Keri Hilson "Return The Favor" (FULL!)

Ladies and gentlemen I give you a track we've been anticipating for a LONG time. A track that The Chronicles exclusively reported was to be the first single. None other than:

"Return The Favor"
Boomp3.com

"Energy" Vs. "Return The Favor"?? How can you compare the two?! I've yet to hear "Energy" on the radio or see the video on MTV after it's premiere. Let's hope the momentum of the album picks up speed! It looks like the album is going to need some kind of boast as it's being reported Keri's album has been pushed back yet again to October 14th.

Make sure you to show you love and support for Keri!! It's been a long time coming! Props to Kyle on the track.

New Kids On The Block "Twisted" produced by Timbaland (Confirmed!)

A lot of our readers have been hitting us up about the new album The Block from New Kids On The Block that leaked recently. According to wikipedia the Timbo track is called "Twisted" and another one called "One Song" from the Deluxe Edition however we can not 100% confirm this.

You can bet though that we're looking into who did what on the album! You'll know real soon.

Update The track "One Song" is positively not Timbaland.

Update II "Twisted" has is produced by Timbaland and I have a feeling either Hannon or Royal Court. Take a listen:
Boomp3.com

Thoughts?

DJ Khaled "She's Fine" F/ Sean Paul, Busta Rhymes, and Missy Elliott

Here's another track off of DJ Khaled's We Global album (not sure if it's an official single or not) featuring Sean Paul, Busta Buss, and Miss Miss. Check out:

"She's Fine"
Boomp3.com

Track is FIRE! Danja bringin' the heat on this one! And listen to Missy, that's the Misdemeanor I know and love.

Who Flipped It Better? Mushtaq Vs. Timbaland

This is one of my favorite sample flips simply because I'm a big fan of the original sample. Let’s get right into it. First up let’s look at UK pop artist Raghav Mathur. Born in Canada, before moving to the US and later to the UK to be a music artist, Raghav was originally in the R&B band 11/7. Receiving kudos from various music heads and producers, Raghav got a solo deal with A&R Records and released his 1st album Storyteller in late 2004. 3 top 10 singles later, a huge fan base all around the globe, and a platinum debut album under his belt, Raghav Mathur has completed his new album Identity which is to be released October 26. For his lead single off the album, Raghav is joined by none other than Redman on a track that should sound familiar to all of you. Here’s the video for “My Kinda Girl” produced by longtime collaborator Mushtaq:



Know the sample yet?

If not, let’s take a look at a Timbaland classic form back in the day with Jay-Z called “The Bounce.” The track features a huge artist-to-be Mr. Kanye West and the very subtle yet sultry voice of Raje Shwari. We’ve discussed this track and its sample before but it’s a great time to revisit it since the sample was reused recently. Here’s the track:

Boomp3.com

Now usually we ask you to name the sample but in this case it’s pretty obvious. It’s called:

“Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai” from the Bollywood film Khalnayak


So who flipped it better?

I have to say Timbaland or rather Raje killed the sample. She completely flipped the delivery and style of the original. “Timbo The King” on a Kanye assisted track? Classic.

Props to Big A on the find.

Danjstrumental of the Week

What happened to the Duran Duran album? That’s the question I’ve been asking myself for months now. All that hype with Justin Timberlake, Danja, and Timbaland on board but despite the would be recipe for success, it seems the final product didn’t translate even with the die hard Duran Duran fans. After 2 singles and 1 video unfortunately all is quiet from the group. Is it a rap for Red Carpet Massacre?

Well even though it didn’t have a video, Duran Duran’s 2nd single “Nite Runner“ did have an instrumental from Danja and we’ve got it for you, take a listen:

Duran Duran "Nite Runner" Instrumental

As I’ve asked before, what makes the Danja and Tim sound work for some (Nelly Furtado, Timberlake, etc) but not for others? But to put a little spin on the question, does that “new” pop sound work well for established artists such as Duran Duran and Chris Cornell? What do you think?

Thanks to Fredrick for the track.

A little more "Slow Dance"

This is The Chronicles so details are important. With that said, let's give you a few extras regarding Keri Hilson's "Slow Dance." Have you been listening carefully? There's definitely a man's voice in the harmonizing. Who could it be? Yes, of course it's Jim Beanz who helped co-write the track along with Keri and Justin Timberlake. Beanz also gave the track his magic touch helming the vocal production duties.

Definitely one of my favorite Keri tracks to date.

New DanjaHandz interview

Check out this 2 part interview with Danja where he talks about how he met up with Timbo (shout out to Larry Live), talks about the future for him and his label Crown Life Entertainment roster, and has some insightful words on the music scene in Virginia. Check it out:

Part I


Part II


Let's reviewed: Ciara's album, 2 tracks on Pink's album, and Britney Spears.

