Timbaland Stops by "The Breakfast Club"

Well, it seems like Timbo is in high promotion mode. He recently stopped by "The Breakfast Club" (on Power 105.1 in NYC) to give one of the most in-depth interviews. He talks Jay-Z, Shock Value III (which he's also calling Ezekiel's Will), Missy, Magoo, unreleased Aaliyah records (and how he feels about Drake doing something on an Aaliyah song), who he ranks as the top hip hop producers of all time, his health and depression issues, and the politics of the music industry. Without a doubt, this is one of the dopest interviews (for me, though, his 2hr interview with Tim Westwood is my favorite). Check it out:



For those who've never heard the interview with Tim Westwood:

This Thursday: "Aaliyah: Behind the Music" (Remastered) UPDATED WITH FULL FOOTAGE

For Timstans and Aaliyah fans, you're probably scratching your head with this post. Yes, VH1 has already produced a Behind the Music episode about Aaliyah. But this Thursday, VH1 is going to air a remastered and updated version of the classic Behind the Music episode. Here's what VH1 has to say about the episode:

"More than ten years after the tragic death of Aaliyah, Behind The Music revisits the original 2001 episode that documented the career and untimely passing of the young talent considered the Princess of R&B. We'll look back into Aaliyah's impressive career - from her meteoric rise to her shocking end. Along with tributes from her family and peers, we include fresh updates - featuring new interviews with close friend Missy Elliott and esteemed hip hop journalist, Nelson George."

I honestly can't wait to hear what new stuff Missy is going to say about Babygirl. The episode airs at 9pm EST on VH1, so be sure to set your DVRs.

UPDATE!
Here's the full video of the remastered episode. Props to BooDi Bin Timbo on the link!



"Best Moments" from the Episode:

The Making of "Aaliyah"

As I was re-watching Tim's behind the scenes discussion of "Are you that Somebody?" I was reminded of an article that The Chronicles meant to post last year, but somehow forgot. Last summer, the folks over at YouKnowIGotSoul.com published the dopest interview with the producers behind Aaliyah's classic self-titled album, Aaliyah. They interviewed Digital Black from Playa, Tank, Bud'da, Rapture, J-Dub, and Tim Barnett (Static's personal assistant). The in-depth interview not only goes into the writing and recording process of the album, but also a song-by-song (including unreleased tracks!) analysis. I'm telling you, I was blown away by this article. You can read the full interview here, but below are some highlights that I think y'all will find interesting:

How Static became the driving force behind the album, Aaliyah
Tim Barnett: “Static came in the picture when Timbaland and Missy were having disagreements with Blackground. If Tim and Missy were there, Static probably wouldn’t have had a chance to work as many records as he did.”

Aaliyah's spirit
Digital Black: “She was fun. Me and Static were blessed to go to prom with her, Playa went to her prom. She was family, she was our little sister.”

Tim Barnett: “She always had a glow about herself that made everyone feel comfortable and equal. I think her energy made people like Timbaland and Static to not feel like they were better than anyone else, whether it was me or a friend who was with Black. It was like ‘If Aaliyah is this humble, there’s no way I can’t be that humble.’”

Direction of the album
Digital Black: “We were blessed to be able to tailor make songs and basically just knowing the person and being around the person. We know what they’re thinking and what they like. In the studio, she was like a sponge. Whatever we had to do, it was never ‘I don’t like that’ and I’m still there were times she felt like that but she chose to at least try it. It was just like working with a family member.”

Bud’da: “We were trying to do as much as we could and try to put an album together for her to be able to hear and see what she felt. It was amazing. Static and Aaliyah fit like a glove together. They fit like a glove to where once she got on it, it wasn’t exactly the way you remembered it when Static would do it, she would put her own touch on it and it would work. All of the songs came from Static’s writing, but both he and Aaliyah had been talking about direction on where she wanted to go, and she talked with me about direction on vibe and the sound she wanted it to be.”

