Monday, June 30, 2008

Timbaland heads to Australia and New Zealand

Here are the dates for Timbaland, Freestyle Steve, and Shock Value guests on their tour of the Australia & New Zealand:

Sat 12/07/08
08:00 PM Challenge Stadium
Mt Claremont, WA Timbaland

Mon 14/07/08
06:30 PM Riverstage Brisbane
Brisbane, QLD Timbaland, featuring Int'l Triple Platinum Shock Value Guest Artists

Fri 18/07/08
07:30 PM Vector Arena
Auckland, NZ Timbaland

Wed 16/07/08
07:30 PM Rod Laver Arena
Melbourne, VIC Timbaland & Keri Hilson

Sat 19/07/08
08:00 PM Sydney Entertainment Centre
DARLING HARBOUR, NSW Timbaland

Tickets on sale now at all Ticketmaster locations. Who's going?

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Chris Cornell "Part Of Me" 2nd snippet

Here is a different snippet of Chris Cornell's "Part Of Me" which we first heard in the "VCast commericial" a few weeks ago. I take it the song is supposed to be Timbaland's June song for the Verizon ringtone album:



I hope the full version of this track drops soon. It's been a little too quiet from the Timbaland camp as of late.

Ever wondered who directed the commercial? None other than Spike Lee.

Friday, June 27, 2008

Video: T.I. "No Matter What"



Sick beat by Danja!

Thursday, June 26, 2008

DJ Khaled taps Danja for next We Global

One of the biggest artists in 2007, DJ Khaled, is prepping his next album We Global with production duties handled by DJ Nasty, The Incredibles, Cool and Dre, Beat Novacaine and Danja. His current single "Out Here Grindin'" featuring Akon, Lil' Boosie, Rick Ross, Plies, Young Jeezy, Tricky Daddy, Ace Hood, and the rest of the free world is out now with a video in the works as well.

We the best, globally too!

Izza Kizza talks Timbaland

If there was a contest for the most press these days who would win, Izza, Keri, or Missy? Here's a great interview with Kizza talking about this new songs, working with Soul Diggaz and Timbo, and the future. Check it out:

Nobodysmiling.com : Speaking of production, you’re signed with Timbaland’s Mosely Music. How much impact will he have on your album as opposed to Soul Diggaz?

Izza Kizza : Timbaland is one of the greatest producers on the planet.

Nobodysmiling.com : Definitely.

Izza Kizza : So, I think that the combination of the three is really gonna be unstoppable. We looking forward to it being unstoppable. I got a lot of great ideas for Tim. When I sat down with em, he was telling me, ‘hey man, I got the formula; I know how to make hit records.’ And I was like, ‘oh my God! Teach me dude!’ I feel like, once we get in the studio we gonna just take what we have higher-take it to a higher level. I think it’s gonna have a great impact on the movement with Soul Diggaz as well.

Nobodysmiling.com : How soon do you expect to really get down to business with Timbaland?

Izza Kizza : Well…I’m not gonna really…Timbaland’s a busy man. We try to get the machine going because these days the industry is about movements; nobody’s signing a artist; nobody’s signing a pretty boy anymore; nobody’s signing a cute girl; if she don’t know how to dance or sing, they ain’t signing her.

Nobodysmiling.com : Real rap.

Izza Kizza : They don’t have time to develop artists. We’re coming up with the full-we’re gonna try to put everything that we got into it, and all our ideas, and just try to portray Kizza as what we see. And then, Tim being the spectacular producer that he is, I know he gon just come in and topple it-just take everything over the top. I listened to em ever since I was a young boy-the Missy and Timbaland movement; I loved Missy; I loved Timbaland. And just being in the midst of those two people, it inspires me a lot. I want to be able to take music to Tim and for Tim to be like, ‘oh snap! You know what we could do?’ He puts his Timbo touch on it and it makes a hit record.

Nobodysmiling.com : Definitely. On the business side, Timbaland had the Beat Club label a few years ago and that didn’t exactly pan out in the long run for a few of the artists. So what made signing with Mosely Music so attractive for you?

Izza Kizza : I don’t really know about what he went through with the whole Beat Club situation. For me, it’s a honor. You understand? It’s like, you have a great artist that you follow, that you love-like me with Outkast; Outkast is my favorite group on the planet. I don’t care if they record come out and sell two copies, I’ma go buy it. So true fans, win or lose, they with you all the way and that’s what I believe in. I’ll stick with Tim…me being able to sign with the guy is beyond any of my dreams. It was crazy! When I was younger I would of never thought, ‘yea, I’ma be signed to Timbaland;’ it was real far fetched. But I love his music anyway. I wasn’t into the business aspect and all of it, I just was a listener. So now that I hear a lot about the business, I don’t really care about the business.

I was listening to how he said ‘Shock Value’ was supposed to be bringing the hit back to music-bringing the swag back to the industry; making music-making different music again and actually having something to say and expressing yourself in many different ways. I think, as far as Beat Club goes, stuff happens. I’m sure a lot of the artists he had were great artists, but sometimes shit don’t go exactly where you want it. But for me, signing with Timbaland is like, ‘woooow!’ If I don’t make a hit record, I can always say ‘I was signed to Timbaland. It’s about now and getting the great music out there now-making the best records that we can now.


Full Article

Thanks to Big A on the find.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Keri Hilson comments on Timbaland's weddding

Another track for Keri's In A Perfect World

Rap Up got a preview of Keri Hilson track called "Turn Off" featuring Lil' Wayne and produced by Polow. Add that to our list of known tracks.

Keri and Wayne, what you think?

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Keri Hilson announces a release date



If you've been tuning into the BET Awards tonight, you'll notice that Keri Hilson has been the hostess of the after party. Along with chatting with the numerous guests and a song-on-the-spot freestyle, Keri announced that her new album In A Perfect World will drop September 23rd!

Let the anticipation begin....

Monday, June 23, 2008

Omarion signs to Mosley Music Group?

The "news" first broke last week: Omarion signs to MMG. Timbaland to executive produce his 3rd album. Guest features from Justin Timberlake and Keri Hilson. Along with a quote from Omarion saying how happy he is to be part of the Mosley Music Group family. Sounds too good to be true.

Yet there's no source. Where did this info come from? I just keep reading "it's been confirmed" or "we confirmed today", confirmed by who? When there's a quote by an actual artist, you'd think there would be a source, yet I still haven't seen one anywhere. I'm sure the news is legit, yet without a source we can't 100% confirm it. For now we'll leave it at a maybe.

No Timbaland on G-Unit or Kung Fu Panda



In case you didn't know, and I think most of you do, Timbaland did not make the final cut for G-Unit's Terminate On Sight album. Rather the album features production by Polow, Swizz Beats, Rick Rock, Don Cannon and others. Could the tracklisting and accompanying production liners that are out now be fake and Timbaland really did make the final album? Well Aftermath still lists Timbaland as a producer, but I highly doubt he'll be on it.