There's also an interview with Danja's artist Wyld, talking about his new project Street Power II

King Logan (Royal Court) in the studio

It's not often you actually see who Royal Court is but you've seen King before in various studio videos with Timbaland but may have not noticed. Here we have a couple videos of King in the studio with a new artist named Kevin Scott working on a track called "Suspended On Your Love":





The beat is crazy! Love the chord progressions. Scott is definitely getting some top notch talent if he's hooked up with King. I look forward to hearing more from his possible debut album?

I'm working on getting the story on how Royal Court and Tim hooked up so as soon as I find out, you find out. Props to Israel for the videos.

TIME Magazine likes Danja

TIME Magazine has released their top 10 songs of the summer and has included then T.I.'s Danja produced "No Matter What." Sure you can find a top 10 list in any magazine these days but considering it's the periodical juggernaut of the world, I thought it's worth mentioning.

Here's the top 10 in no order:

Katy Perry - I Kissed A Girl
Rihanna - Disturbia
Coldplay - Viva La Vida
The Pussycat Dolls - When I Grow Up
Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love
Lil Wayne - A Milli
TI - No Matter What
Usher - Love In This Club
Estelle - American Boy
Kid Rock - All Summer Long

Go Danja!

Rest In Peace Aaliyah

7 years ago today, the music world changed forever with the passing of Aaliyah Dana Haughton. She had only given us a small fraction of her potential yet left us with a lifetime of memories. From her persona, to her swag, to her mystery, to her timeless music, Aaliyah left her mark in this world and paved the way for so many.

I'll always remember Aaliyah for being so damn smooth. Her presence was subtle yet unforgettable. She was effortless in her singing and especially her dancing. She will be loved, she will be missed, and she will be remembered. Rest in peace baby girl!

Here are a couple Rare Reels:

Amar

To this day “Bombay’ is one of my favorite tracks on Shock Value. Amar’s (pronounced A Mer meaning immortal) voice, mixed with Jim Beanz’s backing and amazing vocal production makes for an instant hit. It was that track that brought about my fascination (and music stalking lol) of both of them. The last minute of the track is nothing like I’ve ever heard vocally. It was the perfect track to introduce Amar to American audiences who may have not heard of her before. Unbeknownst to me, back in March of this year Rolling Stone magazine released its first issue in India including an article on Amar and "Bombay." Here it is:





For some of you (myself included) “Bombay” was the first time you had heard of Amar but don’t get it confused, she has been around for quite a long time. As the article mentions, Amar is the daughter of famed bhangra singer Mangal Singh. She got her start working with Asian Underground including recording 2 tracks for Talvin Signh's incredible Anokha Soundz of Asian Underground album:

"Jaan"


"Heavy Breathing Intro"


Amar's was only 16 when she recorded these tracks, incredible!

She also did a Hindi cover of Jennifer Rush's "Power Of Love" called "Sitam" from the movie (not soundtrack) of Bend It Like Beckham. In addition make sure to check out Amar's album called Outside which includes a cover version of Prince's phenomenal ballad "It Never Snows In April."



No word yet on Amar's new album but you can bet we will be hearing more from her unique sound, vision, and voice. Make sure to stop by her myspace and show some love!

Big thanks to Rakshith Ashok and PLM for their help with this piece.

Keri Hilson "Slow Dance"

Has Keri's album sprung a leak? Here's another track from just the last couple of days from her forthcoming album In A Perfect World that we've heard her perform live many months ago. The track is:

"Slow Dance"


Produced by Royal Court (and Timbaland), yes I said Royal Court. Don't let the Ashlee Simpson and Bobby Valentino tracks confuse you, the dudes got versatility and mad skills. They are rollin' with Timbaland for a reason. Track is sick! Can't wait for this album. The harmonies and the track as a whole have that Tweet feel. Props to Alex for the track.

Timbaland at Coke Live Festival in Poland

Timbo performed in Poland yesterday as part of the Coke Live Festival in Krakow, Poland with DJ Freestyle Steve. He performed tracks from his platinum selling Shock Value and other recent hits including "Promiscuous Gril", "Throw It On Me", "Bounce", "AYO Technology", "Oh Timbaland", "4 Minutes", and many others. Sean Paul, Prodigy, and MIssy Elliott will be performing today.

Video: Cassie F/ Lil' Wayne "Official Girl"

Busy day on The Chronicles so let me leave you with one more:

Cassie F/ Lil' Wayne "Official Girl'

Feelin' it?

Usher "Traffic" written by The Clutch

Update: This track was produced by Just Blaze

Here's a new track from Usher called "Traffic" written by The Clutch and apparently produced by Danja. It's been labeled as a Clutch AND Danja production but as we know The Clutch are not often on the boards and Danja never rarely shares production duties unless it's with Timbo. Check it out:

Boomp3.com

Thoughts?

Video: Ne-Yo "Miss Independent" starring Keri Hilson

Another video for Keri!

Vote for Timbaland!

