Friday is Timbaland Day - Pt 1: Tim's Greatest Hits

I really loved the Timbaland Bio, I always wanted to know a lot about Timbaland, but I can't find any good interviews on him, please do another Post like this on Timbaland, I would appreciate it.
 

I pray 2 God that one day I can work with this both lyrically and musical genius. Here's a lil' rap about this man, my favorite producer and composer, Timbaland!!

To out of this world fo niggas , advanced more then ways even the gov. cain't experiment
Makin so many trend from original ringtones 2 producin the late Aaliyah
Can it be 2 me that I will ever meet the likes of this man the man people know as Timbaland!!!!!!

If Timbland ever reads this, my name is Keynon Moore a.k.a Masta, from Hammond,IN!!!!!!!!
 

you can also read more about timbs engineer jimmy douglas here :

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/Sep02/articles/douglass.asp


enjoy .....
 

I wish someone would sue Timbaland for plagiarism. There is no genius in trying to pass off other artists material as your own.

From Jay-z's "Big Pimpin"- a blatant ripoff of the song "Khosara"... sung by the Egyptian artist Abdel-Halim-Hafez in 1957... to Aaliya's "More Than a Woman" ripped off from a Mayyada Hennawi song "Alouli Insi"... it seems like the genius Timbaland (stupid name by the way...why would you name yourself after hiking boots?) is nothing more than a clever rip-off artist.
 

It's called Sampling... Timbo wasn't the first to do it, he won't be the last to do it neither, most hits are recreated from past songs so... your point has no validation
 

That would make for interesting listening: To hear the original songs that have been 'repackaged' by timbo et al.
 

here's a clip of the original done by Hafez:

http://www.stylehiphop.com/funk/rap65.mp3
 

I've been down with Timbaland for a long time too. And actually, he is one of the best and most ORIGINAL producer's out there. He doesn't sample nearly as much or as often as most of everyone else out in the industry. Now it's becoming the trend to sample songs and slow it up or chop it for a beat, like in many Kanye tracks. Still hot, but it doesn't make him any less talented.
PLUS, I bet there are many tracks that you've been bangin your heat to "Anonymous" and you don't even realize it's a Timbo Track.
Hiking Boots for yo ass!
 

True indeed, everybody samples today but there are some who innovate and some who just steal or copy. I am a producer myself and I can verify this. Timbaland and the Neptunes are innovators. Kanye West is a thief and a phoney. He only gets light because Jay- Z, who is an innovator, endorsed him. I am not a hater but I hate Kanye West. I think he sucks and I think he is mentally ill, just watch his interviews. Timbaland does more than just sample, look at his song patterns and creative choices. He and the Neptunes are the true successors to Teddy Riley who we all follow.
 

There is one big problem with 'sampling'. As a form, it's been introduced in modern media as a better word for stealing.
On the other hand, throughout the history of art and therefore the history of mankind, there where many instances of artists integrating certain parts of other artists work (Haydn took a lot from J.S. Bach and vice versa), classical painters have been building their styles upon existing styles, etc.
Unfortunately, the 'art' of 'sampling' is the contributing factor because of which 21st Century does not have an distinctive categorization as the art period aside from Post-modernism, which is just like a pause, period ‘after’ something or in-between.
Now, think a little bit about it…
A guy comes and simply *steals* a peace of music and rhythm-right? What's the damage? It's not *only* that he/she stole a peace of well-known melody, but in a way, he/she degrades the existing art by 'slapping' obscene wording to it and calls it a song/music/art!!!???
Another reason for concern here is a question about the heritage. On one side, we have a long and rich heritage of ethnical music which is a vast ocean of wealth that can not be damaged (hopefully) by this practice which is clearly motivated only by 'street recognition' and the short-term economical effect.
But, in a way of long-turn cultural aspect of 'sampling' is already well-established practice of cultural erosion. Hip-hop and Rap are bringing unhappiness and despair.
I understand that in many ways, this 'music' pictures the reality of life for many, but I doubt that this reality is any worse from a glorious times of Jazz and Blues, speaking in terms of musical renaissance, which was not followed by parallel sociological events...
Please try to understand my comment as my honest glance at this whole 'scene'.
Think a bit about the songs in which your sisters, mothers and daughters are being called 'bitches' and 'hoes'. What kind of music and art could it possibly be?
Music and arts are defined as higher forms of expression. As for the existing forms of Rap and Hip-Hop, I find it just to be a waste of BIG TALENTS and clear manipulation of people which has to effect very deep and wide decline which reflects in virtually all aspects of life.
“Big Pimping”, indeed….
 

