"Put Your Filthy Hands All Over Me"

It's going to be tough, but I'm going to try really hard limit my excitement and refrain from littering this post with !!! and 😀🙃😃. It's not just the fact that Justin Timberlake put out a new single today and has a new album (Man of the Woods) on the way. Yes, that's dope, but it doesn't take away from the holy triumvirate that is Justin Timberlake/Timbaland/Danjahandz that reconvened on his new track below.

Filthy lives up to its name with a grimy, wobbly, new-age funk beat that will immediately grab your attention and stand out as different. The vibe is best described as what you'd hope for if Daft Punk and Pharrell put together a dance track. The futuristic I, Robot style choreographed dancing robot video seems apropos for the futuristic funk vibe of the track. The beat breakdown around the 3:45 mark is trademark Timbo and Danja too. You feel like you're listing to a new beat, but they blend it with the original instrumental so well that it's clean af. Man...if Justin's new album is going to be filled with exciting new tracks like this one, 2018 is going to be a fun year...#Filthy



Justin Timberlake - Filthy (prod by Timbaland and Danjahandz)

Timbo Returns to Spotlight on Grab the Wheel

There aren't many producers that can hang their hat on a distinct style that any self-respecting fan of music would recognize. Timbaland is an exception to that as his combination of deep bass snare kicks are as trademark as it gets. Like on his new one with Atlanta rapper 6lack, Grab the Wheel. Those stop-and-go kicks with steady tapping percussion is something I've been missing dearly in my life as Timbo's productions have slowed over the years. Better yet, if you fast forward to the 2:40 mark, he pulled a Justin Timberlake a la LoveStoned/I Think She Knows style beat switch as the track glides to an end. They may be small touches, but it underscores the creativity that's generally lacking in Hip Hop production these days.

One thing we can all be grateful of is that Timbland kicked his painkiller addiction and he's back to making new music. Cheers to that and don't be bashful in copping the new one on iTunes or Spotify if you're as Timbo-starved as I am...#GrabTheWheel



Timbaland & 8lack - Grab the Wheel

"Everyone Prays in the End"

Despite being incredibly unassuming, if Sam Smith wanted to make a Gospel album, he'd have people lining up to buy the album. Many times before he's shown a deeply soulful side, but he took it to another level on Pray. With the backing of a church choir, he literally took everyone to church.

On the track he leverages the common theme of relying on religion in a time of need. On first listen there was something different about the track that I couldn't quite put my finger on. Maybe it was the seemingly out of place "huh? vocal sample throughout? Maybe it was the percussion heavy bridge? Whatever it was, it led me to dig deeper. Needless to say, I almost lost my sh*t when I found out Timbaland chipped in on the production. It's obviously a great move for Sam given the track record Timbo has with countless artists. It's the second single off Sam's upcoming The Thrill of It All album that will be dropping on November 3rd. Go ahead and pre-order/pre-save the album while checking out the list of tour dates for Summer 2018. Let's just say, it won't be a matter of if I'll be seeing Sam in concert, it'll be when and where...#TheThrillOfItAll



Sam Smith - Pray (prod by Jimmy Napes & Timbaland)

"Copper Tried to Knock Us Off, We Still Movin' Bass"

I remember the days when gigantic Hip Hop collaborations between artists and producers were as common as bread on a sandwich. Nowadays, unless your name is Mike Will, you'd be lucky to get a big time collaboration more than a handful of times each year. Enter Timbaland, who decided to come out of hibernation to craft the new heat rock Movin' Bass (below). The track features living legends Ricky Rozay and Sean Carter.

Off top, the beat sets a quick pace. I could have done without the Phone Tap style 40 second interlude to start the track, but sadly, it's an upgrade over the Funk Flex tags. It's beats like this that allow me to appreciate Rick Ross. 90% of the verses he drops are yawn worthy, but when he gets on a great beat, he can elevate his game with the best of them. Through this track I got back the piece of Rick Ross that I first started liking back in the day when he was telling us all where he was from. Please Timbo...continue making music with other talented artists, Hip Hop has missed you...#MovinBass

Rick Ross feat Jay Z - Movin' Bass (prod by Timbaland)

Ma$e and Timbo Make Me Miss Hip Hop

Every now and again, there's a Hip Hop track that takes me back to the days of the Millenium when great Hip Hop used to grow on trees. You had countless great producers making even the most average rapper a superstar. One of them who made a living off of it was Timbaland who has about as distinct of a sound in music. At least once a year I find myself wondering what would have happened if he and Aaliyah would have continued making great music together.