Last year Askmen.com voted Timbaland their "Man Of The Week" and later that year Timbo was also voted the 3rd most Top 49 Men of the Year. This year, Askmen.com are asking you to vote for the 2008 49 Most Influencial Men and our man Timmy T is in the running again. The instructions for voting couldn't be an easier:

1. Go to Ask.men's voting website
2. Find Timbaland's name and picture
3. Click "Vote"
4. Decide from 0 to 100 how Timbo has influenced
A. HOW YOU BEHAVE – The way you dress or talk or the type of music you listen to
B. HOW YOU BUY – The music you purchase or the concerts you attend (100!!)
C. HOW YOU THINK – Through the lyrics they sing or causes they endorse

So take a few minutes, get on over to Askmen.com, and vote for Timbaland!!

Timbaland signs Omarion to MMG

What was a rumor is now official. Timbaland has indeed signed Omarion to his Mosley Music Group Label. O is currently in the studio working on his new album which Timbaland will be executive producing. Omarion had this to say abou the deal:

Throughout the time for us having to work out the deal, we talked a lot. He [Timbaland] told me what he wanted. I told him what I wanted. We had to make sure it came together organically. It was like we chose each other. We really sat down and felt each other out. I respect Timbaland a lot. He not just a producer, he's a visionary. This guy comes in the game and changes the game. It's not like I'm just getting with another producer who has a great track record.

No word on official collaborators for the project but keep checking back with us for more news.

Throwback: Terri & Monica

It was the late 80s and Teddy Riley's New Jack Swing era was in full affect. Between his endless productions for Heavy D, Al B. Sure, Wreckx-N-Effect, New Kids On The Block, Whitney Houston, Blondie, and Boy George to name but a few, Riley was also a part of the very successful group Guy (who's albums I bumped all through high school). To off set the male dominated New Jack Swing movement, the New Jill Swing also was created and at the forefront was a a rap trio named The Gyrlz.



The Gyrlz, with help from Heavy D, were asked by Andre Harrell of Uptown Records (Mary J Blige, Jodeci) to record an album and Wishing You Were Here was born. The album had minor success but the it opened many doors for the group including touring with Bobby Brown, Al B. Sure, and New Edition before finally breaking up and going their separate ways.

But 2 members of the former group, Terri Robinson and Monica Payne continued to work together releasing 2 albums in the 90s including the 1996 album Suga and it's hit Sexuality (If You Take Your Love)". A good song should always get a good remix and no one can do a remix quite like Timbaland especially in the 90s. I have no idea how the duo and Timbo hooked up (maybe through Missy) but Tim flipped the entire beat and gave us the Terri & Monica "Sexuality (If You Take Your Love)" Timbaland Street Remix featurin Miyssy Elliott.

Now most of you probably have this track but I bet you have the version that cuts off at around 2 and 1/2 minutes. This, however, is the full (and much rarer) version for your listening pleasure:

Boomp3.com

and also as bonus we've got the Timstrumental to download and add to your collection:

Terri & Monica "Sexuality" Timstrumental

The track has that old school 90s vibe to it a la Total. Listen to Timbaland when he says "...hot sex on a platter...." can you name the track he's quoting and by who? BIG thanks to Dimu for the tracks.

When Timbaland (or Hannon) interpolates

We haven't covered an interpolation in awhile but this one is well worth the wait. Let's go back not too far to Flo Rida's hit single "Elevator". Not as blazin' as "Low" but still Timbaland or should I say Hannon definitely hooked up Flo Rida with a dope beat. Check that opening piano sequence. We know Tim is not known for his keys but Hannon however is. So was the piano melody off the top of the dome or did Tim or Hannon hear it before?



Turns out they must be Bruce Springsteen fans since the original melody comes from a Boss track from his 1990 album Darkness on the Edge of Town. The track is called "Prove It All Night" and took 49 takes to get the final recording for the album. Here's a live version:



Sounds like either Tim had Hannon replay the melody or Hannon did it himself, either way it shows how creative an interpolation can turn out. Big thanks to Edwin on the find!

Word is that's Danja at the end of Chris Brown's 2008 BET Awards performance

You all saw Chris Brown's performance at this year's BET Awards right? Boring start on "With You" and then bam! "Take You Down" starts, Ciara comes out lookin' fly, and the entire performance gets dirty and grimey real quick. Then the track breaks, the real dancing starts, and that's when you're sitting there asking yourself, "what the hell is this track??" Here, refresh your memory:



A lot of Chronicles readers hit me up the next day after the performance asking if Timbaland did that beat. Maybe it was a leftover interlude from the work Brown and Timbo did from this year's MTV Awards? No I knew it wasn't that but I still was determined to try and figure out what the track was from and who did it. Well I still can't say absolutely 100% but the word is that track is a snippet of a Danja produced track either "Work" or "Echo" off of Ciara's album Fantasy Ride. As you remember, Fantasy Ride will be a 3 part album with Danja producing the Crunktown" and "Kingdom of the Dance" discs.

The track definitely has Danja elements to it but until we get the official word, let's just keep that it as a hope so. Track sounds crazy!