Recording process of Aaliyah
Rapture: “...On that particular album, we collectively just wanted to make the best possible album that we could. It was really like a family type of thing, there wasn’t any hostility recording that album and that’s why the album came out the way it did. No one was competing to try to out produce somebody else. Everybody had their own style to bring to the table, so that made it a collective effort from everybody because we knew each person was going to bring fire to the project, so it wasn’t even an issue. It was almost crazy because in the studio we would be in one room, J-Dub would be in another room and Bud’da would be in another room. So pretty much between Static and Black, they would kind of just bounce around to the various rooms. It’s funny because they don’t write lyrics down, so it was almost amazing for them to work on like 10 songs at a time[...]She was very precise and very fast in the booth. For the most part, Static hardly ever had to write the words down for her because she would come in the studio, she would listen to the song one time and she would be like ‘Okay, you just give it to me line for line while I go in there.’ And he would just go in there and sing her a couple of lines and then she would lay it. It wasn’t even a long drawn out process. She had so many other things she was doing, so she wouldn’t really sit in the studio all day. We might go in around two in the afternoon and she would come in around seven and she would stay for three hours and lay a whole song.”

How Tim finally got involved with the album
Tim Barnett: “We went back to New York and did them in either Sound King or Manhattan studio. We did them right after the New Year. Part of the problem was Timbaland and Missy weren’t even going to be on the album because of problems with Blackground. Aaliyah talked Tim into producing records for the album, so Timbaland did it out of love for Babygirl.”

The making of "We Need a Resolution"
Digital Black: “We Need a Resolution” was about relationships, a lot of songs with her were about her becoming a woman and coming of age. A lot of records dealt with stuff that people actually had to go through."

The making of "Rock the Boat"
Rapture: “That’s actually a funny story because when Seats and I were doing that track, we were at the studio earlier before Playa came to the studio, we were working on that track, but the funny thing is we didn’t like it the way it was. It was just the beat and a couple of sounds and we were like ‘It’s cool, but we’ll come back to it.’ It’s funny because as we were going to something else, Static had just got there and they heard the song coming down the hall, so when he got there we already cut it off and he came to the door and was like ‘Wait put that back, what is that?’ He told us to pull it back up and he instantly got the melody and he went right in the booth and he didn’t do any words, he just put the melody down. And then the next couple of days, he did the whole song.”

The making of "More than a Woman"
Tim Barnett: “One night, Static was vibing to the track and the following day he recorded the first version. He went back and kept listening to it and didn’t like it and said ‘I can do something bigger and better to it’/ So he rewrote the whole record the next day. Aaliyah wasn’t at the studio at the time when Static did the first version, so she never got to hear it.”

The making of "I Refuse"
J-Dub: “I don’t know where that came from. I was on one and I was just zoned out. While I was doing that track, I was working with Static Major and Static wrote the hell out of it. That’s the story on that one.” *laughs*

Just like Tim's video that we posted a couple of days ago, this interview just makes me miss and appreciate Aaliyah and Static so much. RIP...

Timbaland Discusses the Making of "Are you that Somebody"

Brian Byrd just posted a recent video of Tim in the studio talking about the night that Timbo, Static, and Aaliyah came up with and recorded "Are you that Somebody." While most of us know the track was recorded and mixed in just a couple of hours, we didn't know the ins and outs of how it all came about. Check out this very dope discussion of the making of "Are you that Somebody?":



Hearing Tim talk about Aaliyah and Static just reminds me of how amazing they were and how much I miss them. RIP Baby Girl and Static.

Happy Birthday Aaliyah!!

Happy Birthday, Baby Girl. On this day you would have been 33 years old and running the music game. We will never forget you nor how much your music touched and inspired us. RIP.

Tonight on BET: Tribute to Aaliyah

In honor of the 10th anniversary of Aaliyah's passing, BET will be airing a tribute entitled "Aaliyah: One in a Million," at 8PM EST. The tribute will feature videos, rare footage, and interviews with close friends and collaborators, including Timbaland and Missy. Here's a clip of Missy and Tim talking about Aaliyah:



Also, be sure to check out BET and MTV throughout the day as they pay tribute to Aaliyah.

