Ranking the Best Timbaland & Magoo Albums

Twitter jumped for joy when Uncle Barry announced that Blackground Records – seemingly the last major holdout – was FINALLY releasing their catalog of music to streaming. Of course, most of that attention was directed toward Aaliyah’s holy trinity of albums

Despite the still sticky situation with family drama and music rights, I support the move. Aaliyah’s music deserves to be readily available, especially for younger fans who didn’t have the privilege of hoarding her music on CDs like me in the late 90s.

But to be honest, I was just as excited – maybe a little bit MORE excited – to get Timbaland and Magoo’s often-overlooked catalog on streaming.

Most longtime Soul In Stereo heads know that I’m a Va guy. Missy Elliott is my favorite artist of all time, and my favorite producer, not surprisingly, is Va’s own Tim Mosley. And though he got a LOT of hate back in the day, I’m also a big fan of Magoo’s off-kilter approach to hip-hop.

Obviously no one would confuse Timbaland and Magoo for top-tier lyricists, but that was never their intention. Their approach to rapping is inspired by the 80s icons like Kurtis Blow who shaped their fandom – good times, hilarious one-liners and crowd-moving beats.

And before you critics jump in my mentions to say “WELL AREN’T YOU MR LYRIC LOVER, WHY ARE YOU SO HARD ON TODAY’S RAPPERS, GRANDPA!?” Well, unlike today’s Codeine Dream Team, Tim and Maganoo knew exactly who they were – two friends having a ball. No one was calling them GOATs on Twitter Mount Rushmores, no one was propping them up as elite MCs. We loved them because they made us laugh and they made us move.

Today, let’s look back and one of my favorite duos, ranking their LPs from bottom to top. This list will contain the three Timbaland and Magoo proper albums, as well as the three solo Timbaland albums (although Magoo made sure to pop up a time or two on those too).

My wife always complains that I treat music like a math problem, critiquing and analyzing every note. That’s the burden of a music critic. But Tim and Magoo? Those brothers just remind me to let loose and have fun.

NOW DROP NOW DROP NOW DROP NOW DROP!

6. Shock Value 2 (2009)

Soul In Stereo rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Edd said: Look y’all, most of you know I’ve been doing this album review thing more than a decade, and I stand by every score, even the controversial ones. But sometimes I revisit an album and say “ehhh, I was too forgiving that day.” I reviewed Shock Value 2 back in 2009, and while I really enjoyed it back then, most of it didn’t hold up when revisiting it for this post. Like its predecessor, Timbo explored more pop and rock-oriented sounds on this set, and the results are pretty mixed. In some spots it’s very solid and creative, in others it’s like a weird science experiment gone awry – you’re best off cherry pick your favorite songs and ignore the rest.

Forgotten favorites: “Say Something,” “Undertow,” “Timothy Where You Been”

5. Under Construction, Part 2 (2003)

Soul In Stereo rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Edd said: Under Construction Part 2 – so named because it was crafted alongside Missy Elliott’s incredible Under Construction LP (her best LP – yes I said it) – is the final Tim and Mag collabo set and has become the odd man out in their trio of albums. There’s a reason for that – besides “Cop That Ish,” there wasn’t much that made an impression on mainstream ears. The manic energy and unpredictable nature that defined the best Tim and Maganoo sets also isn’t as strong here. But best believe the beats still hit hard and you’ll find some surprisingly deep concepts at times.

Forgotten favorites: “Indian Flute,” “Naughty Eye,” “Insane”

4. Shock Value (2007)

Soul In Stereo rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Edd said: Timbaland went through a bit of a second renaissance in the mid-00s, riding off the success of his efforts with Nelly Furtado, Justin Timberlake and others. The original Shock Value reflected that work, branching away from his rap n’ R&B wheelhouse to embrace electronic, rock and pop sounds. The results were mixed – in ways you probably wouldn’t expect. His collabo with OneRepublic, for instance, may seem weird on paper, but it produced a very memorable hit. Meanwhile, his work with more expected names like 50 Cent and Timberlake were a lot less eventful than you’d think. But once again, there’s enough fun tracks and stellar production to help you soldier through the release. Plus we got a Magoo sighting, which always makes me happy.

Forgotten favorites: “Oh Timbaland,” “Bounce,” “Boardmeeting”

3. Tim’s Bio: Life from Da Bassment (1998)

Soul In Stereo rating: 4 stars out of 5

Edd said: After spending a couple of years cementing his name as THE premier producer in hip-hop & R&B, Timbo’s Rolodex was HEAVY. (A Rolodex is an old school “contact list,” for you young’ns). That made Tim’s Bio – Timbaland’s first solo LP (although Mag still pops up a couple of times) – an all-star affair. Nas, Jay-Z and more join the Supafriends party, with even future stars like Ludacris getting a chance to shine. As we’ve already established, Timbaland is no lyricist, but with so many heavy hitters carrying the load, Tim just sits back and watches the magic takes place. I’ve said many, MANY times that 1998 is one of my favorite years in music – this album is another reason why.

Forgotten favorites: “Who Am I,” “Talkin’ on the Phone,” “Birthday”

2. Welcome to Our World (1997)

Soul In Stereo rating: 4 stars out of 5

Edd said: True story – when “Up Jumps the Boogie” debuted on Va radio in early 97, I was instantly obsessed. But of course this was pre-Google, pre-streaming, pre-Twitter, so when I heard it, I didn’t know WHAT it was or who was performing it. I called the radio station. I called the local record store. But no one had any details (and it didn’t help that I only recognized Missy and Aaliyah and thought the song was called “How We Party.”) Eventually, I did find my beloved “Up Jumps the Boogie,” along with this incredible debut. Welcome to Our World is a family affair, giving Missy, Aaliyah, Ginuwine and Playa a worldwide platform while unleashing some of the most creative, mind-bending beats we’d ever heard at the time. Seriously, this album is nearly 25 years old and still sounds NOTHING like anything you’ll hear today. As with most of those early Timbaland projects, sometimes things get a little TOO weird but the off-the-charts creativity and unpredictable atmosphere make Welcome to Our World quite the cult hit.

Forgotten favorites: “Man Undercover,” “Joy,” “Smoke In Da Air”

1. Indecent Proposal (2001)

Soul In Stereo rating: 4 stars out of 5

Edd said: The boundary-bending Welcome to Our World might be their most memorable album. Tim’s Bio was where the stars out came to shine. But combine both of those elements and you get 2001’s Indecent Proposal, some of the most insanely fun 60 minutes you’ll ever spend in your life. Tim and Mag tear the club to smithereens on “Drop,” have a seance on “Indian Carpet,” cosplay as pimps with on “Considerate Brotha,” attempt to set the mood (in hilariously goofy ways) on “Love Me,” essentially have a battle cypher on “Beat Club,” close out with a sobering farewell to Aaliyah on “I Am Music” – Timbo and Maganoo feel like sitcom characters and each song is a wacky new episode. The production is incredible, the guest stars have a blast, and I’m so glad fans who missed it the first time can now enjoy it on streaming. It’s the absolute best of Timbaland and Magoo.

Forgotten favorites: “Considerate Brotha,” “Indian Carpet,” “Serious”

Share your favorite Timbaland & Magoo albums, memories and beats below.