Video: One Republic "Mercy"

Here's the latest from Ryan and the gang:

Timbaland says "I'm rich bitch!'

Last year Forbes put Timbaland at the #4 position on the richest hip hop artists of 2007. This year Timbo falls back one place to #5 but still makes a cool million more than last year at $22 million. Here is this year's Forbes list of richest hip hop artists of 2008:

1. Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson: $150 million
2. Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter: $82 million
3. Sean “Diddy” Combs: $35 million
4. Kanye West: $30 million
5. Timothy “Timbaland” Mosley: $22 million
6. Pharrell Williams: $20 million
7. Kasseem “Swizz Beatz” Dean: $17 million
8. Calvin “Snoop Dogg” Broadus: $16 million
9. André “Dr. Dre” Young: $15 million
10. Christopher “Ludacris” Bridges: $14 million
11. Clifford “T.I.” Harris: $13 million (tie)
11. Dwayne “Lil Wayne” Carter: $13 million (tie)
12. Marshall “Eminem” Mathers: $12 million (tie)
12. Lonnie “Common” Lynn Jr.: $12 million (tie)
12. Aliaune “Akon” Thiam: $12 million (tie)
13. Jermaine Dupri: $11 million (tie)
13. Jonathan “Lil Jon” Smith: $11 million (tie)
14. OutKast: $10 million (tie)
14. Hakeem “Chamillionaire” Seriki: $10 million (tie)
14. Jayceon “The Game” Taylor: $10 million (tie)

Jennifer Hudson confirms "Pocketbook"

We exclusively told you about Jennifer Hudson's Timbaland produced track "Pocketbook" written by Jim Beanz and The Clutch and now a year later Judson has confirmed the track. Take a look:

Jennifer Hudson talks new album

September 30th, mark your calendars!

Update: Jim Beanz is the producer of "Pocketbook" and also co-wrote the track with Candice Nelson of The Clutch. "Pocketbook" will be jennifer Hudson's 3rd single and will feature Ludacris

Chris Cornell "Long Gone"

Here is the official first single from Chris Cornell's new album Scream produced by Timbaland and written by The Clutch:

"Long Gone"
Boomp3.com

A nice laid back track from Tim. Your thoughts?

Timbaland doesn't go to Australia but

It's been reported that Timbaland has canceled his Australian and New Zealand tour just weeks before he was supposed to perform. Seems as though there was some double booking with the Australia tour and the Coke Live tour being held in Poland on the same dates.

We can tell you there's a lot more to the story than what's being reported but exact details are not forthcoming yet. Just know for all you Aussies and Kiwis, the tour will hopefully be rescheduled soon. Hang in there!!

Keri Hilson "Do It"

We gave you an exclusive inside report on the Keri Hilson track "Do It" and now we have a short performance of it:



The track is definitely catchy, especially the chorus. I'm a big fan of the writing and vocal arrangement. So great to see our Keri out there doin' her thing. Congrats Keri!

Who produced it? Timbo? The breakdown sounds Timboesque but not quite.

MIssy and Keri get pushed back

Following the same route every artist does these days, Keri Hilson and Missy Elliott have had their albums pushed back. Keri's has only been pushed back a couple week until October 7th. No word as to why but I'm sure Keri wants to make sure a solid, debut album with all the fixins is ready for us.

Speaking of fixins, Missy's album has been pushed back to around Thanksgiving (Mid-November). That's a 2 month push back which makes me think the album is going to be reworked. With the talk of this hot, new track "Talk That" meant for Missy, I have a feeling she's going back into the studio with Timbo to create some magic. Add to that the 3 tracks she's released in the last 6 months "Ching A Ling", "Shake Your Pom Pom" and "Best Best" have not done well at all.

Still too scared to take us to the left Miss? Let's hear it!

D.O.E. The fall of John Doe, The rise of D.O.E

It's been awhile since we've heard anything from D.O.E but that doesn't mean he hasn't been on his grind. The dude never stops working! D.O.E has been hard at work on his highly anticipated street album The fall of John Doe, The rise of D.O.E. The first track off the album is called:

"Streets Been Watching" produced by Beat Juggernaut

Also keep an eye on D.O.E's new myspace page, looks like he's got something brewin' for us. It's D O E bitch!

Wyld-Street Power 2

Wyld's incredible new mixtape, "Street Power 2" has just been released via Crown Life Ent. It features 8 brand new tracks from Danja, and let me be the first to say that it is just what you've been waiting for in your Timbo dry spell! The production is impeccable, y'all need to download it for FREE right now!!

"Jockin' Jay-Z" versus Timbaland's Blueprint 3

I've been debating topic, should we mention this should we not? Is it worth discussing or not really? In the end I think it's definitely relevant and as always I enjoy everyone's opinions on the subject. Let's rewind to only a month ago when Timbaland made the big announcement that he was going to produce all of Jay-Z's next album. How hyped were you to hear the news? I know I was. Tim and Jay, everything they've ever done has been magic so to think of a whole album man that would be incredible.