Also despite what was reported in GQ Magazine, Timbaland was not part of the Kung Fu Panda Soundtrack. Instead legendary film composer Hans Zimmer and John Powell proovided the soundtrack. On a side note theShrek The Third soundtrack also did not include Timbo despite reports.

Let's hope the unreleased G Unit track resurfaces on 50 Cent's next album.

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Timbaland gets married

Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley and girlfriend and publicist Monique Idlett were married today on the beautiful island of Aruba joined by family, friends, and musical colleagues. The two were serenaded by music written and performed specifically for the special event. On behalf of The Thomas Crown Chronicles we wish Timbo and Monique a very long life of success and happiness together.

Congratulations to you both!

Video: Lil Mama "What It Is (Strike A Pose)"

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Izza Kizza says "Hello" from his new mixtape Kizza Land



Izza Kizza has slowly been brewing his cauldron of creativity and on July 24th with the release of his mixtape, Kizza Land, we will get a sample of his brew. What can he expect from his first mixtape concoction? Production by Koolade, Soul Diggaz, and merlin himeself, Timbaland. As a prequel of what's to come, Kizza introduces himself with a simple:

"Hello"


Track is crazy! Twins Christian Rich did their thing. Can't wait to see hear what Timbo and Kizza come up with.

Friday, June 20, 2008

Czar's Sample of the Week: The Unreleased Tracks Pt ?

What's up fellow Timstans?!?!?! Today's Friday, and for followers of The Chronicles, Friday used to be the day for Czar's Sample of the Week. I've been laying low for a minute, but I decided to resurface, thanks to Boogie, after seeing the comments and e-mails that people sent about bringing back Czar's Sample of the Week. I want to thank everyone for all their messages and for supporting the entire Czar's Timbo Sample Mix series! But enough talking, let's get straight to the samples!

Now, if people remember when I released Czar's Timbo Sample Mix Volume 8, I said that there were a few tracks that didn't end up making the final cut. This happens for a number of reasons, and I usually end up putting the tracks that didn't make the cut off one volume on the subsequent one, but since Volume 8 was my last volume, they remained unreleased tracks...until now.

I've decided to showcase two samples (from many) that didn't make the final cut on Volume 8. The first sample comes from Playa's "Your Dress." Now, some of the Timstans might wonder how there's a sample to "Your Dress" when it's an a capella track. Well, take a listen to "Never Be True" by the Queen of Memphis Soul, Carla Thomas. Not only do the tracks have a similar sonic feel (Playa's vocals and the piano in Thomas' track), but the guitar in 0:28 of Thomas' song was sampled in the chorus of "Your Dress."

The second sample comes from Torrey Carter's song "O.K." featuring Petey Pablo and Trick Daddy. Well, we all know how much Tim loves Fela Kuti, and here again we find yet another Fela song that Tim has sampled. Ever wonder where the intro "you not gon die..." to "O.K." comes from? Well, it samples Fela's song "You no go die...unless" off his 1976 album "Na Poi."

So that's it for Czar's Sample of the Week. Now I can't promise that I will make this a weekly thing like before, but you never know when you might see another installment of Czar's Sample of the Week...or maybe even Volume 9... =)

Peace,
Czar

How was Madonna's "4 Minutes" created? Demo tells you how

Calling all producers, beat makers, engineers, and good old fashion music maker connoisseurs! Demo, Timbaland's long time engineer and former assistant to the legend that is Jimmy D, tells you how he, Tim, and Danja created Madonna's "4 Minutes" in this great article from Sound On Sound Magazine. Check it out:

Page 1

Page 2

Page 3

Page 4

Page 5

BIG shout out to Guilty J for the scans.

Freestyle Steve in Time Out Magazine



The media coverage of Mosley Music Group crew continues and this time it's Freestyle Steve, Timbaland's longtime DJ, who was featured in Hong Kong's own Time Out Magazine. Take a look:

Miami’s Freestyle Steve has quite the resume, having spun at Shaquille O’Neal’s celebrity party, the MTV Video Music Awards, and even at one of Hillary Clinton’s presidential fundraisers. As personal DJ to beats superstar Timbaland – the current ‘it’ producer for any pop-star in search of an insta-hit – Freestyle’s growing popularity has landed him gigs touring alongside Justin Timberlake, and work with artists such as 50 Cent, Madonna, and, er, Shayne Ward.

As a kid, Steve Johnson had his heart set on a football career, but at one high school game he sat next to the school band and the music took him over. Practicing every day, mixing CDs, he went from holding the booths for resident DJs while they took bathroom breaks, to spinning for major NFL and NBA bashes.

Freestyle keeps his sounds fresh by mixing mainstream tracks with classics, giving hip-hop a twist of disco funk accompanied by old school lyrics. Aside from the hype that rubs off from the high-profile company he keeps (halfway during the interview, for instance, he puts this reporter on hold to catch up with Chad Johnson, star wide-receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals NFL team), Freestyle has always been an independent individual, sticking to what he likes no matter the scrutiny.

“I used to do these all black parties, and one time the DJ was looking through my CDs while I was setting up and he pulled out the ‘N Sync album,” says Freestyle. (And this was before Justin went solo.) The DJ wasn’t impressed. “He was like, ‘What the hell is this?’” Freestyle says with laugh. “I gotta play a little bit off everything!”

Fast-forward to the present and now Timbaland – the man who washed the ‘N Sync outta Justin – won’t do a show without Freestyle by his side. The boys – Freestyle, Timbaland, JT and Fiddy – spend so much time together they know each other like brothers.

In a dance-off, Freestyle reckons he’s still got a ways to go before catching up to JT but he would skool both Timbaland and Fiddy. “Timbaland doesn’t dance, he two steps,” he says with a chuckle. “Now, you put Timbaland and Fiddy in a dance-off and that’s a toss-up.” He can picture it – Fiddy would be holding a wad of thousand-dollar bills in one hand and 20 car-keys in the other, while Timbaland, a man of understatement, would have a single million-dollar bill (yeah, we don’t think that exists) in one hand, and one car key that matches all of Fiddy’s in the other.

And what would Freestyle be holding? He’d have one hand in the air with the other on his headphones while he shows off his moves in and, if you’re lucky, out of the DJ booth.


Freestyle will be in Hong Kong June 26th and Shanghai June 28th followed by a tour with Timbaland to Australia! That's right for all you Chronicles readers in Australia get ready for Freetsyle and Timbo to be visiting your local club real soon. Dates will be coming soon so be on the lookout.

Cassie shoots video for "Official Girl" with guest Lil' Wayne





Cassie has been in Los Angeles the last couple days shooting the video for her Danja produced, Clutch written single "Official Girl." "I've never seen myself dance like this before. It's a series of things. You kind of catch me in a crazy-girl stage. It's about the fly chick, she's going into the hotel, feeling out her situation, talking to the guy who she thinks is there, but it's really not. You have to see it. It's hard to explain."