While the new song by up and comer Jo'zzy isn't exactly a substitute for anything Aaliyah did, the sheer fact that Ma$e and Timbaland got on a track together drummed up the Hip Hop nostalgia all over again. If you're wanting just the dessert portion, feel free to fast forward to the 1:45 mark where Ma$e drops a memorable verse. It's not a hall of fame effort, but there's clearly something still there talent wise. I really hope he continues his way back into the limelight and a couple hall of fame producers come out of the woodwork to support him in his conquest. Even if he doesn't fully make it back, I can't complain, I'm satisfied with the small slice of the past below...#TrynaWife

Jo’zzy ft. Timbaland & Ma$e – Tryna Wife

Videos of the Week December 13th

Oh Ron Burgundy, how I've missed you. With the movie premiere on the horizon, it's full court press time for the cast of Anchorman 2. I'll admit, my own expectations prevented me from falling off the couch while viewing the video below. Still, it's an entertaining watch anytime Will Ferrell starts on a rant about why mustaches are awesome, it's a must watch.

Oh this just in, Beyonce just dropped an album outta the blue this week. Along with that came two show stopping videos with her husband and Drake. Wonder if she meant to do that with the holiday season coming up? In other news, buckle your seat belt for an eerie lyric video from Timbaland. I wouldn't have thought of going that direction with the video, but they definitely got the shock and awe factor. To put a bookend on the week, it doesn't get much more patriotic than Avicii's Hey Brother video...#Murica
Ron Burgundy Interviews Peyton Manning - Uncut Version

Avicii - Hey Brother

Beyonce feat Drake - Mine (Video)

Beyonce feat Jay-Z - Drunk in Love (Video)

Timbaland ft. Drake, Jay-Z & James Fauntleroy – Know Bout Me (Lyric Video)

Photo Credit: Youtube via ESPN

"Whatchu Know About the Kid?"

I don't think it's that big of a stretch to assume that we can all collectively be excited that Timbaland has a new album coming out. When it comes to longevity in Hip Hop, there hasn't been a producer that has consistently crafted fresh music like Timbaland. Whether he's producing for himself or others, he hasn't changed his sound that much, but it's always sounded fresh. Don't think that's tough to do? Name me another producer who has unflinchingly refused to change their style and still found a way to create inspirational music for over a decade.

I haven't been able to find a release date for Timbo's upcoming album Textbook Timbo, but I do know that Know Bout Me will be the lead single. For reference, Jay Z's name is in quotes because he literally delivers two quick lines during the intro of the track and then is nowhere to be found the rest of the track. And that's actually ok because the verses from Timbo and Drake more than carried their weight over Timbo's anchor-like 808 bass and active percussion. Even better, James Fauntleroy carried the track home with some smooth R&B vocals. Consider this as the first salvo from Timbo letting everyone know he's coming and only getting started...#KnowBoutMe

Timbaland feat “Jay-Z", Drake & James Fauntleroy – Know Bout Me (prod by Timbaland)

"Girl if Sex is Contest Then You're Coming in First"

Now that JT's album has been made available for steaming on iTunes, it's time to take a dive into it. The track that stood out to me on first glance of the features/producers was Cabaret with Drake and Timbaland. I know big surprise right? Chalked full of Timbaland ad libs, a solid Drizzy verse, and characteristically playful verses and hook from Justin, it's got what you want in a future single. For those of you at home chomping at the bit, The 20/20 Experience Part 2 of 2 hits iTunes in a week. Simply put, combine the talents of JT with beats sprinkled in by Timbo and you've got yourself a release that is going to move some units and make a whole lotta people happy...#Cabaret

Justin Timberlake feat Drake - Cabaret (prod by Timbaland)

"Girl You Knock Me Out, With a TKO"

With the second part of Justin's 20/20 Experience on the horizon, it seems like the perfect time for a Timbaland produced single to ramp up the buzz. TKO is exactly what you'd expect from the duo with enough quirky percussion and smooth vocals to carry the track. Even better the hook finds a way to embed itself earworm style, so good luck shaking this one after a few listens.