Remembering Aaliyah

A decade ago, the world lost an amazing singer and spirit in Aaliyah Dana Haughton. I remember waking up, going to the kitchen, and seeing my mom look a little nervous. When she saw me in the kitchen, she said: "I don't know how to tell you this...Aaliyah passed away in a plane crash today." I was shocked. I told my mother that she had to be wrong, that she confused Aaliyah with another artist, that it was just a rumor. And then I turned on the news, and saw it for myself. I didn't know what to do. I was overwhelmed with sadness. Here's someone who I never met, never talked to or anything, and yet I was so affected by her passing. And I think that speaks to the power of Aaliyah. She beautifully touched people across the world (people who had no personal interaction with her) with her voice, personality, artistry, and infectious smile. To all fans of Aaliyah and The Chronicles, feel free to share with us your favorite memory and/or song with us.

Rest In Peace, Baby Girl. We will never forget you.

Timbaland Thursdays: Tawanna - "See you Again"

For this week's installment of Timbaland Thursdays, Timbo shared a very heart-felt record from his vault called "See you Again" by Tawanna. Peep the track:



The song and this week's edition of Timbaland Thursdays are dedicated to Aaliyah who, as well all know, passed away almost 10 years ago (I still can't believe it). For hardcore Timstans, the link between Tawanna and Aaliyah isn't that odd because, as Timbaland shared in this interview we posted a while back, Tawanna reminded Tim a lot of Aaliyah. Here's what Tim had to say about Tawanna back in 2002:

"And you know, working with another female...I think that I can do it. I have this other female I'm about to sign, I think. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna sign her. Her name's Twanna from Atlanta, but she's not like Aaliyah. But she's makes me feel good like Aaliyah so that's kinda inspiring to have somebody like that, but it's still kinda hard. I doubt if I'll ever have that magic that I had with her, so like, I'm good with R&B because she was magic, as far as female vocalists."

Thanks Tim for sharing this record with us and keeping us smiling with sweet memories of Aaliyah. Rest In Peace Baby Girl!

Pitchfork Names Top 200 Tracks of the '90s, Timbaland Productions Make List

The staff over at Pitchfork just released their "Top 200 Tracks of the 1990s," and probably to no one's surprise, Timbaland's name can be found all over the list (some songs are discussed in "pre" and "post" Timbaland terms, which really shows his influence on popular music). While Timbo himself didn't make the list as an artist, three of his produced tracks are among the top 200, and one of those even made the top 10! Here are the three songs that made the list, and what the Pitchfork staff had to say about them:

8. Aaliyah
"Are you that Somebody"
[Atlantic; 1998]

Late-90s Timbaland was the epitome of audacious, screwball production genius, and Aaliyah was his ideal foil, a sultrily cool singer who did for melodic tension-and-release what other R&B singers were doing for showy melisma. Subsequently, "Are You That Somebody" sounds outlandish to the point where it comes across like a challenge from producer to singer-- and it's a challenge easily met. Tim's beat is borderline ridiculous, a rubbery, surreptitiously funky bounce that sounds like "Looney Tunes" composer Carl Stalling had been commissioned to rework a Catfish Collins chicken-scratch guitar riff.

But the aspects that might come across as goofy at first-- the baby coo sourced from Prince's "Delirious"; the beatboxing that sounds like broken castanets; the fact that it first emerged on the soundtrack to the Eddie Murphy version of Dr. Doolittle-- are offset by Aaliyah's characteristically deft performance, balancing an uncanny ability to wring new angles out of a deceptively simple melody and the chops to let her singing naturally jump from smooth longing to nimble rhythmic counterpoints. The moment in the chorus where her voice finally wraps itself entirely around that stagger-step beat and rolls out with the same fluidity as the frenetic bassline-- "causeIreallyneedsomebody/tellmeareyouthatsomebody"-- is everything great about late-90s R&B in one burst of inspiration. --Nate Patrin

33. Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott
"The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)"
[Elektra; 1997]

If you were a rap hit in 1997, there's a ballpark 70% chance Puff Daddy was your midwife. (Diddy actually wanted Missy Elliot for Bad Boy on the strength of her work with Timbaland on Aaliyah's records, and praise be that she went her own way.) This was not the weather for slinky, weird rap debuts, but being unprecedented is usually marketable somehow. (Didn't hurt that Hype Williams put her in what looked like a trash bag for the video.) A relief from stereotypes, sexier than most sex talk-- visionary stuff rarely makes the Top 10 anyhow. --Mike Powell

