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Timbaland’s New Track Makes Us Beg for a World Without Collaborations

11/14/06, 3:56 pm EST

Timberlake Timbaland Nelly

We’d like to put a moratorium on collaborations. It’s for your own good, music industry. What with Chris Martin producing Jay-Z and Will.i.am supposedly working with Michael Jackson, we’re starting to feel like the business has just gotten too incestuous. And it’s not just the ick factor that we have to worry about, we think this you-be-on-my-record-I’ll-be-on-yours thing is starting to hurt the music. Case in point: “Give It to Me,” off Timbaland’s new record. The track features Timbaland mainstays Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake as guest vocalists, and it’s just not so good.

The basic beat is strong — a sort of dub-meets-jungle thump — and Timbaland’s vocals resonate like usual, but the Timberlake/Furtado parts feel gratuitous and forced. Plus, apparently JT’s verse involves some sort of attempt at calling out Janet Jackson for the way she handled nipplegate almost THREE FUCKING YEARS AGO. The lyrics (”I saw you trying to act cute on TV/ ‘Just let me clear the air’ “) may or may not be directed at Jackson but they definitely suck. Where’s the wit and the spirit in this song?

[via Stereogum]


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Comments

baba o riley | 11/14/2006, 4:58 pm EST

Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake not helping to further the music industry? Wha?

spiralmc13 | 11/14/2006, 5:39 pm EST

charliemapleton | 11/14/2006, 6:21 pm EST

When they’re on their own(Nelly & Justin),they’re sensational.When they’re together,they’re SOLID!Timbaland is a maestro with nothing to lose,which is creativity and credibility.

charliemapleton | 11/14/2006, 6:29 pm EST

As far as that lyric goes,Justin,I like your whole coolness and swagger(no homo),but DON’T GET SLICK.

boatman | 11/14/2006, 8:49 pm EST

Nelly Furtado’s first 2 albums were very good. Her latest album is too generic. What happened to her personality?
As for Timberlake I don’t know why anyone takes him seriously. Not a hint of originality.

The Vintage Idiot | 11/14/2006, 9:32 pm EST

Damn shame about Gerald Levert huh? Even more of a shame, not a mention of him on this site…

Stuporfly | 11/14/2006, 10:08 pm EST

I beg for a world without Elizabeth Goodman and the rest of the ‘hilarious’ Rolling Stone blogger-types.

jj | 11/14/2006, 10:39 pm EST

I think that anything that Timbaland does is great.

l

Cendor | 11/14/2006, 11:31 pm EST

Amen, Elizabeth. When you’ve got little or no substance on your own besides an average falsetto and some learned dance moves it’s “safer” to hang with your friends. How ’bout making a freakin’ record on your OWN merits Justin? Oh, that’s right… Timbaland seems like a funny guy and has talent for producing hits for mediocre artists, he knows what he’s doing. As for Furtado, she did have personality before, now she’s just like everyone else in the “image is everything” mtv world.

JD | 11/15/2006, 2:06 am EST

Anything involving Timberlake is pretty lame in my books. He thinks he’s Jacko, Prince, and Stevie Wonder rolled up in one. I’m praying that he doesn’t dominate next years’ grammy awards.

Want to hear a great collaboration, try “Hips Don’t Lie” by Shakira with Wyclef Jean. It puts all other collaborations this year to shame.

cf | 11/15/2006, 3:37 am EST

the worst of all the collaborators?? puffy.

Jimmy vu | 11/15/2006, 4:53 am EST

“Plus, apparently JT’s verse involves some sort of attempt at calling out Janet Jackson for the way she handled nipplegate almost THREE FUCKING YEARS AGO.”

Wow…Lizzy…can I call you Liz? Like whoa on the Caps girl…someone needs to take a chill pillllll. How about you collaborate with some other music critics…it’ll do you good.

Muah

Rich | 11/15/2006, 6:06 am EST

Makes me laugh saying these artists don’t help the music industry as they are pushing record sales up and are the best thing on the pop/RnB radio, due to its so different thanks to Timbaland incredible beat making! I think the song is good, that will be a great club record.

precious | 11/15/2006, 8:18 am EST

i would call it rather broccoli than music!!!! may the flying fish help to rise the sun without cucumbers and wheat

9 | 11/15/2006, 9:09 am EST

Sales may be up but the over all effect will not be felt for years. If our kids grow up listening to crap then they will grow up and make more crap. Children are our future. Treat them well. give them good music to listen to

tbone | 11/15/2006, 5:35 pm EST

Collaborations should be left to Christmas benefits for Africa. Does every ATL rapper have to appear on every other ATL guy’s single?

plasticfantastic7 | 11/16/2006, 12:02 am EST

this song absolutely disgusts me because jt insults prince right after insulting janet.

jt rips prince over ever five seconds and then gives a cheeky juvenile response to prince saying onstange “sexy never left”??

he needs to die in a hole

Lenny | 11/16/2006, 6:36 am EST

Justin Timberlake is a douche.

Susan "Mrs. Timberlake" Kim | 11/17/2006, 12:53 pm EST

All of you jerks saying mean things about Justin are just plain old jealous! He is talented, he can dance, he has a lovely disposition and he has Cameron. I bet you wish you could be Justin. Anyway, I think he is great and I love his music…collaboration or not.

Baze | 11/17/2006, 1:01 pm EST

Tim is usually on point but I have to say sometimes he rests on his laurels. I really think if he wanted to have the game on lock , it is not out of his grasp. Although Nelly’s album is a stretch from previous works, it opened her up to the mainstream, so props for that. It was hit and miss at times, but Tim’s production was solid!. JT’s album from a production standpoint is hot, man. My Love is a beast of a track, but the VIDEO holds the quality of the song back. I feel the same can be said for SexyBack. These artists are all solid, but I think they should concentrate on bringing their A- game more often instead of depending the listener to buy into the drawing power of their names.

bob dylan | 12/18/2006, 1:15 pm EST

i dont know what ur talkn bout cuz justin timberlake is the hottest man ALIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !

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