Oh and if you're one of the many who are on board with JT's upcoming 20/20 Experience Tour, you'll be excited to preview the experience below...

Everybody has been through a bad breakup or two, so the track below should resonate with quite a few people. Nobody likes someone who swings after the bell and after the whistle blows...unless the end result is marrying Jessica Biel. Lucky bastard...#TKO

Justin Timberlake - TKO (prod by Timbaland)

"D Boy Drug Dealer Look, Billionaire"

It seems like every day since Magna Carta Holy Grail was released has brought a new piece of bad news. First there was the uproar surround whether or not a company could buy an album to platinum status, then the Samsung app had issues crashing and now it appears that Samsung wants just about every piece of information about you in exchange for getting to use the app, which has the FTC launching a formal investigation. Yikes, good thing @s_c_ can brush these 99 problems off because he's reppin' the likes of Robinson Cano and Kevin Durant.

Business aside, Magna Carta is clearly a well-sculpted album. Sure, when you've got some of the best producers in the game backing one of the most polished rappers of my generation, it's hard to go wrong. After a few listens, there hasn't been a track on the album that managed to get stuck on repeat, but BBC has gotten the closest. The head nod worthy production by Pharrell mixed with verses from Hov and Nas is a tough combination to top. When listening to the track, it's not a surprise at all that Jay-Z anointed it as the track that was the most fun he had making. Take note artists, when you have fun making music, the end result shows!...#MagnaCartaHolyGrail

RT @xcxarlos_sc What song was the most fun recording? #MCHG [BBC #factsonly]
— Mr. Carter (@S_C_) July 8, 2013

Jay-Z feat Nas & Timbaland - BBC (prod by Pharrell)

"Sippin' From the Cup Til it Runeth Over, Holy Grail"

Now that Magna Carta Holy Grail has gone platinum before release and found it's way into Salisbury Cathedral in England right next to the part of the original Magna Carta. Talk about taking creative promotion to another level!

Between Kanye debuting his videos around the world on buildings and Jiggaman taking his album title metaphor to a level not previously reached, it makes you wonder what limits the duo will go to in 2014 when Watch the Throne 2 drops.

As far as the lead track is concerned, between the production by Timbaland, writing by The Dream, vocals by Justin Timberlake and Nirvana lyric sample, it's a lot to take in. JT damn near steals the show with his 1:20 min lead in and memorable hook. It's a buttoned-up track that has a distinct beginning, middle and end, which exhibits a level of sophistication that most artists would be lucky to reach. While the reviews range from lukewarm to critical to impressed by it's lyrical depth, it sounds like Magna Carta is at the very least struggling to live up to the massive hype that came before it. Maybe it's because people are a little uneasy with the way he released it through Samsung, maybe it's the lack of lead time or singles, maybe it's because of the almost daily release of song lyrics prior to people being able to hear the songs. Either way, this is going to be a trail blazing type of event because nobody has ever released an album the way he's doing it with Magna Carta. As a reminder, for non-Samsung users, MCHG hits iTunes on Monday...#MCHG

Jay-z feat Justin Timberlake - Holy Grail (prod by The Dream & Timbaland)

Videos of the Week June 21st

Definitely not the norm putting two commercials in videos of the week, but let's just say there were a few companies who stepped it up this week in anticipation for the 17.7 overnight rating that game 7 of the NBA finals recorded. That's good for 2nd place all time for an NBA game on ABC only trailing the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics game 7 in 2010, which had an 18.2 overnight rating. Nike's voicemail bit was creative and if you're not extremely excited about Jay-Z's upcoming Magna Carta Holy Grail album, then you are no friend of mine. Pretty cool to have a company buy a million of your records before it even comes out. Too bad Billboard hit the brakes on that auto-platinum status!

