For a period in the mid-aughties, Timbaland was on the top of world, producing endless megahits for the likes of Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado (who scored five #1's between them in 2006 and 2007). Songs like "SexyBack" and "Promiscuous" even made Timbo enough of a household name that he was able to launch his own (briefly) successful solo career, starting with "Give It To Me," a thumping diss track featuring his two favorite collaborators. Though some circles credit the dominance of Timbaland's club-ready work in helping lay the groundwork for the dance-pop resurgence of recent years, it's almost comical to look back now at how simple his artfully industrial clicks and snaps sound compared to today's pulsing synth orgies. But the sparsity is incredibly refreshing, especially because it allows for maximum appreciation of the trio's amusingly boisterous verses. Just try not to crack a smile when Timberlake gets to his genius Prince slam, "We missed you on the charts last week/Damn, that's right, you wasn't there." B+
Five years ago this week, "Give It To Me" was the #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100.
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