Ok, this last comment is just so detached and crazy. It seems clear to me that you have only some surface understanding of the use and extent of sampling in modern music, and of rap or hip hop culture. If you think rap is all about bitches and ho's, then you are only looking at the market surface of it--but that's your problem.

Also, you clearly have no understanding of the vibrance of music/art that is based in sampling; and are clearly romanticizing the importance of past, or none sample oriented music. Sampling isn't a cop out. Sure, some artists (especially in pop music) offer nothing with their use of sampling. But from the core idea of using sound that others have recorded, or recontextualizing older works, there is nothing hate about. Its as simple a concept as striking a chord, or sharing a scale with a friend: the questions of art, creativity, and the validity of art based on these simple ideas can only be measured by the end result. And of sampling and hip hop culture, it is evident that you haven’t the slightest.
 

In addition, I wanted to comment on the idea of sampling as theft. First, the concept of what is or isn't theft has a large grey aria that can only determined by ones own ethics and political beliefs. And I dont't expect that someone might shift thier perspective in this reguard by reading the latter. But still, I feel that the idea of sampling as theft is not only unjustly condeming what should be someones right, but is also a socialy destructive practice that only hurts culture and art.

Here is the thesis of Godfried-Willem Raes, who is also featured on this site, and a link to the full essay:

http://www.logosfoundation.org/copyleft/copyrigh.html

"1. Information cannot be possesed. It is not property since it cannot be taken away.It is object nor energy, but essentially form.

2.Every form of treating information as a product is intrinsically contradictory to its very nature.

3.Copyright protection is not only based on an epistemological lie, but it is also immoral towards society as well as it is a reactionary reflex towards capitalisation of thought.

4.Composers, authors nor inventors need protection since the use of their work is not an attack, but contrarywise it rather constitutes an honour.

5.Regardless any ideological considerations, the further development of new technologies will make the idea of copyright completely anachronistic and obsolete. Copyright protection will reveal itself to be just inefficient."

Also, here is a link to a video about copyright and the history of the Amen break. A six second drum solo that spawned endless new music forms--forms and songs that are distinctly original, and important works of art.

http://nkhstudio.com/pages/amen_mp4.html
 

Here is a quote from Jan Jelinek. A minimal click-house producer who's music is built largely from sampling:

"You´re right, I do not care about copyright. I'm interested in a mutation of original sources. There are two possibilites of this kind of mutation: in the old way, sampling means a displacement of context, like in hip hop music. A well-known and recognizable part will be thrown into a frame of modernity. I don't have a copyright problem with that, cause I think, that this practice is responsible for a positive historicity of the sources. Kids are listening to a mutated james brown with the result that they will be interested in the real one. So music industry makes a big mistake to criminalize that. the new way means a mutation of the sample, by editing it itself. The matrix of a piece of music will be cracked, and the result is not the hint to the original, the result is a hint to the special practice and purity of sound. An original string ensemble will be mutated to a snare-something, an original snare sound will be mutated to bassguitar-something. I try to work like this, so for me the question of copyright is irrelevant. The plan is to lose the authorship of the orginal source, to create a sound, which has a history but no clear determination."

from: http://www.zionmag.org/text.php?id=1423

In addition, the idea that a genre--any genre--defined by basic compositional, political, timbral, or process oriented ideas (such as rap/hip hop) could run out of possibilities for great music, is in bad taste. Its true that any dumb ass can make any type of music, and its true that too many people buy bad pop music that isn’t intended to be good, but that doesn’t mean that any dumb ass will make -good- music...but it is still being made within the concept of hip hop.
 

Questlove told me Scott Storch produced Cry me A River. Timbo is great at putting his name on tracks.
 

This is an old thread but I just gotta shout on it because of what I read as nonsense in regards to sampling, hip-hop and 'theft'.

Some johnny come whitely picks up a guitar and plays the same 1-4-5 riff and he's just 'playing rock and roll'. Some bobby come whitely get's a drum set and plays the same 3 beats every other drummer has played and he's just 'holding it down'. Some darkie does essentially the same thing with a sampler, CALLS IT SAMPLING and he's a thief.

I'm willing to bet a few of the 'haters' have enjoyed the occasional led zeppelin, beatles or rolling stones tune - presumably more respectable because they could physically play the riffs they were, um, exploring.

The speech is called 'I Have a Dream' and maybe you haven't heard of it.