To add some icing on the cake, Lil' Wayne stopped by to add a verse or two in the video so it looks as though we will hav ea video version of the track. Legendary music video director Chris Robinson will be behind the camera for the vid so you know it should be hot!

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Check out Missy Elliott in Venus Zine



Keri Hilson isn't the only one promoting a new project, Missy Elliott has her own album to promote. She's graced the cover of Venus Zine and give a little sneak peek into her idols, the making of Keyshia Cole's "Let It Go", and her current relationship with Timbo:

What do you look for in people whom you collaborate with?

If you want to be creative, original, or different, then do that. People want to hear something fresh, something new, and you can't be scared. You have to take that risk. I'd rather do it than somebody else do it and then I kick myself in the ass for not doing it. Sometimes I go on YouTube and just look to see if there's anything up there.

Hopefully I'll get to work with Amy [Winehouse). I had a chance to meet Amy when she wasn't even out in the States. I don't even think she had a deal yet. She performed overseas, and I was like, "Who is this girl?" And me and Tim[baland) went up to her and told her, "Yo, you hot." Immediately when I saw her, I was like, "She gon'blow." It was something different. Something refreshing. So it didn't surprise me that she's as big as she is.

She wasn't giving you flash or a sequins gown or nothing. She was just giving you raw and uncut - "Yo, take me as I am. I just came from the crib. Somebody just called me up to come sing." And her content, even though it was far out, there was so many people that could relate to what she was singing because it was just raw - it was coming from a real place and her vocals were out of control. It was a rock feel, but she had a southern twang to it. She stood out. And it wasn't because she had on some name brand ho outfit that had a bunch of gleaming diamonds on it. It was just her. That was the thing that made me and Tim be like, "She's dope, and she can sing, and she's giving you raw, uncut lyrics."

How did your collaboration with Keyshia Cole for "Let It Go" come about?

I had given that record actually to Fantasia. But the label had too many songs, so they didn't take it. I had the beat, and when I was in the studio with Keyshia, I went to play that one, but then I said, "I don't know, the label might take it." But as soon as Keyshia heard it, she was like, "That's mine." I'm coming in to record it tomorrow, and I'm going to write the song right now." So I called Fantasia's label and told them I'm going to give the record to Keyshia, and then I told Keyshia, "Let's put Kim on it," because we hadn't had a record since "Ladies Night" with all females on the track.

Has there been pressure from other people for you to lose weight?

There's never been pressure from my fans or even my label to ever lose weight. So I never felt like because someone said I needed to lose weight, or because this is the "Look" right now, that I need to lose weight. The reason I lost weight is because I have high blood pressure. I take two blood pressure pills a day. And my doctor told me, "If you want to be around, you're going to have to lose weight." So that was my focus.

But once you lose it, you also feel good. You not tired. I can walk up the steps and not feel like I'm gonna fall down 30 steps. And you do feel good when you can fit into those jeans you haven't worn since junior high school. Sometimes we make excuses and say we're fine with our weight, but that's because we don't want to get out there, go to the gym, and work it off. But if people could come down pounds, they would.
If there's any time that my weight was an issue, it may have been high school- dealing with those type of kids - but I still could move, I still could dance, I still wore the clothes I liked to wear, so by the time I became an artist I had become comfortable. I had been joked by my cousins all my Life, so I was prepared. Friends and family used to joke, and sometimes it would be a fat joke, and I'd be like, "OK, cool."

How do you and Timbaland work so well together?

I just talked to Tim the day before yesterday. We've known each other 17 years, so we handle each other like family. We get on each other's nerves, and we love each other to death. In the studio, there are times when he might feel strongly about a record, and he’ll be like, "Are you crazy? This joint gon' be the record." And then I may be like, "This gon' be the record," and he may be like, "It's all right, but I like this one better." So we love to go back and forth, but we still respect each other's opinion, because I think he's a great talent, and I know he feels the same about me. I believe if he's feeling a track, he's got a great ear for it. And I think he looks at me like, "She's not just listening to the record. She's thinking about her video, too, so I'ma ride with her on this one."

Check out Keri Hilson is YRB

The promotion train is rolling full steam ahead with Keri getting yet another feature, this time in this month's YRB magazine:

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Timbaland to executive produce supergroup T Wayne?

Lil' Wayne spoke to MTV about the pairing of himself and T Pain to create a best of both worlds type album. "We both have the same energy," he said. "I don't sleep. If you ask anybody, I don't sleep. I think it's the cousin of death. As much as you sleep, you're impersonating death to me. He don't sleep. I play all day. He plays all day and all night. The connection is crazy. He loves to be creative, he loves to work; I love to create, I love to work. He really wants people to respect his rapping; I really want people to respect my harmonizing."

T Pain also confirmed the news and even gave details on the possible name of the duo (T Wayne), the name of the album ("He Rap He Sing"), and that Timbaland may be executive producing it. "This summer I’m touring with Keyshia Cole, Danity Kane and Lil Wayne I’m looking forward to that, that should be sweet! I’m also doing a best of both worlds sort of album with Lil Wayne which we’re starting in October, we’ve done a few bits already though. Timbaland is gonna be getting involved with that, I think he’s gonna be executive producing it. It’s gonna be called ‘He Rap He Sing’ cos we both rap and sing. The name of the group is T-Wayne which is self explanatory (laughs). I’ve got loads more features coming up as well, but I’m shutting that down soon."

Lil Wayne and T Pain together on one album with Timbaland executive producing it? If everyone's numbers hold true, it'd go platinum in a day ha! What you all think about the collabo?

Oh and let me give you a little extra something on both Wayne and T Pain. Ever wonder why the Timbaland/Wayne track got cut from his latest album? It's because it never happened. They never got into the studio together. As for T Pain and Timbaland....check part II of a certain album.

Update on Danja

Here is a bulletin Danja left last night via his myspace page:

what up folks!! its been a while since i chimed in but im still here!!!

im sittin here in the studio right now listening to the ''incredible lago'' mix the hell outta my artist (kc...kevin cossum) the record is huge i want yall to hear it so bad!!....i could'nt be more proud of how it sounds and how this entire project is coming out!!! for those who dont know kc has been buzzin in the industry for a lil minute now...u singing his hooks right now and dont even know it!! ace hood's cash flow....rick ross's speeding....jeezys go getta! to name a few....but his album is gonna be one of the most incredible bodies of work to be released in the near future....right now were mixing it i never been more excited about some music ever!! also....street power 2 is done!!! youll have it soon!!!! wyld been in beast mode!!! he has some records killin the A right now...we starting the west coast street power as well!! i had to switch my style for that one....yes!!! i can switch! lol!! anyway we still comin!! other than that....can yall keep secrets? lol!

i got some heat for britney spears...shhhhhhh!! i been grinding!!! brandy....tip...pink....ciara! got the new missy single ''bes bes'' tip ''no matter what'' cassie '' official girl'' and more to come.....hope u all seen the billboard cover! a definate proud moment for me!! but if u know me @ all u would that doesnt mean anything cuz i feel like i havent done a thing yet!!! im startin a mixtape series call the fortune 500!!! im about to go in hard and crush the streets with 500 original beats from..through remixes new joints what eva..!! anyway i appreciate allllll the support and looove from everybody!! u gotta realize im just like yall and all this music biz stuffnis still new to me!! but im learning,,,im grinding....staying focused and humble!! imma try and keep yall posted a lil more oh and yea my myspace will be updated with new pics! and music lol!!!! oh yea look out for the viva la lago t-shirts!! they crazy!!!!! lol!