But just like that only a couple of weeks later Jay-Z cleared up any absolutes for his album rather rolling with whatever sounds good and feels good will go on the album. "We [Timbaland and I] spoke about doing an album; it just was premature," Jay explained.

Then a week ago at his Madison Square Garden show, Kanye West brings Jay-Z out to perform the Kanye produced "Jockin' Jay-Z" with chants of Blueprint 3 followed by an insider report that Kanye West will be producing "most if not all of the [Jay-Z's] album" along with possible contributions by producer No ID.

So my question is: What happened in only a month? Was Timbo talking premature, building up hype for the possibility? Was "Jockin' Jay-Z" planned for Blue Print 3 all along or recorded just recently? Or is this all just talk and rumors and we should all just wait and see till the album comes out? What do you think?

And as a little side bonus: Wonder what the sample is on "Jockin' Jay-Z"? It's none other than Run DMC's "Dumb Girl". Keep listening, you should find an obvious sample to a popular E-40 track on there too. Hear it?

Omarion confirms Timbaland for next album

Omarion made an entire video about getting his hair cut and also confirms Timbaland for his next album:



At this point with all these Timbaland producing entire albums announcements, I'll believe it when I see it. There's no hate rather why get my hopes up until the final product is in my hands.

Thanks to Alex for the video.

No Timbaland on The Game's L.A.X

We all heard what The Game said but in the end it didn't happen or perhaps the track got cut. Early L.A.X tracklistings listed a song called "Whatcha Gonna Do" produced by Timbaland however the track was not on the final tracklisting:

01. Intro (feat. DMX)
02. L.A.X. Files Produced by Jonathan "J.R." Rotem
03. State Of Emergency (feat. Ice Cube) Produced by Jonathan "J.R." Rotem
04. Bulletproof Diaries (feat. Raekwon)Produced by Jelly Roll
05. My Life (feat. Lil Wayne)Produced by Cool & Dre
06. Money Produced by Cool & Dre
07. Cali Sunshine (feat. Bilal)Produced by Nottz
08. Ya Heard (feat. Ludacris) Produced by Nottz
09. Hard Liquor (Interlude)
10. House Of Pain Produced by DJ Toomp
11. Gentleman's Affair (feat. Ne-Yo) Produced by Jonathan "J.R." Rotem
12. Let Us Live (feat. Chrisette Michelle) Produced by Scott Storch
13. Touchdown (feat. Raheem DeVaughn)Produced by 1500 Or Nothin
14. Angel (feat. Common & John Legend)Produced by Kanye West
15. Never Can Say Goodbye (feat. Latoya Williams)Produced by Ervin "EP" Pope
Co-produced by The Game
16. Dope Boyz (feat. Travis Baker)Produced by 1500 Or Nothin
17. Game's Pain (feat. Keyshia Cole)Produced by Knobody
18. Letter To The King (feat. Nas)Produced by Hi-Tek
19. Outro (feat. DMX)

Will Timbo show up on the Deluxe Edition of the album? I doubt it.

The Rarest of Reels

Quite some time ago, I discovered 4 of some of the Rarest Reels to date:

Playa's "Ms. Parker"
Ginuwine's "G Thang"
Sista's "Hip Hop"
Jodeci "Sweaty"

All of these videos definitely exsist.....somewhere. You see just as quickly as I found them on youtube, they were deleted, and after extensive searching I have still yet to find them again. Have you ever seen them?

Czar's Sample (Rumor) of the Week...

What's up Tim stans? I know it's not Friday, but I thought I'd share something today given what's happened over the last couple of days. As many of you already know, one of music's biggest, most influential, and legendary musicians passed away over the weekend: Isaac Hayes. Isaac Hayes was so huge that it would take me all day just to talk about 5% of his music career. Words really can't explain how large of an impression Isaac Hayes left on the music industry--he was a true legend. If you only know him as "that guy who did Shaft" or "the guy who did Shaft and was the voice of Chef on South Park," then I suggest you get educated on this true icon of music.

Now, some of you all might wonder what Isaac Hayes has to do with Timbo. Well, I thought I'd share a little rumor that has been circulating for some time about a certain Timbaland track and a couple of Issac Hayes tracks that it possibly samples. The track is Bubba Sparxxx's "Lovely," and for some time I've heard arguments over where Tim sampled the cymbal pattern featured on "Lovely." The first theory is that it's just a pattern Timbo created/found on his drum machine. The other two theories, which I find to be more interesting, are that the cymbal pattern actually samples one of two Isaac Hayes tracks. The first track is Hayes' "Theme from Shaft" that opens with that now infamous hi-hat cymbal pattern. The second possible song is "Title Theme" from another 70s film, Three Tough Guys, which also opens with a hi-hat cymbal pattern, but it sounds more rough when compared to the Theme from Shaft.

