In the club with Timbaland and Timberlake
Mar 23, 2007, 05:01 PM | by Simon Vozick-Levinson
Categories: Music
"Ricky Bobby is in the house!"
With those words, Timbaland — noted Talladega Nights enthusiast and producer extraordinaire — kicked off the party he threw last night at NYC club PM to preview his upcoming album Timbaland Presents Shock Value.
The crowd was a star-studded one; without a separate VIP area, A-listers wandered casually throughout the club's single cozy room. Over in a candle-lit corner, Justin Timberlake sat chatting with friends and (be still our hearts!) reading the latest issue of EW, which features writer Ethan Brown's in-depth look at Shock Value's creation. Soulful singer Citizen Cope bobbed his head appreciatively to the beats nearby. The only star who wasn't mingling was Timbaland himself, who stayed high above the floor in a DJ booth for the entire time that his album played. Towards the end of the disc, lead Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger, who's currently on tour with the rest of the Dolls supporting Christina Aguilera, joined Tim in his lofty perch; "She's no longer [with the Dolls] —s he's by herself," he announced before Scherzinger hastily shushed him.
Oh, and the music? That was as impressive as expected, starting with a wicked cut that flipped a sample of Nina Simone's classic "Sinnerman" so that Simone seemed to be crying out, "Oh, Timbaland!" Songs featuring cameos from Missy Elliott, 50 Cent, Fall Out Boy, Elton John, and many other famous members of Tim's fan club all kept partygoers hopping; no doubt repeat listens will reveal the wealth of experimental nuances that the maestro typically delivers.
Around 10:30, after playing the final cut, Tim descended at last to sip red wine and crack jokes with Justin. Without any more of his new music on hand, the club chose to blast a series of others' current rap hits — hot songs all, but somehow they just couldn't compare.
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