500 original beats!? Damn!

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Timbaland, One Republic, Justin Timberlake, Madonna all nominees for Teen Choice Awards

Timbaland's production and Mosley Music Group's One Republic are nominated for multiple Teen Choice Awards. Here are the nominations:

Breakout Group:
Day 26
Girlicious
Jonas Brothers
OneRepublic
Paramore

Choice Music: Single
Chris Brown, "With You"
Jonas Brothers, "When You Look Me in the Eyes"
Madonna featuring Justin Timberlake, "4 Minutes"
Miley Cyrus, "See You Again"
Rihanna, "Don't Stop the Music"

Choice Hook-Up
Flo Rida Featuring T-Pain, "Low"
Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown, "No Air"
Lil Mama featuring Chris Brown & T-Pain, "Shawty Get Loose"
Madonna featuring Justin Timberlake, "4 Minutes"
Nelly featuring Fergie, "Party People"

Look for this year's award presentation on FOX at 8PM ET on Monday, August 4, 2008. Congrats to the crew!

Correction on Cheri Dennis "Act Like You Know"

I'm not sure who complies the writing credits over at Bad Boy but they really need to get their information accurate before they create the liner notes for Bad Boy's artists. First it was Danity Kane and now it's Cheri Dennis. Despite what the liner notes read, the Timbaland produced track "Act Like You Know" is actually written by Walter Milsap and Candice Nelson. Check the "ohh"s that's all Candice.

Put on your headphones and really listen to that voice sample throughout the track. There's a tail end to it making it sound almost like some sort of African chant. I've been on the lookout for the sample since I first heard it. I love the track, Tim brought back the old sound with it. The reason? It was recorded over 3 years ago and was originally meant for Jennifer Lopez who passed on it.

Just in case you didn't know, despite only 1 J.Lo/Timbaland track ever released ("He'll Be Back" yes with Danja's assistance), Timbo (and Walter and Candice) actually made 3 other tracks for her that were never released:

I Can Get Him Back
In My Life
Make It Pop

Will we ever hear those unreleased tracks? I highly doubt it but you never know if they may pop up in a reformatted form for a different artist.

Monday, June 16, 2008

Danja working with Britney Spears....again

We can confirm that Britney Spears is working with Danja again for her next album. No word on release date, tracks, or album name yet but when we get that info we'll let you know. Hopefully the tracks will be just as good as Danja's Backout tracks and Ms. Spears will be in a uhhh better state of mind for her next album.

Keri Hilson's "Slow Dance" produced by....

Speaking of Keri Hilson, remember Keri's performance of "Slow Dance":



There was talk that it was Timbaland, then Polow, then back to Timbaland. Well the track is actually produced by....wait for it....Royal Court. Yes the duo shows their diversity with a slow banger from Keri. Look for it off her up and coming album.

Also "Where Did He Go" was produced by Timbaland AND Danja.

Keri Hilson in the new Vibe Magazine



Check the article on Sean Garrett, Ryan Leslie, and Keri Hilson about going from songwriters to solo artists. Curiously Rodney Jerkins is listed as a producer on her album. Interesting indeed.

You remember Nox from his feature on Scott Storch's Timbaland "diss" track from way back? Well here's a video of him speaking on the current situation:



Glad that whole thing is over.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Danjastrumental of the Week

I don't even have to say anything, you already know what it is:

Missy Elliott "Best Best"

Missy Elliott "Best Best" (alternate link)

CRAZY beat by Danja! Those synths that come in at 1:37 are sick.

Friday, June 13, 2008

Sample of the week

It's been a long time since we've done a Sample of the Week but this week's has to be one of the fastest sample finds for a not so obvious sample ever clocked in at less than 12 hours. The song we're talking about is Sebastian's "Take It Off" the original version which was just posted yesterday. The sample comes from Greece by famed Greek singer Rita Sakellariou (Ī”ĪÆĻ„Ī± Ī£Ī±ĪŗĪµĪ»Ī»Ī±ĻĪÆĪæĻ…) who recorded over 30 albums in her lifetime. The sampled track is called:

"Ī‘Ļ…Ļ„ĻŒĻ‚ Īæ Ī¬Ī½ĪøĻĻ‰Ļ€ĪæĻ‚" ("This Man")

The track has been covered many times but Timbaland sampled the original. How Timbo came across this song is beyond me but it only shows how diverse his musical tastes really are.

BIG props to my man Zita on the sample. He listed it in the comment section but it was such a great find I had to write a separate post about it. Thanks! So along with giving his your shouts out to Zita, who wants see this Sample of the Week series come back? I know I do. Leave your comments for Czar and let's get him back posting some sample goodies.

Missy Elliott "Best Best" produced by Danja



FINALLY! From her new album Block Party hitting shelves on September 9th, here is Missy Elliott's new single produced by Danja:

"Best Best"


Thoughts?

No Timbaland in the Seeing Sounds credits

Looking through the liner notes Tim is not credited for his DJ addition on N.E.R.D's "Everyone Nose" but he defintiely did do the scratch work. Seems like a favor for a good friend which I hope we see more of in the future with Timmy and The Neptunes.

Check out Seeing Sounds by the way, great album.

Timbaland records in Lenny Kravtiz new studio

Looking to make beats at your favorite hotel? Want to get into the booth while waiting for room service? The newly created Setai hotel in Miami offers just that with their own first class recording studio. The Setai Recording Studio (website coming soon) is located in a two-floor 2,500 sq.ft. penthouse suite in hotel, complete with ocean views and private outdoor patio. It has a Solid State Logic C-200 Digital Console and ATC monitors. There are two "live" rooms, a vocal booth, control room, lounge and conference rooms. The studio also has 5.1 high-definition audio and can be used for both film and video shoots as well as having its own director and chief engineer.

The studio exemplifies the serene Asian tone that defines The Setai with cast bronze, textured slate, and rich teak woods. Kravitz Design combines these elements with high concept vintage furniture, plush wool shag carpeting and custom hand-screened wallpaper to create an unexpected environment that is elegant, warm and luxurious.

Who created such a studio, one of the first of it's kind inside a hotel? None other than Lenny Kravitz. And who has already recorded in the studio long before it's grand opening? None other than Timbaland.

