mastersound, Virginia Beach, Virginia; Village Recording Studios, Los Angeles, California.
The solo debut from hip-hop producer Timbaland (Missy Elliot, Aaliyah and Ginuwine) is an all-star collection of rappers and hot tracks. Moving from behind the board to behind the mic, Timbaland assembles NAS ("To My"), Jay-Z ("Lobster & Scrimp"), Missy Elliott and his old partner Magoo ("Here We Come") and Mad Skillz ("Wit' Yo' Bad Self") to bring flavor to each one of his tracks. A noticeable theme of TV show theme samples is cleverly used on various tunes here.
Throw in slick guest spots from Aaliyah ("John Blaze"), Ginuwine (Keep It Real") and Twista ("Who am I") and you've got a seriously hot album from beginning to end. Though producers' solo albums are often nothing to get excited about, Timbaland's initial full-length release is solid, more than holding its weight against albums from other noted producers such as Jermaine Dupree and Sean "Puffy" Combs.
Professional Reviews
Rolling Stone (12/10/99, p.120) - 3 1/2 Stars (out of 5) - "...If Timbaland is making futuristic funk,...he's envisioning a bright,...technology-makes-life-easier sort of world."
Entertainment Weekly (12/18/98, pp.79-80) - "...With its reference to Spider-Man and its liner note nods to Wonder Woman and Green Lantern, TIM'S BIO is steeped in comic-book culture, a trend that allows rappers to indulge in violent fantasies that have no connection to reality..." - Rating: B+
Mixmag (1/99, p.115) - 3 out of 5 - "...the saviour of r n' b....dancehall-inspired stuttering rhythms, sinuous funk and off-kilter melodies....Focus on the production...for proof that Timbaland really is a genius..."
Muzik (2/99, p.80) - 4 stars (out of 5) - "...the real joy here is the production: the depths of between the...bass and lush top end, the skittish, robotic drums neatly paralleling the latest underground garage developments...a perfect snapshot of this...modern of contemporary soul."
Vibe (1/99, p.190) - "...Timbaland creates skittering rhythms, layered with whispered incantations, that are among music's most bugged....he proves that you can be commercial and innovative at the same time..."
The Source (1/99, p.184) - 3.5 Mics (out of 5) - "...Timbo shows and proves that he can cater to outsiders as nicely as he can to his own fam....Better known for his beats than his use of samples..."