So what do y'all think? Is it just a pattern from a drum machine? Did it sample "Shaft?" Or did it sample "Title Theme?" To be honest, I'm not quite sure really which theory is right. It seems like this rumor might remain unsolved, just like the baby giggle from "Are you that Somebody" that I posted a year and a half ago (peep "this" )

R.I.P. Isaac Hayes.

Peace,
Czar

Ginuwine releases new song, talks Timbaland

Ginuwine recently talked about his new collaboration with UK producer Shayal in a East meets West style project. He also hinted at the possibility of working with Timbaland and the possibility of a future album:

Are you bitter that Timbaland, with whom you worked heavily in the '90s, seems to have moved more into pop territory than R'n'B?

Timbaland is a producer and an artist and he gets bored with a lot of things. He needs new things to excite him and so he's moving on. But he certainly hasn't neglected the hip-hop and R'n'B scene.

Would you like to work with him again?

I would like to, but then again, maybe that wouldn't work now. Sometimes you have to move on. But I do believe that if he and I stepped into the studio to create something for today's music scene, we could do it. I would love to, but right now, I'm not focused on that.

Here's the Full Article

G is featured on the track "Baby Dil Deewana" produced by Shayal and also featuring
Anu Shukla. Here's the video:



Thoughts?

Thanks to Kyle for the info.

Danja and Timbaland still scheduled for new Clipse projects

MTV recently talked with Malice and Pusha from The Clipse and confirmed that both Timbland and Danja will be on their upcoming projects, the Re-Up Gang LP and the new Clipse album Till the Casket Drops.

Other contributors include Kanye West, Just Blaze, Swizz Beatz, the Neptunes, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, Sean C. and LV, DJ Khalil, the Runners, Dame Grease and Reefa.

The question, as always, is will they make the final cut.

....but Britney Spears IS working with....

Danja and Jim Beanz.

Right now. In Los Angeles.

Danja on production. Beanz writing and vocal production.

You know it's gonna be hot!

Interview with Six 2

Finally some news about Six 2! I've been wondering if we were going to hear from him again but I figured it was only a matter of time. If you aren't familiar with Six 2, he originally got his start via the D.O.C with Dr. Dre and worked extensively on the Dre's 2001 album (that's Six 2 on "Exxxplosive") In terms of Timbaland, Six 2, Attitude, and Tim were to release a record together as a trio. They reportedily did over 40 tracks for the album but unfortunately it has never seen the light of day. Thankfully over the years we've heard multiple tracks leaked from the project inlcuding "Mean Walk", "I See You", and "Letz Git High." Dubcnn.com recently talked with Six 2 to talk about his work with D.O.C and Dre, what really happened with Timbaland, and the future of his music:

Dubcnn: You were talking about the Timbaland project, what happened to that project.

Six 2: Well, he called me down to Miami where he was working on a solo album. After he started working with me it turned from a solo album to a group album. It was me, Timbaland, Attitude, John Doe, and Ms Carrie. We did a gang of songs with him. Then when he got his deal back with Interscope or whoever, it went from the group project to his solo. A lot of those songs we did for him, he used those to get the deal back, and then used other sh-t we wasn’t on. I’d say 70% of the album my vocals was on. Me and Attitude co-wrote Timbaland’s parts. Then after he got the deal, he put out Nelly Furtado album and we were like what the hell happened to our sh-t?

While we were working on his sh-t, he said he wanted to do a solo album on me, so I started working on my sh-t at the same time working on his sh-t. To be real, I don’t think he had any intentions of doing our shit. I might be wrong, but the way things turned out, I doubt it. I wrote a song that he ended up selling to the Pussycat Dolls and I didn’t hear anything about it until it was time for them to start shooting the video. So, now I had to fight to get my percentage of that song. I got like three songs that are on the Timbaland project. There is one with him and Justin Timberlake called “Release” that I did get credit for and then I co-wrote a song called “Bounce” with him, Dre and Missy Elliott. I also co-wrote a song with him and Magoo called “Board Meeting”. A lot of the songs on there I had parts on but when I started fighting for my percentages on the Pussycat Dolls he started taking me off songs I guess because he was mad I was asking for my money.

Dubcnn: So do you still have any of these songs?

Six 2: Yeah, I still have some that was supposed to be on his album and some that was from my solo. One of them, “Mean Walk”, I think they put out with Whoo Kid on a mix CD, that was supposed to be my first lil' solo song. There is the one song called “Lil Old Apartment” that was for Timbaland’s album, and one called “Let’s Get High”. He didn’t use any of those. A lot of the songs I was going to put on something and just leak them to try and get the buzz back.

"Ms. Carrie" is obviously Keri Hilson. Now there's a super group for ya': Attitude, 6'2, D.O.E, Keri, AND Timbaland! Obviously too good to be true. Check your liner notes carefully. You won't see Two's name on "Boardmeeting" and "Bounce" but you will see it on "Release" and The Pussycat Dolls' "Wait A Minute." I have no idea the behind the scenes of these types of situations but it definietly sounds like some kind of sh*t went down. One minute your writing records for your album and the next your fighting for publishing on one of those records used for another group without you even knowing.