In other news, more people need to hear the story of reformed pimp and author Iceberg Slim and Nardwuar is still a strange cat. Have a good weekend y'al, I'll leave you with this gem...#SignsThatYoureRatchet

Jay-Z Game 7 Samsung Magna Carta Holy Grail Commercial

Nike Commercial Lebron's Voicemail Post-Championship

Iceberg Slim (Official Trailer)

Juicy J feat The Weeknd - One of Those Nights (Video)

Nardwuar Interviews Logic

"It's Like You're My Mirror"

Ever since @jtimberlake released Suit and Tie a couple weeks back, he's been all over the place. Whether it's a pre-Super Bowl performance of new track or during and after the Grammys, he's been puttin' in work of late. In case you missed it, below is his performance during the Grammys with @s_c_...

As far as the track below, it's vintage JT & Timbo. Mirrors is on a Cry Me a River tip, in fact the beat has so many similar features, you might as well call it part 2. The duo are perfect at making each other look good with JT delivering the emotional vocals while Timbo does he absolute best to match that sentiment through instrumentation. Tracks like this are why both should be regarded as two of the most influential artists of this generation. Matter fact, last night my pops was all like, "JT is the new Prince." I simply can't argue with that assertion and in the end they might be revered in the same way...#2020experience

Justin Timberlake - Mirrors (prod by Timbaland)

JT & Hov Are on Some Suit & Tie ish

When you haven't released a single for six years, it's understandable that you'd want to make a grand re-entrance back into the game. Still, after a week long countdown leading up to a big announcement on his website, I don't think anyone could have anticipate something as epic as his new single Suit & Tie featuring a cameo verse from @s_c_ and production from @timbaland. It's a song that has three personalities, an intro, a middle and an ending where the beat flips on Hov's verse. If you're looking for grown and sexy R&B, you've got your track right here.

Along with the release of the track, JT posted the following open letter on his site...

An Open Letter to you (the fans):

I hope this gets to you the right way. It's the only way I know to do it. Some people may criticize me for the last 3 days. But it was fun, right?? Right?!?! Besides, I'd rather speak directly to all of you. And, who can knock me for having a little bit of fun with it?

Well... No more teasing. Although, it was A LOT of fun. (Did I mention that I'm having fun with this?? Ha!)

*Makes a serious face*

So, here goes:

This year is an exciting one for me. As you probably have heard through the "grapevine," I'm gearing up for a big 2013.

Back in June of last year, I quietly started working on what is now, my next journey with that thing I love called MUSIC.

The inspiration for this really came out of the blue and to be honest, I didn't expect anything out of it. I just went into the studio and started playing around with some sounds and songs. It was probably the best time I've had in my career... Just creating with no rules and/or end goal in mind and really enjoying the process.

What I came up with is something I couldn't be more excited about! It is full of inspiration that I grew up listening to and some newfound muses that I've discovered along the way.

I'm calling it "The 20/20 Experience," and it's coming out this year.

I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed making it.

That's all I'm giving you for now... I know, I know! Again, with the teasing!!!

Get ready. This is going to be fun (well, at least it is for me).

Justin's new album The 20/20 Experience is due out sometime in 2013...#SuitandTie

Justin Timberlake feat Jay-Z - Suit & Tie (prod by Timbaland)

"Great Day For a White Wedding"

I hinted yesterday that there is a good chance of more @Timbaland to come in 2013 and that was an informed hint. Earlier this week he let loose with a new uplifting track called White Wedding via his Timbaland Thursdays Soundcloud. On the track you can expect a whole lot of chanting, some tribal percussion, a little Timbo autotune and enough knock to make a UPS dude proud.

White Wedding is the last of his #TimboGiftBag releases where he leaked new singles to the internet over break. One thing is for damn sure, Timbo isn't about to stop making uplifting party tracks. Matter of fact, he kept up his streak of new tracks by releasing a new track by his brother today. I'm running out days to post new tracks Timbo in releasing, which is a great problem to have...#Retro

Timbaland - White Wedding

"What a Hell of a Lady!"

After a long hiatus, Timbaland Thursdays is back. Fittingly, @Timbaland chose to come back with an upbeat club track that will get plenty of attention. It's been a long time since he's released a single, so it's great to hear a new upbeat party track from him.