Looks like I need a trip to Miami.




The studio will have its own director and chief engineer, Matt Knobel. And unbeknownst to us, Timbaland, Chris Cornell, Mary J Blige, Jay Z and Cat Power have already spent time recording there.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

New (Old) Sebastian and Timbaland

Sebastian has been too good to us stans and he delivers yet again! Check out his myspace and listen to:

"Park N Lot" F/ Petey Pablo & Timbaland
"Take It Off" The original version. The one we all had is a remix (which is also on his page)

The tracks are from Sebastian's unreleased solo album Cruel Intentions from back in the day on Beat Club. Old or new, how about those beats? We miss you Timbo! Great to hear some classic Petey Pablo and Sebastian too.

Sebastian's hard working on a new album so stay tuned for new music. Thanks G for the hook up!

Bjork and Utada Hikaru talk Timbaland





Bjork definitely makes a great point, has Timbaland become a genre?

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Bishop Lamont "Donkey Kong Savage" produced by Danja



We told you about "Donkey Kong Savage" when it appeared on DJ Whoo Kid's DJ mixtape Pow Radio Vol.10. Thought to be a Dr. Dre beat, the track is actaully produced by Danja and can be heard in full off of Bishop Lamont's latest mixtape The Confessional out today. You can download the entire mixtape and get all the production credits on Aftermath Music. For all you Danja fans here is:

"Donkey Kong Savage"


And if you haven't seen this video I highly suggest you do. Props to Big A.

Missy on Timbaland

"There's a chemistry between us that will never leave. Like Janet [Jackson] and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Like Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones -- that kind of chemistry. Not to say it can't work if you get with someone else. But, just because a producer's hot, it doesn't mean it'll automatically work.

People always ask if we're still working together, and the answer is we will always work together. He's always going to be involved, even if it is just on one record. That's my brother. I respect and honor what he says."

Source: Billboard

I'll definitely take some Missy and Tim rather than none yet I have to wonder if we'll ever hear an entire Missy and Timbo album again....

Affiliate Tidbits

Last year it was reported that Jim Beanz had gone in to the studio with Ashanti among others. Fast forward to last week with the release of The Declaration and the iTunes bonus track "Why" written by Ashanti and produced by Beanz. By far the best track on the album, it's proof that Beanz is no Jimbaland rather he has just as much diversity behind the boards as he does behind the mic. Check it out:



When he's not busy touring with One Republic or writing and producing for US superstars, Ryan Teddder is continuing to spread his wings internationally. He has recently hooked up with the German trio Monrose writing and producing their first single "Strike The Match" off their latest album. Next up for Tedder is Jennifer Hudson, Pussycat Dolls, and Chris Cornell.

Britney Spears' Clutch penned "Radar" is said to be the 4th single off her album hitting airways June 24th. A video is planned to be shot around the same time frame. In addition to Mariah Carey's and Usher's latest albums, The Clutch also wrote 2 tracks off Jesse McCartney's new record titled "Runnin'" and "It's Over." On deck for them are new projects by Teyana Taylor, Esmee Denters, and Keri Hilson. Also Check for "Rattla" off Ciara's new album and yet another Menudo track "Who U Run 2" written by the crew. Look for some interesting news from the camp coming soon.

Stay tuned for more!

Monday, June 9, 2008

Missy Elliott does promo album FANomenal before real album Block Party



Keeping up with Missy's new album has been a bit of a challenge. Dates have changed, first singles have switched, and just the title itself has been hard to identify. Well in this week's issue of Billboard magazine, Missy shed some light on the real deal with her new album. Here are the highlights:

YOU RECENTLY HELD A CONTEST WHERE YOUR FANS WERE ABLE TO SUBMIT TITLES FOR THE UPCOMING ALBUM. HAVE YOU CHOSEN ONE YET?

I actually chose two. I'm releasing a preview to the album in the summer titled "Fanomenal." When I saw all the people that entered the contest, I was overwhelmed. So I'm dedicating that one to my fans because they've rolled with me since day one. I'm still up in the air about the name for the actual album, but for now it's "Block Party." The reason for that is because there are a lot of dance joints on there. It's one of those albums you can play out in the streets.

LAST WE CHECKED, YOU WERE EIGHT SONGS IN ON THE ALBUM. HOW FAR ALONG ARE YOU WITH IT NOW?

It's pretty much done. I probably have one more song to do. I want to keep the album short and sweet. I don't want one of those albums where you have 20 tracks but only two joints rock.

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE SONGS ON THE ALBUM SO FAR?

"Best, Best." I love that one. It's not your typical R&B record. It's more like club R&B with a U.K. hip-hop sound to it. It's a feel-good record, but at the same time super sexy. It reminds me of when I did "Hot Boyz." It's got that same feeling. "Hip-Hop Don't Die" is another one of my favorites. I love it because I just went in on that record. I don't think I've ever made a record that deep. It was straight rapping, like old-school hip-hop. I'm usually more comical than that. Plus, it makes sense considering the state of hip-hop.

Full Article

Check back with us for more.

DJ Timmy T confirmed on N.E.R.D's "Everyone Nose"



Make sure to check out this month's Remix magazine and go behind the scenes of the creation of N.E.R.D's Seeing Sounds coming out tomorrow. In the article The 'Tunes confirm that Timbaland did contribute to their hit "Everyone Nose" and that inronically Missy Elliott was the inspiration behind the song:

Meanwhile, the raucous “Everybody Nose” began with Williams’ beat, which was inspired by a chance viewing of a rare video clip, shown to N.E.R.D by Missy Elliott.

“That starts with an acoustic bass patch off a Roland 5080,” Coleman [Andrew Coleman, N.E.R.D's engineer] explains from N.E.R.D’s home base (Hovercraft Studios) in Virginia Beach, Va. “The beat was all Pharrell; he programmed it on the Korg 01/W, and the drums came off the Triton Extreme. That was inspired by the Baltimore B-More sound. We were working with Missy Elliott, and she was talking about this dance she saw someone doing to B-More house music. She showed this video to Pharrell, and he lost his mind, the way these people were dancing and these crazy beats. Timbaland is scratching in there, too. The big Latin section is again, all Pharrell — all the same instruments; he just flipped the programming. The song is about girls doing cocaine in the bathroom. That is the breakdown in the middle, if you can imagine a girl who is totally coked out of her mind dancing and sweating. That is the Latin club explosion part, mostly programmed beats with some buckets.”


We'll have official liner notes tomorrow!

Saturday, June 7, 2008

Keri Hilson's EPK (Electronic Press Kit)



Make sure you check out Keri in the new issue of Entertainment Weekly and Scope Magazine. Also if you haven't by now check out Nas' first single "Hero" featuring none other than Keri Hilson!

Confirmed on the album so far:

-Energy (Produced by The Runaways)
- Where Did He Go (produced by Timbaland)
- Return The Favor (produced by Timbaland)
- Slow Dance (produced by Timbaland)
- How Does It Feel (produced by Timbaland)

The album is finally coming ya'll!! You ready?