Crazy to think that "Mean Walk" was supposed to be 6'2's first single yet instead was used on a mixtape. What a waste of a great track. To refresh your memories, take a listen:



Hopefully one day we'll get to hear "Lil Old Apartment" and more tracks that Tim did for Six Two and the group. Now as far as "Let's Get High" that track actually was released and features Attitude and can be found on Six Two's album Mac-a-roni And G's. Here's the full track:



Now that's a Timbaland beat! For all you alternate version stans, there is a rare alternate to the track with Six 2 only that I still have not been able to get my hands on. There's also another Timbaland track on Mac-a-roni And G's that should have a very familiar sounding beat. Know who else used it?

Big thanks to Big A on this great find and we'll continue to be on the look out for more from Six Two. Don't forget to stop by his myspace page and give the dude some props!

New Timbaland and T Pain "Talk That"

Remember the T-Pain & Timbaland track I was telling you to be on the lookout for? This is it:



The track is called "Talk That" which Timbaland first priemeried at his wedding. "I got two records [with T-Pain] that are retarded. If you would've come to my wedding, you would have heard the records. At my reception, everybody was going crazy. It's this one record we got that's called, 'Talk That.' It's phenomenal! Everybody is like, 'You rapping like that?' I been doing that. It's nothing for me."

Yes even though the track could have gone to T Pain for his latest album Thr33 Ringz, Tim wants to give it to his "sister" Missy. "That record, I won't put on my [LP] 'cause it's so much of a smash. It's so phenomenal, you would be like, 'Well, why wouldn't you put it on your record, if it's so much of a smash?' Because I would give it to my sister. My sister needs that record more than I would need that. My sister, which is Missy. If Missy had that record, she's gone. She's gone!"

Here's Timbaland in his own words:

• MTV
• Music Videos
• MTV Shows
• Entertainment News

Big props to Jordan on the find.

Kiley Dean backs up Madonna, works with Timbaland

Recently we were able to confirm a few things regarding the cult favorite, Kiley Dean. Yes, that is Kiley singing on Flo Rida's Timbaland assisted hit "Elevator." Kiley paid a visit to Timbo in the studio back in January and he asked her to sing on the track. Kiley confirmed the two were talking and since that time they have recorded some tracks together.

Now the Kiley Dean "comeback" is in full force with Dean going back to her roots as she will be replacing long time Madonna back up singer Donna De Lory on the Sticky & Sweet Tour. Remember Kiley was 'discovered' by Timbo as Britney Spears' backup singer. No word on if Kiley will be doing with full tour with Madonna but once she is finished, Dean will head back to the studio to lay down more tracks with Timmy.

Are we looking at Simple Girl part II? Will their finally be an official album released by Kiley Dean? We'll let you know as more information develops.

Keri Hilson on the cover of Trace Magazine

No Timbaland and Britney Spears

A lot can happen in 5 days. Since Taio Cruz made his statement about who was working with Britney Spears on her new album, Kanye West has denied the collaboration and we can now also confirm that Timbaland not be working with Spears either.

So who got it wrong Cruz or the media? But at this point who cares.

Timbaland & Freestyle Steve in St. Tropez

New Sebastian "Booty"

Sebastian comes through with another new track via his myspace called "Booty." Who's the singer you ask? Good question but I take it her name is Jasmine hence the line "Jasmine a freak?? Watch your mouth." Whoever it is her voice is dope!

No word on the producer (yet) or if the track is brand new or possibly an unreleased track from Cruel Intentions but wherever it's from Sebastian brings the heat on this uptempo banger. Thanks for the new tunes G!

Timbaland compare Plies to Tupac

You agree with Timbo?

Danjastrumental "Official Girl"

Nate Hills gives us another one of his instrumentals, this time for Cassie's new single:

Cassie "Official Girl"

Attitude "Man Right Here" on iTunes today

Make sure to cop Attitude's first official single produced by Danja today!

Word Is: Britney Spears will have Timbaland on next ablum

Word is Timbaland will be on Britney's next album or at least so says UK R&B artist Taio Cruz:

I have been writing and producing tracks for the new Britney record but as always with her, I’m not allowed to talk about the sound. Her career is riding on this record so I need to sit down and talk to her to make sure she is ready. The songs will be good - she has Kanye, Pharrell, Timbaland and me doing tracks for her.

It is more a matter of whether she is mentally and physically ready for this. On the last album, Blackout, she was tired and people were forcing her to put another album out. If she is ready it will be huge - she just came with Blackout too early.

Hmm I'm a skeptical about this info but maybe that's because I'm not familiar with Taio Cruz at all. Plus there's no mention of Danja who confirmed he's working on her new album and did most of her last. Interesting though if Timbo is on the album after the not so positive remarks he's said about Britney in the past. Then again the past is the past. Guess we'll wait and see.