104. Ginuwine
"Pony"
[550 Music/ Sony Music Entertainment/ Epic; 1996]

Wherein the sound of a burping processed voice personifies sex. That belching roll came courtesy of Timbaland in his first jaw-dropper, and Elgin Lumpkin-- Ginuwine's wisely ditched government name-- obliged with the sort of on-the-nose sexual metaphor that made 90s R&B such a delightfully literal piece of American musical history. "If you're horny, let's do it; ride it, my pony." That is a masterful exegesis on cut-to-the-chase. But though Ginuwine has become a genuinely underrated R&B figure-- time is unkind to the lot-- Timbaland used "Pony" to catapult himself into the conversation for most innovative and exciting producer of the half-decade. Indeed, he did most of his best work, including albums for Aaliyah, Missy Elliott, and Playa and stunning select single and remix work for Jay-Z, Jodeci, and Usher in the years that followed.

But "Pony" remains an indefatigable thing, a signifier for "different" R&B, challenging in its strangeness-- the burping, the quiet moan on the intro, those skitting hi-hats, the mechanical hissing of pistons-- that it remains an inspiration 14 years on. Timbaland did more sensual work at almost the exact same time as he worked with Aaliyah on her One in a Million but he never unleashed such unbridled, skin-pressed sex on wax again. --Sean Fennessey

Since Pitchfork decided the list should only name one song per artist, "One in a Million," "Hot like Fire," "Make it hot," and "Sock it 2 Me" received honorable mention type of accolades.

Peep the full list Here

Congrats, Timbo!!!

Aaliyah (January 16, 1979 – August 25, 2001)

9 years ago I was in Boston for a friend's wedding. We were laughing in the car listening to music on the radio when the DJ cut in and said that a plane had crashed with Aaliyah on board with no survivors. I immediately turned the radio up in shock and disbelief and everyone became quiet as they knew what a big Aaliyah fan I was. I had to listen to it again, then flipped the channel and heard it on another radio station, and another, and another. As the truth set in, I vividly remember feeling so sad which was weird because I never knew her, I never met her, she had no real affect on my life but it was her music that connected she and I, as it connected so many to her. I just couldn't believe a young woman so beautiful, so talented, and so incredibly young was gone.

9 years later, as I'm sitting here a little teary eyed listening to my all time favorite Liyah track the remix of "At Your Best", I find myself right back to that day of sadness.

From all of us at The Chronicles, rest in peace Aaliyah. We thank you for sharing your gifts with us and we keep you alive through your music, beautiful spirit, and long lasting impression you left on all of us. R.I.P Babygirl

Aaliyah Tribute: Static Major "Never Know More" (Aaliyah Video)

To help celebrate the life of Aaliyah that we so tragically lost 9 years ago, the good folks over at Static Major Is Music (shout out to Neeze) have given us a demo for Aaliyah's beautiful "Never Know More" check it out:



Though it's not a Timbaland track, it's still great to hear how an original idea became a great song. Rest In Peace Baby Girl!

Keri Hilson's "Last Time" A New Track?

So the brand spanking new Keri Hilson track "Last Time" has just dropped and we're all ready for the full to drop right?! It is a new track.......isn't it?

Nope!

The track has actually been out for more than a year with none other than Candice Nelson providing her vocals and penmanship as she does with all her written tracks. Check out her version in full:



So if you've got Candice on the pen you know you got a Clutch track on your hands. Yep that's right J Que joins her on the writing credits and vocals and more than likely with Keri's version out now, she will also have writing credits. So what about the producer? Has to be Timbo with those 'Liyah "Try Again" drums.....doesn't it?

Nope!

Track is produced by The Sureshot Brothers (check the shout at the beginning). With that said, can we say BITER?! Damn there's no getting around those drums. No I smell sample? Czar where you at.

You know how we do on The Chronicles, givin' you the real ish! Props to my fellow Keepers team!

Aaliyah in "The Mim Rose"

Check out this never before seen clip of Aaliyah in one of her brother Rashad's movie:



This must have been.....pre every other movie she ever did. You are missed baby girl!