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Did you know? Danja Mowf on "Dangerous Mouths"

As much as I enjoy hearing a new Timbaland song, there's nothing like hearing an alternate version of one of his tracks. I like the original ideas that got cut; the could haves and would haves. Take for example the 2 completly different versions of "We At It Again" or the alternate to "Get Contact" or my favorite, the version of "I" where Timbo raps twice. To add another one to the list, I stumbled on an 2001 interview with a Danja Mowf, a member of the Supafriendz who later christened his own crew with the same name. He had some interesting things to say about his time on Missy Elliott's Gold Mind (who knew?) and his original spot on Missy's "Dangerous Mouths":

Vigilante: A lot of people don't know you used to be on Missy Elliott's Gold Mine Label. What happened with that? Any blad blood between you and Miss Misdemeanor? Tell us about the "Dangerous Mouths" incident.

Danja Mowf: No bad blood. She signed me after the Aaliyah Remix joint, and I thought it would be cool because Skillz was with Tim. They never brought us into the camp. I wanted her to work with me, and I was left to do records and submit them to her. If I was able to do some real bangers, like I'm doing now, things may have been different. I doubt it, because she has a pattern of having artists who come out and fade away or never come out. Nicole Wray, Mocha, TC, this other little kid I heard about... and me.

Dangerous Mouths was just politics. Redman didn't want to be on this other record, so they asked him to do that record with us, but his management didn't want him to be on the record with her new artist. They said in order for him to do the record it had to be just him and her. She said she would put me on something else, but that never happened. I fault her for being star struck enough not to realize it was more important to promote her artist, and I fault me for not having a verse that would make Missy tell Red he was crazy if he thinks she is going to take my hot ass verse off that record!! It was wack that she kept the name, but that's life."


Source

The track has your own name and you still get cut, that's rough but don't count the MC out, he's still doing his thing and you can check new music from him via his myspace page.

Timbaland's drums inspire Coldplay's "Lost"

Remember how excited you got when you read this article last year? At the time, we had just heard the alternate of the Chris Martin/Nelly Furtado/Timo collabo "All Good Things" and we heard rumors about Tim doing Coldplay's album but finally we had some proof.

Fast forward to this year and when Coldplay's new album Viva La Vida is released on June 17th, it will be Timless. The Timbo influence is still there however, as Chris Martin confirmed recently. "One song we're always trying to chase is 'Cry Me A River' in terms of beats and everything. I know that is one of Will's [drummer Will Champion] favorite songs and he did all the drums on "Lost!"

Timbaland remix anyone?

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Danja in Billboard Part 2: The Interview

Here is the 2nd part of the full article from Danja's Billboard Magazine feature:

When aspiring young producer Nate "Danja" Hills began working alongside studio wizard Timbaland in 2004, it was the breakthrough he had been waiting for. Now emerging as a powerhouse hitmaker in his own right, Hills has produced tracks for an impressive array of stars, including Nelly Furtado, Justin Timberlake, Sean "Diddy" Combs, Snoop Dogg, Katharine McPhee, Duran Duran, Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez and most recently Madonna.And he's just begun. Billboard recently spoke with the 27-year-old native of Virginia Beach, Va.

Billboard: Let's start with your thoughts on the music business today.

Danja: It has switched to songs, songs, songs -- hit records, and not albums and artists. I don't think people care about artists or artistry too much in this day. Let's take "Low" [from Flo Rida and T-Pain], for instance. People just want to download on iTunes or the ringtone and that's it. They don't really care about who the artist is. It's just a hooky song. So a producer like me who came into the game with Tim [Timbaland], we will suffer because nobody listens to the album and we're just trying to draw attention back to the artist again. But it's so easy to get one record.

Even though I use iTunes, it's a horrible idea: You can click on an album and listen to every song and just buy the one you like instead of the whole album. So no one is telling their story anymore on an album; they're just trying to do that hot single. It's so important right now to look at the [Billboard] Hot 100 [that] the No. 1 album doesn't even matter because record sales are so low.

Billboard: How does this affect you?

Danja: My style of approaching the business is, "Let me do the album. I will give you a hot single, but I want to do the album." You can't make any money without album sales, so in order for me to make money I need to do six or seven songs, and hopefully it will go platinum so there are some kind of residuals.

Billboard: Is there any way to change the situation?

Danja: It's hard to pinpoint the problem. Maybe the artist and producer just need to step up and make hotter albums. But the reason why Justin's album worked, Nelly's album worked, Tim's, is that the same core of people worked on them -- me, Tim, Nelly; me, Tim, Justin; Timbaland and whatever artist he wanted to feature on his album and me.

Most successful albums have one producer or one set of producers. Take it back to [Dr.] Dre and Snoop Dogg, DMX, even from hip-hop to rock to pop: One producer producing an album sounds like a body of work, but [the music business is] not selling a body of work [now]. We're selling songs.

Billboard: What can the business do?

Danja: The thing we have no control over is technology and the Internet. It makes it accessible for a 6-year-old -- if they want to -- to download every song they want and not pay. But that's out of our control. There needs to be some sort of law to control who has the music, when it leaves the studio. I don't even leave the studio with my music [on a CD] anymore. If you want to hear it, hear it in the studio.

You have to limit the amount of hands that touch the music, and that needs to be enforced by the record companies. There should be fines to control the leaks. I hear some say it's a good thing [when] a record leaks, to show how many people want it. But what sense does that make? If they got their hands on it, they're not going to by it.

Billboard: How would you characterize your experiences in dealing with the artists, labels, managers, attorneys and other music business personnel?

Danja: Everything's been pretty smooth. I've been totally blessed with the way my business has been arranged, so I have no complaints with anything.

Billboard: What are your thoughts on contemporary pop music and the related opportunities and perils?

Danja: Any record can turn pop -- become popular. When it crosses over, all sorts of opportunities can come from a hit record -- movies, TV shows. And that's a good thing and necessary because record sales aren't that good. So there are many other ways for your music to be exploited.

Billboard: What is the best thing, for you, about the music business today?

Danja: It allows me to sleep in late -- and party when I want to! But it's a great opportunity to reach the world, once you get successful. It all goes back to a No. 1 record: Once you have a hit all these doors open to every state in the U.S., every country in the globe. It puts you in a place where the world becomes your market.

It takes a lot of push and preparation sometimes. But once you make it, it's kind of limitless. And like I said, in today's time there are so many different ways [to create revenue]. I don't have to be a mega-hit producer: I can still do movie scores and TV shows and still make as much as I make from selling records. Being able to create music and do what I love doing is always going to be fun, and I come across a lot of people in the business and artists who are good people. So to me it's like high school, your senior year all over again. For 10 or 15 years -- or however long I get -- it's just a big high school. Just fun. And it's real good if you want to be famous, but I'm not that type.