NICK'S NOTE: Kanye has denied working with Britney, so Tim's involvement is just as doubtful.

Danja talks about the future of production

Rhapsody has been a Danja fan for a long time now with multiple interviews, youtube videos, and features. Recently they sat down with Danja, Tricky Stewart, DJ Toomp, the J.U.S.T.I.C.E League, J.R. Rotem, and Grind Music to talk about what the future holds for music production. Check it out:

On Songwriters As Stars:

Danja: It could hurt because it could be a better song that’s from an unknown writer or producer and because that name isn’t attached, [the label] don’t give it a second chance. But if it’s coming from me and Keri Hilson or Sean Garrett, nine times out of ten, they won’t even second guess. A lot of A&Rs really don’t have ears ‘cause they really don’t know. So, what we present to them, they have to go with because we feel so excited about it. There’s a lack of writers so everybody (producers, record label execs, A&Rs) is looking [for songs], and everybody’s getting a chance right now. I’m still looking for that special chemistry with a writer like Dream and Tricky or like me and my engineer, Marcella Araica. The only [songwriters] that I love almost every time they write something is The Clutch; melodically, they get it.

On Shrinking Artist Budgets:

Danja: Definitely the rate has gone down. The budgets aren’t as big as they used to be so you can’t demand that much. You used to be able to demand to get paid half before getting in the studio and the other half when you turn in the mix. Now, sometimes you gotta go in the studio and do that record [first]. If it’s something I want to work on and the label don’t want to pay me before I get in, I’m not going to trip. Then when I give them a record and the whole building is screaming up and down about it, I can bust them in the head for that $100,000.

On Technology and the Collaborative Process

Danja: Technology kills the creative process and it makes it easier. The Clutch will write a whole song on iChat. Someone will be in Atlanta, someone will be in L.A. and someone will be in New York. They have their sound studios and they all sing their parts and then they’ll send it and the song will be crazy. They just have that type of formula and that type of chemistry because they’ve been working together for years.

On The Future

Danja: Take [Mr. Collipark]. He had one sound doing a bunch of snap stuff. But he found Soulja Boy, Hurricane Chris and V.I.C. This dude broke three artists that people know. You gotta fall back into that role sometimes and just give them that shot. Breaking the artists will establish your longevity because then you’re building a career and you get a project that you can constantly invest in. That’s how you really secure yourself to constantly make money because you always going to work on that project and then you make more money on the back-end because you’re the label head and you’re the executive.

Definitely peep the whole article as it sheds some light into the minds of some of the biggest names in the production business. Props to Big A on the find.

5 tracks by Chris Cornell

Planet Radio 103.7 recently talked with Chris Cornell about his new album Scream and what it's like working with Timbaland. Also there's 5 FULL songs off the album posted on 103.7's website. They are:

1. "Watch Out" Yes I agree with most of you, an Ashlee Simpson leftover. Jim Beanz's vocal genius is all over this track during the chorus and especially during the bridge, damn! Check the very end though, why can't the whole track be like that?

2. "Scream" Very cool laid back track. Cornell's voice couldn't sound any better. Who's the guy that comes in halfway thru? Attitude? Izza? I have a hunch those strings in the track are Larry Gold.

3. "Long Gone" This is my favorite track of the bunch. Cornell sounds incredible. As I listen through the tracks, I'm reminded what a phenomenal singer the guy is. Love the choral voices and the spacey feel it has.

4. "Never Far Way" Can you believe it's the same producer of Aaliyah's "One In A Million"? Timmy T has come a long way! Not a big fan of the song BUT it's the most Chris Cornell rock n roll track of the 5 so I can appreciate it. Timbo's production took a back seat to Chris Cornell's voice and vibe which is as it should be.

5. "Ground Zero" Timbo takes an 80s bass line, adds a simple background call, mixes it all together and comes out with this gem. Another great track for Cornell to showcase his vocals. Check the scratches! Tim bringin' it back.

Overall some great production from Timbo. Seems as though Tim really took a back seat on the production and let the real star, Chris Cornnell, shine. First time too as usually Timbo's production on "rock" tracks overpower the artist. I'm definitely happy with what I hear so far and will be copping that disc in September.

Still I have to ask, is this Timbaland's best work of his entire career? As a HUGE fan of Tim in the 90s I have to disagree but this new music still keeps that love going. Timbo the King!!

Missy Elliott on "America's Best Dance Crew"

Missy stopped by ABDC last night to let 'em know what's up check it out:



In addition the top 4 dance crews left in the competition each performed to a different Missy hit over the last decade:

Super Cr3w "We Run This"

SoReal Cru "One Minute Man"

Boogie Bots "Work It"

Fanny Pak "Get UR Freak On" (by far the best crew. Big shout out to Matt for bringing something fresh to the table)

Great look for Missy!

Danja "challenge"s Lil' Wayne

Hear it for yourself: