VARIOUS: Hip-hop's pre-eminent producer Timbaland releases solo album with famous contributors

Tim Mosley, better known as Timbaland, worked his way up from being a DJ in Virginia Beach, Virginia to becoming one of hip hop/pop music's most inventive producers. After spending most of his time working behind-the-scenes in the music industry, he returns to the spotlight with his second solo album, "Timbaland Presents Shock Value". "Everything I do is shocking to the public meaning like they wouldn't expect me to do this, they wouldn't expect me to do that. So it would be like 'Shock Value' I always hear people like when me and Justin worked together I said 'that's shocking ' that song is very shocking how it came about and you know like wow I can't believe you all said this and like the whole album when I was doing it when I said I am putting this person and that person everybody was like "for real?" so that's how I came up with the title "Shock Value", said Timbaland. The man responsible for the careers of Missy Eilliott, Aaliyah, Ludacris, Nelly Furtado, and Justin Timberlake's solo career recruits an eclectic range of contributors for the album. The first single, "Give It To Me," featuring Furtado and Timberlake, revolves around his signature stutters accompanied by bubbling synths, tribal drumming and an endlessly twisting melody. Timbaland is coming off a highly successful year including producing the number one "SexyBack," on Timberlake's number one charting, multiplatinum FutureSex/LoveSounds album, which followed their work together on his previous smash "Justified". He is also a special guest on Timberlake's current 2007 FutureSex/LoveShow World Tour. Timbaland's performance marks not only his first tour in many years and, his first world tour, but also the debut of some beats and original music from Shock Value. "When I heard everybody about everybody that was going to be featured or contributing to the record was the first thing I though of was Quincy Jones you know "Back on the Block" and to me that's what Tim is. He is a modern day Quincy Jones to me so you know we just started working on a couple songs here and there . I don't think either of us knew I was going to end up doing as much as I did on the record but that's just how we work," Timberlake said when he joined Timbaland to promote the album. There's no shortage of glittering guest stars on Shock Value including Elton John on piano, Pussycat Doll front woman Nicole Scherzinger rock act Fall Out Boy, Swedish band The Hives, and rappers Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, Jay- Z, and Snoop Dogg. For Nelly Furtado's "Loose", Timbaland produced hit after hit with his proven Midas touch. "I use input from everybody I work with the closest people were Justin and Nelly. Unfortunately Nelly was on tour but when she came in and gave her input she gave a great stamp of improvement. Then Justin backed along with all the stuff he had. His schedule was crazy but he made time for me so it was like I want the world to see that what we have as a group Me , Nelly, and Justin is real," Timbaland said. Like Kanye West and Sean "Diddy" Combs, other beat-maker-turned-rappers, Timbaland hopes his solo career will strike gold.

ITN Source | April 12, 2007

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