A little bird told me that Timbo is going to be generous with unreleased music in 2013. I can't think of a better way to start off the year than a slew of new music from one of the best in the game. Here's to hoping the #timbogiftbag is full of fifty two more weekly gifts...#Cheers

Timbaland feat Sebastian - This Lady

"I'm Cruising Down Biscayne, Listenin' to 2 Chainz"

On more than one occasion I've written about how nice it would be to get a full studio album out of @shawnchrys. After a couple years, it's looking like that wish might come true with his new Lovestory LP due out February 12th. Not only is the album coming, it's *supposedly* executive produced by @Timbaland, which takes the excitement to another level. Back in July the video below of them working together in studio came out, which was the beginning of Biscayne (blvd)...

Listening carefully to the way Timbo talks about Shawn in intro below. I'm not sure he deserves the 2pac comparisons, but I agree, there is something special about the way he delivers stories on the mic. I would have endorsed Shawn Chrys by himself, but now that he's with Timbo, he's got a one way ticket to industry success coming up here in a few months. Well deserved in my opinion, dude has been on his solo independent grind for a while now...#PersistencePay$

Shawn Chrystopher - Biscayne (prod by Timbaland)

Missy and Timbo Are Back With a Vengeance

Just when you thought @MissyElliott was on permanent hiatus from Hip Hop, here she comes with two @timbaland produced heat rocks. Earlier this week she let loose two singles in one day via her website titled Triple Threat and 9th Inning. Feel free to preview them below...


There were rumors last year that she was going to be putting together a new album set to be titled Block Party, but that title has been squashed for the time being. Cool thing is she already has twelve...count that 12 Timbaland produced tracks that are confirmed to be on the new album. Anybody else think that's just a little bit exciting?

If you were to force me to pick a favorite from the tracks above, I'd go with Triple Threat. From the beat, hook to background vocals by Timbo, it fits the bill for a Missy Timbo collabo. Much more to come from these two, including *hopefully* some new material on Drake's new Aaliyah album if everyone finally gets in the same damn page. Just don't tell DMX...

Videos of the Week July 13th

Interesting week for videos in that the two most interesting videos came in the form of interviews rather than videos. The most interesting by far borders around the potential ramifications of the $10 million lawsuit filed by @LordFinesseDITC vs @MacMiller. The dispute it over Mac's Kool Aid & Frozen Pizza track that sampled Finesse'sHip 2 Da Game from 1995.

This past week, they have traded social networking shots first claiming that they hadn't talked and then talking, but now the situation has deteriorated on twitter. The track was never on a studio album, but on Mac's 2010 K.I.D.S. mixtape. While neither song really made huge waves, in the court of law it's all about setting standards and in Hip Hop the sampling/copyright standard on beats has been non-existent. Think about how many rappers have freestyled over beats that weren't theirs on mixtapes. Can you imagine a world without free sampling in Hip Hop? That world is not somewhere I want to live...#FreeSampling

Timbaland feat Ne-Yo - Hands in the Air (Video)

Werner von Wallenrod Breaks Down Mac Miller vs DJ Finesse $10 million lawsuit

DMX feat MGK - I Don't Dance (Video)

B.O.B. Freestyles in The Backroom (Video)

Narduwar Interviews DJ Premier

Timbaland & Ne-Yo Want Your Hands in the Air

Prior to listening to the track below, I already knew I was going to end up writing about it. That's mostly because @Timbaland and @NeYoCompound are generally must listen artists for me, but even better, Hands in the Air is going to appear on the soundtrack for the newest Step Up movie soundtrack. Some know is as Step Up 4 or Step Up Revolution, but once you've seen one, you've seen them all. Trailer below for the curious folks...

Upbeat Hip Hop, lots of dancing, plenty of sexual tension and some type of love story to top it off. The in your face, loud, audacious beat provided by Timbo sets the tone well for the movie as a whole. It helps when your brand name sells regardless of quality, but for the two professional artists below that's never a problem.

Coming to a club near you soon enough, keep them hands up y'all...#StepItUp

Timbaland feat Ne-Yo - Hands in the Air
|iTunes