He's best known as a hit maker but Timbaland is on his way to New Zealand for his very own show. Here's Scott Kara's beginners guide to the man known as the Mozart of R&B
KEY POINTS:
DA MAN
Timbaland is a stylish and stocky - some might say dumpy - chap and when he's on stage he can yell at you to raise your hands in the air just as skillfully as any rapper worth his weight in bling. The difference between the 37-year-old producer, musician and rapper and other mere mortals of music is that he's a prolific hitmaking machine. A one-man musical force, if you like, who's worked not only with pop stars like Madonna and Justin Timberlake, and some of hip-hop's biggest names including Jay-Z, Nas and Snoop Dogg, but more unusual talents like Bjork and M.I.A..
TIMOTHY BECOMES TIMBALAND
Back in the early 90s, then little-known Missy Elliot picked up on the talents of Timothy Z. Mosley (soon to be known as Timbaland after Timberland construction boots) - and over the years he has produced much of her work, including her best album Miss E ... So Addictive (2001) and arguably her best song, Get Ur Freak On. However, his first big production hit came in 1996 with the album Ginuwine ... The Bachelor by smooth and silky singer Ginuwine, a shining light of R&B and soul during the 90s.
Then, along with Elliot, he wrote and produced most of the late R&B queen Aaliyah's second album, One In A Million. Before the decade was out he also collaborated with Jay-Z, most notably on the classic track Big Pimpin'.
PRODUCTION STYLE
Catchy, clever and crazy pretty much sums it up. Think shuddering, depth-charged bass beats and unrelenting synth bursts (listen and shake your arse to JT's Sexy Back for one of the best examples).
The remarkable thing about Timbaland's productions is how unique and innovative, yet commercially appealing they are - it's scary to think how many records this chap has sold. In fact, there's a line in the Weezer song Pork and Beans that sums Timbaland up. It goes: "Timbaland knows how to get to the top of the charts. Maybe if I work with him I'll perfect the art."
GOING SOLO
He has released two solo albums, the latest of which, Timbaland presents Shock Value, has sold more than 30,000 copies in New Zealand, and he's touring Downunder in support of it, although those sales are not exactly Justin Timberlake proportions, whose FutureSex/LoveSounds has sold in excess of 50,000 copies
With everyone from 50 Cent and Timberlake to rockers Fall Out Boy and the Hives, to Elton John on the album it makes you wonder how he'll pull the live show off. Let's hope it's not another urban/hip-hop show where the crowd are bludgeoned with tiresome heys and hos and not much else. One suspects Timbaland is smarter than that.
Now all he needs to do is turn up, unlike the spate of other hip-hop artists who have either postponed or cancelled in the past couple of years.
Timbaland plays the Vector Arena on July 18.