Will
 

I think some people misunderstand sampling. There are music laws that allows sampling rights, ie. a person can buy a piece of "sample" from a recording company and use it in his track. So sampling isn't theft if by law the sample was bought or a contractual agreement exists between the music owner and the producer wanting to sample the sound. Timbaland (and most samplers, including the so-called "sampling genius" Kanye West) all buy the samples before using it.

As for the misconception concerning Rap and Hip-Hop, it's the consumer's fault that they want to buy dirty, vulgar cd's with trash lyrics (eg, 50 Cent, Ja-Rule, etc.), the producers don't have a say into it: They sell the beat or assigns a contractual deal on the beat and whatever is said on that beat is not their problem. The music industry, knowing that people loves dirty trash, will carry on making dirty trash coz people buy it.

Why doesn't artist like Common do well in commercial sales? that's because he "keeps it real". He raps what is genuine, real hip-hop. Not the 50 Cent, "I got shot 9 times" ish.

Enough said.

Peace.

PS. Timbaland is a musical genius, so is Neptunes and Scott Storch.
 

If you havent read/heard about it yet... you will soon... I'm sure its just a matter of time before it hits main stream news.

Timbaland ripped off a 4 channel Amiga .MOD made by the Finnish demoscener Janne "Tempest/Damage" Suni to use it in the song "Do it" on the latest album "Loose" by the Canadian popular singer Nelly Furtado. Part of that Furtado track (both the intro and the melody) holds an astonishing resemblance with the Amiga .MOD which was originally entered into a music-competition at 'Assembly 2000', a multimedia-party held in Helsinki, Finland in the year 2000. The entry titled "Acid Jazzed Evening" won the competition and now seems to be ripped to feature in the Timbaland produced track. Illegally, as Janne Suni posted on Digg that he has never given up the copyright for his original track. Nor has he heard from either Timbaland or any of the other producers, let alone Furtado or the Geffen label to use his track.

YouTube Comparision Video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4KX7SkDe4Q

YouTube Comparions of RingTone
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wV2fTEeP6GM

This is not a simple case of sampling miss-use. Its stealing an entire song, making minor cosmetic changes..adding a vocal to it and calling it your own.

He probably figure...who is going to know I stole a song released in 2000 by some Finnish Guy.
 

yeh. it's time to remove him from the heroes ... lame.
 

As for Timbaland, he's just annoying, at first I find him ok until I noticed him being that useless "extra" in every video. He's like this extra who does this annoying stuff like either squinching his eyes, playing with his nostril, walking a dog, waiting in the car, rubbing his hands, pissing on the sidewalk i dont know. .. And all he does is say hey, ho, ho like in Nelly Furtado's vid. etc. So useless. If you removed him in the vid, it prolly look more pleasing to the eyes. He seems like that spinach on your tooth that wont go away or that mannerism that is noticeable, annoying, and just makes u plain ugly. So whats the next project timbo? be on a japanese car commercial in the background doing jumping jacks and screaming harigato? LOL
 

overrated
 

In light of recent events, I humbly request that Timbaland be removed from the list of MusicThing Heroes. Thank you.
 

Timbaland is no a musical hero. He's a lamer stealing other true talented artists intellectual property.
This guy stole finnish Janne Suni's track "Acidjazzed Evening" and made it into a "original" ringtone. There' s nothing original there. He belongs to jail. Stop praying god and start praying for legal act against this kind of musical criminals.
How much more evidence you need to get this guy sued?

read more
 

he definetely stole that melody for big pimpin from the song khosara like it was stated above. Got away with that one. Give credit where credit is due. I lost respect for Tim.
 

to all y timbaland haterz - hate all u want kuz timbaland iz still cummin uP n nun uf Yu kan stand it... he came up frum nuthin n now hez makin bank n makin sick-wit-itt beatz ... need i say more

-CHIA- im ouTTy
 

"Stunna", if your argument was spelled correctly and grammatically sound, I'd pay attention to it.
 

Absolutely, I request him to be removed from the list. He is not "musical hero" he is just a lame musical thief. One thing that I don't tolerate is plagiarism....
 

Forest: as I grow and learn, I am getting to the point where I agree with you that "the idea of sampling as theft is not only unjustly condeming what should be someones right, but is also a socialy destructive practice that only hurts culture and art." I recall that when it was first noticed by the American mainstream listening public, sampling was often condemned as "black kids stealing & taking the easy way out rather than making their own music".