Props to Remy.

The Dream Pays Tribue To Aaliyah

Some things should be left alone forever; the original “We Are The World”, Michael Jackson rumors, Kid from Kid N Play’s hair, and so many more. As far as being untouched Timbaland songs, a track I think we can all agree on that should never be touched is Aaliyah’s “One In A Million.” The subtlety and sultriness of her voice will be forever unmatched but despite that, The Dream decided he wanted to do his best to cover it. Check it out:



Well it seemed Mr. Radio Killah got a lot of flack for his tribute and decided to give a response via his twitter:

"No one will ever [sing] Aaliyah's 'One In A Million' like she did! Deff not me lol. I did it because I Reilly miss her still and it was out of respect! To her I'm still just a fan not a writer not an artist a Fan! Calm down the worlds not over. But y'all will remember how dope she was and still is to this day!"

This definitely bring back memories of Kiley Dean’s “Make Me A Song” that many argue led to the shelving of her album. Not from the song itself but rather the lack of interest in her first single dooming anything else that came out after that.

What do you think, you feeling it?

One of the Rarest Aaliyah Tracks.....Found!

Wow the last month has been truly unforgettable for Timbo fans, especially us old-school ones. First there was Lil Mo' and now it's Aaliyah. Everyone go check your Aaliyah/Timbo tracks right now...go on.

So of all them which ones are snippets? No not "Time" that's a full track just unfinished (meant for the 30 Years For Life soundtrack by the way). Keep looking. Ok I'll give you a hint, focus on "One In A Million." Yes we have "Timbaland's Remix" but what about that other one "Remix 2"? Ahh yes that one is only a snippet....until now.

Timbo fans I present to you the FULL version of the long lost "Remix 2" of Aaliyah's "One In A Million" *hint check that Missy rap, never heard before!



DOPE!

Video: Aaliyah "More Than A Woman" (Alternate Version)

Check out the alternate video edit of Aaliyah's "More Than A Woman":



You catch all the differences?

Ginuwine's Favorite Aaliyah Moment?

Throughout all the years and all the tracks Ginuwine and Aaliyah worked on what do you think G's favorite one is with 'Liyah? Watch for yourself:



Now another interesting fact about G and Baby Girl is that G has never really written for anyone besides himself but a track he did write for someone else is none other than Alliyah's "I Miss U" written, get this, back in 1998.

Aaliyah Biopic in 2009?

I should probably file this under Word Is since it hasn't been 100% confirmed but it seems the long overdue Aaliyah biopic will be coming mid 2009. The movie will chronicle the life of Aaliyah throughout her life until her untimely death in 2001.

And just who will be playing Aaliyah?

R&B singer Keisha Chante that's who. Chante has signed on to the movie with shooting starting in August. Chante has worked with both The Clutch and Danja on her album 2U released in 2006.

Let's hope a soundtrack with unreleased Aaliyah/Timbaland tracks also comes out with the movie. Stay tuned for more details!

Props to Hammer on the news.

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:

Fader Magazine Icon: Aaliyah

I just bought the latest issue of Fader Magazine with Aaliyah on the cover. The article is made up of various people from her friends to colleagues to family all commenting the impact that she left in this world. Here are a few:

Missy Elliott: Me and Tim, our sound was so far left that it was kinda hard for people. They liked it, but they didn’t know if they really liked it, because it was so different from everything else on the radio. But the weird thing was, as soon as we did “One in a Million,” she immediately thought it was a hit. We didn’t have to convince her, she was like, I’m telling you, this is hot. I knew then there was a chemistry. She wasn’t close-minded. She was an artist that got it.

Timbaland: She was a sister to me. She was very talented and gave a lot at a young age. I miss her very much.

Jomo Hankerson: In the process of recording One in a Million, we got a demo from Timbaland and Missy. The song was called “Sugar and Spice,” which felt a little too kiddie to us, but the structure of the record, the melody, had what became Tim’s signature triplebeat on it. We were overwhelmed, and we sent it to Aaliyah. She called us back like, The track is crazy, this is the best thing I’ve ever heard. So we flew Timbaland and Missy into Detroit to work with her.