Billboard: Is there anything you know now that you wish you had known when you started out?

Danja: That it's so political. It's very, very, very political. You hear the saying, "Ninety percent business, 10% music"? It's absolutely true. But that 10% music has to be smash -- hot music. It can't be just something to get by or mediocre because that 10% music makes the whole business run. But there is a lot of business. I had meetings in New York and completely forgot I was a producer at one point. I thought I was an executive.

Billboard: What advice would you offer to young people getting into the business?

Danja: I'd first ask, "What would be your reason for getting in?" You can say because you love it, but once the first check rolls in and you're making money, [you then say], "This is what I'm doing it for." But you don't want to cross the line and do it just for the check. It ends up just fizzling away anyway, because then your music is not good anymore. Becoming wealthy or making out good in your lifestyle is definitely a plus and is easy for me because I love what I do. But whenever I feel I'm doing too much business I tell everybody, "Leave me alone. I'm going to do what I'm going to do." Hire a team of people who have your best interests, from your business manager to your lawyer to your manager. Please don't try to walk through the business blind, because then you end up on "Where Are They Now?"

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Missy Elliott gives us the making of "Get Ur Freak On"

This month's Vibe Magazine features picks of the mags' best summer jams of the last decade. Their pick for 2001 is the Bhangra banger "Get Ur Freak On." Ever wondered the behind the scenes of the track, video, and remix? Well let Missy answer your questions:

Vibe: How'd you feel when you first heard Timbaland's beat for "Get Your Freak On"?

Missy: I knew the beat was crazy, but sometimes there are records that you don't even know what to put on it because they're so ill. I was like, "Tim, you sure this isn't too far left that people won't get it? It sounds like some Japanese stuff mixed with a hip hop beat." When it blew like that, I realized there was a whole other part of the world that people were ready for. It was a good thing.

Vibe: The Bhangra beat fused with an Asian flair really worked

Missy: I knew I needed something to get the club jumping. There happened to be a Japanese janitor at the studio, so I had him come-with his mop and stuff-and record that part in Japanese (which translates to "From this point, everyone's going to be dancing recklessly. Let's make some noise, let's make some noise....") It was crazy.

Vibe: Was the video your concept?

Missy: I used to watch [director] Dave Meyer's movies. He has a lot of things that attracted my attention-like the colors he uses. Also, I watched The Cell with Jennifer Lopez and played the record up against it and thought maybe we could do something like that-have the girls in white and give it a scary movie vibe. I told him I felt like hanging from a chandelier. WE just started feeding off each other.

Vibe: And the remix with Nelly Furtado? Your pick?

Missy: People in hip hop didn't know who she was. I saw her on MTV and like who is this girl? Her voice is dope. I didn't even know she rapped. I thought she was just going to sing on it, but when she got in the studio, she started flowing on some different kind of style and flow. I was like "This is going to change hip hop."

My message to Missy (and Tim for that matter): don't underestimate your fans, take us left.....please. Oh and Missy, we know there wasn't a janitor, Japanese or otherwise.

Danja in Billboard Part 1: The Article

Remember Jermaine Dupri's outrage at Danja being on the cover of Billboard Magazine a few weeks ago? Well after a long search we found the article. Ever wonder how DanjaHandz got his name? Or how he got his start with Timbaland? Or what the music inudstry thinks about him? Then this article is for you:

****He may be "dangerous," but Nate "Danjahandz" Hills -- or just plain "Danja" -- is "a huge talent," according to none other than Madonna. A self-proclaimed "big fan of his work," Madonna tapped him for her hit "4 Minutes," featuring Justin Timberlake. But she's just the latest in a long line of big-name production clients -- also including Timberlake, Nelly Furtado, Sean "Diddy" Combs, Snoop Dogg, Katherine McPhee, Duran Duran, Britney Spears and Jennifer Lopez -- that have made this Timbaland prot?g? the go-to guy on a wide range of recording projects.

"What sets Danja apart is his rare ability to not just make records, but create records -- building brilliant sonic landscapes that make his production style singularly unique," Atlantic Records chairman/CEO Craig Kallman says. "Far more than a fantastic beat-maker, he takes a hands-on role at every step of the recording process. At the same time, he has the gift of being able to adapt his sound and approach to the individual artist, bringing out their personal style rather than imposing one sound on everyone. "He also spans many genres, and has done fantastic work recently for a range of Atlantic artists from T.I. to Simple Plan to Missy Elliott," Kallman adds. "We're looking forward to a long future of making hit records together."

Zomba Music Group executive VP Peter Thea concurs: "He's an extraordinary producer who we can thank for many recent hits from many artists on our roster. His beats are incredible and he always seems to outdo himself on each successive record. He's that rare producer whose sonic flair and amazing sense of rhythm are matched by his gift of melody, and it all comes together in the song." BMG Label Group president/CEO Barry Weiss likewise lauds Hills as "one of the premier producers/creative forces in the world today," citing "his production flair and innovative but commercial sounds coupled with his calm demeanor and great artist sensitivity [that] make him a rare entity in today's musical landscape."

Chris Hicks, Atlantic Records senior VP of A&R and head of urban music at Warner/Chappell Music, who signed Hills to Warner/Chappell, observes that Hills is "very quick to step outside the box and not live by any rules creatively."

Pointing to Hills' effect on projects by Timberlake, Furtado, T.I. and Usher, Hicks adds, "He just wants to reinvent every time he goes in the studio and be groundbreaking." Indeed, Hills is inspired by the Foo Fighters as much as T.I., as his attorney David Ehrlich notes, "He's open-minded and doesn't like to be categorized, and draws influences from a vast variety of creative sources. And he plays piano, drums and guitar, and can explore a lot of different musical areas and opportunities. He's always evolving, but currently his uptempo, danceable beats are unique and fresh-sounding, and have proven inspirational to a lot of different artists."

"And in the last two years," Ehrlich adds, "you can't have turned on the radio without hearing a Danja record that he did with Timbaland, from Justin Timberlake's 'SexyBack' and 'My Love' to Nelly Furtado's 'Promiscuous' or 'Say It Right' to Britney Spears' 'Gimme More' and now to Madonna's '4 Minutes.'"

For his part, Hills agrees that the beat is much of what makes his sound. "I have a very bright and exciting sound, and it's because of the beat -- the groove, the sound of the drums," he says. "I might not be doing a lot of drum rolling and double-timing, but I pick one rhythm and make patterns as melodic as my lead lines, so you can hear the rhythm one time and remember it -- and it builds over and over again, just like melody." Not a lyricist, Hills notes that he is in fact known as "the Melody Man." "That's what they call me," he continues. "I hear it all the time." Hardly anything that might be construed as "dangerous." So where did that nickname come from?