Since then, I've grown and learned a lot, I hope, and I see that sampling is not much different than what writers call, in their lofty language, "allusion" [not *illusion*, for those new to this word -- check it out! It's what makes some sample uses clever].

The older I get, the more I realize that all art is based on prior art -- we stand on the shoulders of the ones who came before us -- but that in the 20th century, art somehow got turned into a quest for "originality", something that has more value in a marketplace of copyrightable properties than in the hearts and minds of human beings. "Originality" created a monster: an art world that hates outsiders, makes coy "message" art in an effort to avoid even the *hint* of "trying to please someone", sets up cliques with their own elaborate rules, and basically makes everyone outside the clique into the outsiders that they then project hate towards. You know, like bebop jazzers did.

When I get time, I've got this fascinating book waiting for me to read, and it will probably touch on this issue. It's called "Cultural Amnesia".
 

I agree with you
 

timbaland is GARBAGE!! He steals the melodies of other songs from a variety of artists and singers and he doesn't give credit acting like he is a genius that is nonsense. Go on YouTube and type "Timbaland stole" and you will see a few melodies he stole. HE is very unoriginal and he acts like he is the greatest producer ever. "Danjahandz" is Timbaland's ghost producer and he makes a lot of songs for Timbaland. Timbaland is not a genius. He lies too. And for Kanye West at least he gives credit to the artist he is sampling from. Timbaland samples but doesn't give credit (and he also stole a song for "Do it" by Nelly Furtado. Timbaland is an aass.
 

This comment has been removed by the author.
 

Timbaland does NOT sample, he steals.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4KX7SkDe4Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORsHlKSyvBo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_goBj3iZ7w&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1X58UPPKDsY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXnFcGehhxc&feature=related

He doesn't even TRY to chop up the sample. Lazy Timbaland just takes a n entire song and puts drums on top.

Still convinced this is 'sampling'? Ok, well if its sampling, Timbaland MUST clear the samples like everyone else. To this day he hasn't made an effort to contact any of these artists... he just took the 'samples' without permission.

As a producer it makes me think, why bother to put my heart into something to make it original, when he can just steal and become wildly successful?
 

4 minutes to save the world.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TN7s1q3L-S0

Shit. This song's been playing more and more everyday in my country. Somehow it made into a shampoo commercial.

What the fuck are people thinking ? Madonna Inc. meets Justin Timberlake Inc., and their lawyers meet and they say, "well, we should try a musical venture together in order to increase our profits". So they get together and decide that they should hire the best beatmaker out there, and hire Timbaland for that. If everyone says that Timbaland knows the way to the top of the charts, it must be true.

So, Timbaland records Madonna using an answering machine, and records Justin's performance using MSN. Then he steals his daughter's Casio MA-100 keyboard and plays a brass part on his PC. Then he loops it using a cracked version of Fruity Loops Free, and finally he records it into DAT after sending the soundcards LINE OUT into a US$100,000 custom valve compressor made by the NASA. The song is ready for printing. Before that, Timbaland adds his own lame vocals, because it is cool, and people will know that Timbaland produced this song. It's like peeing hydrants for a dog.

In the meantime, video producers have dressed Madonna to look as if she were nude, but dressed, and trying to disguise the fact that she is 50 years old - but somehow they decide it's cool to pair her with a kid 25 years younger, because Freud said that everybody wanted to fuck his mother (his own, not Freud's) or something like that. Timberlake improvises a coreography stolen right of Michael Jackson's worst days in crack and he's done, and goes home to play with his Xbox, while Madonna has to take a break that will last a couple of weeks, due to her arthrosis.

In post production, someone says it would be a cool idea if they add CGI that shows Madonna's and Justin's internal organs. It worked for Robbie Williams, and no one remembers about him these days, so why don't we give it a shot.

The song and the video are then uploaded to iTunes, Youtube, facebook, The Pirate Bay, Youporn, Amazon, CDBaby, Dogpile and Yahoo! (although no one actually browses Yahoo! anymore), a ringtone is made, and Madonna Inc, Timberlake Inc, and Timbaland Inc are happy, their shares skyrocket in NASDAQ or something, and every teenager without a brain exhilarates happiness and joy as the horrible, mono, 16-bit recording of a Casio keyboard they could have made in their homes by theirselves while high on crack, arrives to their cellphones and is lodged into their iPhones forever, or at least, until the next week when Timbaland comes out with the new shit that he will probably give a cool name, or probably will just call "the new shit" even if the name is taken, because it is the new shit and every new shit is good, even if it is shit.