Atlantic thought we should remix the record [One In A Million] and take the triplebeat down to make it more radio-friendly, but we were very bullheaded about it. We heard they were trying to get remixes done, so we took the tapes out the studio! Back in those days before ProTools you could really control where the music went. If you had that two-inch reel, you had the record. So we grabbed the two inch reels and all the tapes so nobody could do any unauthorized remixes and we stuck to our guns on that version of the record.

Cassie: The first song that I learned when I went to meet with producers was “Miss You.” When you’re working on a song and you want to put yourself in a place, you think of someone you want to emulate. I think about her a lot. She’s a constant part of the music-making process for me. I defi nitely feel like we’ve faced similar criticisms. I met a lot of people who knew her personally who told me she had a hard time performing live. I watched her on Regis and she was just sitting on a stool with her hair over her eye and maybe she didn’t hit the right notes, but you didn’t care because she believed in herself so much. That’s what you look up to as a young girl.

Ciara: I have tons of respect for her. It’s funny too, because I remember a time period when Missy Elliott was telling me that I reminded her of Aaliyah and I felt that was really touching because she was saying that I reminded her of her on a personal note and I’ve heard so many great things about her personality. I heard she was very sweet and for Missy to say that was very, very meaningful to me. As an artist too, because of those comparisons, it has really, really motivated me to create my own thing and just be true to who I am. If she was here, I would’ve loved to maybe do a song or do a video together. To be able to merge our styles would’ve been really cool.

Mark Ronson: I still remember, and I said this in my speech out of guilt for beating Timbaland for the Producer of the Year Award [at the 2008 Grammys], getting the “One in a Million” 12-inch, putting it on my turntable, and playing it over and over even though I didn’t quite know what to make of it. Aaliyah sounded like a fairy whispering over this insane hi-hat pattern. There were no other slow-tempo records then, there was just Ginuwine’s “Pony” and “One in a Million,” so if you were gonna play them in a hip-hop club you were making an event of it.

Barry Hankerson: It really popped open for Static and Missy and Timbaland as well as Aaliyah; that was a crucial role that I had, because nobody had ever heard their music at that point. In fact, Craig Kallman at Atlantic Records told me I was crazy for even listening to it. We did One in a Million with very little money. We were stressed because we had been so successful with the fi rst album, and we knew we had to follow it up, but she was never worried. She was just like, It’s gonna be fi ne Uncle Barry. This is my time. Don’t worry.

Tank: She was really adamant about developing the power in her voice. She was like, I like singing pretty, and I like having the angelic voice, but I want to sing harder. I want to sing from the soul. With singing, it’s not totally about what you can do, it’s about being able to see where to put these things. Aaliyah could do all the runs, but to be like an artist painting, to know where to put the tree, it takes a little more imagination. Her confi dence was everything. She was like, I’m a woman and I’m Aaliyah, I can try it if I want to.

Method Man: The word in the hood was, she had a cockeye. Cause she always wear them shades, yahmean? But the next album came out andit was like, Whoa, she killin it on some real warrior shit. I didn’t see anyone doing what she did. I mean, Britney Spears triedbut I laughed at that fuckin video. It was hilarious, yo. I liked that song Britney bit, where Aaliyah had the snake [“We Need A Resolution”]. It was deep.

Download the full article

As for myself I got into Aaliyah the minute I saw the video for "Back And Forth." Something about her, she had this swagger, her voice was really smooth and deep and most of all controlled no screeching, and the way she moved was so fluid and effortless. When I heard "One In A Million" my jaw literally dropped. I couldn't believe it was the same girl who did "Down With The Clique" and it was the first time I heard a beat stutter like that. I just didn't understand how someone could do that to a beat. I copped her album the day it came out and as much as I loved the song "One In A Million", it was when I heard "Heartbroken" that everything changed for me. I never listened to music the same way after that track. To this day it's the most played Timbo track I own and definitely a top 5 Tim beat for me. I think a huge piece of Tim and Missy passed when Aaliyah did as their music has never been the same since. Rest in peace baby girl!

What about all of you? When and how did you get into Aaliyah?