"A long time ago me and some friends were hanging around making music -- a lot of freestyling stuff on the keyboard, and I was playing so fast with my hands," Hills recalls. "That's where it came from -- 'Danjahandz.' 'Danja.' I just spelled it like how I see it." The 27-year-old native of Virginia Beach, Va., played drums in church at age 12 before switching to keyboards. "I was always playing instruments at home and church," he says, "but I never practiced. I'd just seen how drummers played and hopped right on to the set and picked it up. And I'm self-taught on keyboards, too. I played by ear, listening to songs on the radio or learning in choir and teaching myself the chords." His influences included gospel music, of course, "R&B, some hip-hop and anything else that caught my ear. I just kept playing in church, but I was always interested in how can I create music: I was always trying to figure it out but never had the proper equipment until I eventually got a keyboard with a six-track sequencer when I was in high school and could lay down beats and melodies on two tracks." Hills gained some studio experience around Virginia Beach, "again basically teaching myself how to use a professional keyboard, microphone and computer.

But I was always only a producer, making multiple tracks of all kinds for different types of artists -- rock, pop, hip-hop, R&B -- all at the same time and nothing sounding alike. I look back and see where I was being prepared for what I am now." Among producers, Hills cites such role models as Dr. Dre, Rodney Jerkins, the Neptunes, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, "of course" Quincy Jones, Timbaland and Teddy Riley.

Working with Natural Blend, an R&B group from the Virginia Beach area, Hills met Leon Sylvers, who introduced him to Riley. True to his "studio rat" form, Danja began hanging out at Riley's studio in Virginia Beach and co-produced a track on Riley's group Blackstreet's 2003 album "Level II." But the real career turning point came when a CD containing 30 of Hills' beats was passed on to his idol Timbaland, who was duly impressed. Hills later had the opportunity to play more tracks for Timbaland personally on his tour bus.

"He didn't even listen to three seconds of each track and just knew where I was going," Hills says. "That was enough for him -- and that was it." Still, six months passed. Hills recalls "scraping by, breaking concrete with a sledgehammer doing construction work" during the day while "working and working and working" in the studio at night. Then Timbaland invited Hills to work with him down in Miami. "I had played some music for Scott Storch, Irv Gotti, Ja Rule, Fat Joe, all these dudes, and nothing came of it," Hills says. "But Tim recognized my talent level and potential from the start. It just goes to show that when it's your time it's your time." The Hills/Timbaland partnership then commenced in earnest in early 2004.

"Tim was hard on me, not in the sense of being a tyrant but musically very critical of what I was doing and pushing me to develop, develop, develop, push, push, push," Hills says. "We worked on a lot of different projects together including the Game, Black Eyed Peas, Jennifer Lopez, but nothing major happened. Then we did 'I'm So Fly' for Lloyd Banks, and it was really the first thing that people heard from me and Tim." Then the floodgates opened. "Nelly [Furtado] came along with some songs, but Tim had a different vision and we just started making music together," Hills says. "The first day we did 'Maneater.' " Furtado's 2006 hit from "Loose" flowed directly into Timberlake's "FutureSex/LoveSounds" project, the first session of which yielded "What Goes Around . . . Comes Around." "We were sitting on those two albums and nothing had dropped yet, but Tim felt really good about it, and I didn't have any choice but to feel good and excited because he was," Hills says. "Then in May of '06, 'Maneater' dropped overseas and started killing, and then the States. The rest is history." That history now also includes the likes of Madonna, Missy Elliott, Ciara and Fat Joe.

"Respect," along with "fearless" and "brilliant," are just some of the words colleagues use in assessing Hills' meteoric rise. "Danja is brilliant," Universal Motown president/executive VP Sylvia Rhone says. "He has a keen passion for his craft, takes great pride in his work and is the consummate perfectionist. I have watched him emerge from the shadows of his peers to become a major player in his own right -- an accomplished producer, composer and musician, a triple-threat in the studio and a genius hitmaker." Missy Elliott adds, "Danja is not only just a hot producer: He is fearless. That's what makes him hot. His music speaks for itself: When you listen to his beats you hear confidence in the track -- hard-hitting, cutting-edge confidence. He's not scared to take chances -- no matter what sound may be hot on the radio, he's going to give you what moves him. And that's what makes Danja dangerous." Furtado says, "Nate is an oddity because he possesses so much natural talent, combined with real musical focus at such a young age. He is invested in the original, constantly chasing musical risk -- and he is a stoic presence in the studio. He lives in his own beat-driven, keyboard-adoring world."

Future endeavors for Hills, according to Ehrlich, involve "expanding his brand and getting into other areas of commerce utilizing the brand." To this end, Ehrlich notes Hills' music work on the film "Step Up 2: The Streets." Hills says he looks forward to "stepping off as a solo entity" with a new company in the works and a new artist that he's "very excited about" to kick it off.

He notes that his goal is "to match or top what me and Tim did together," adding that "the good thing about it is that I still feel like that guy breaking up the concrete: I never forget what I'm out there doing, and I'm grateful for what I am. But to get that No. 1 record and then do it over and over again just to prove to myself that I can really do this, I want to continue that." But Hills' creative talents and accomplishments aside, he's also "a wonderful person," Ehrlich says. "He always does the right thing and strives to do the right thing. He's always sensitive to the feelings of others and tries to act ethically in business -- where sometimes you're challenged to not do so. One of the greatest joys is working with him." Offering a last word, Epic Records president Charlie Walk echoes Ehrlich.

"In this business you try to work with people who are great creatively, and Danja represents that from the purest place," he says. "He comes in with an impassioned willingness to be exceptional, but no drama, no ego. He's pure, which makes it different for him and for us."****

Monday, June 2, 2008

Ciara "Work"s and "Echo"s with Danja

We now have the names of 2 of the Danja produced tracks from Ciara's new 3-part album Fantasy Ride. They are:

"Work" described as a bass heavy homage to Paris Is Burning, set to a fiercly energetic electronic dance track> Ciara says "I really want to embrace the world and the culture of vouging with this song. It's saying 'when you hit the dance floor, you better work! You better show it off.'"

"Echo" described as an synthy R&B banger with go-go drums, "there's a possibility" that an unnamed rapper may be added to the track so says Ciara. "With the self assured attitude of this song, you're getting true CiCi. That's me, a girl who comes from Decatur, Georgia. I'm basically saying 'hello it's me! Ciara is here!'"

Stay tuned for more.

Sunday, June 1, 2008

Attention all producers and writers: Jim Beanz wants you

Word is Jim Beanz is on the verge of signing a very big publishing deal and along with that he's been given his very own publishing division to head. So what's the first thing a new CEO does with own publishing divsion? Find new talent of course! And that's where all of you come in...

Jim Beanz is looking for new, up and coming producers and writers to join his team. So for all of you beatmakers with that heat, all you producers looking for that one chance, and all you writers out there just waiting for the world to hear your songs, here is a golden opportunity to work one of the best in the game right now.

For all serious inquiries contact Jim's manager at the following e-mail address: vandana@sunsetentertainmentgroup.com

Good luck!

 
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