The Virginia Era Of Hip Hop in the 90s
Lots of breathtaking musical artists came out of VA during the 90s.
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I believe people talk about New York a ton in hip hop. Today, many rappers and producers of that era have transitioned to podcasting, acting, or being in commercials. Good work if you can get it, for sure!
I don't think the culture as a whole spends time talking about the 90s era of what went on in Virginia. I feel like Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and Portsmouth birthed an entire group of hip-hop notables, including Timbaland, The Neptunes (Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo), Missy Eliott, Clipse (Pusha T and No Malice), and even Chris Brown, who no one has been able to stop yet (unfortunately.) These people took hip-hop to another level, one of my favorite levels ever. Then they moved on to work with a variety of different, non-rap related artists. Of course, this isn't about these people so much as my personal exposure to their art.
HOW I GOT INTO THE VIRGINIA ERA OF HIP-HOP?
For me, it all goes back to Timbaland and Magoo. Together with Missy Elliot and Aaliyah, a.k.a. “The Superfriends” made a song I thought was so amazing I had to keep my eyes on MTV in hopes that Up Jumps da Boogie would come on. It had everyone in it, including people that were not on the song—Timbo, Magoo, Missy, and Aaliyah of course, but Ginuwine, Static Major, etc. As a youth, I didn't know how important it was to see the whole team in a music video together; either way, this blew my mind. Don't even get me started on the completely different sounding remix. Two songs of equal greatness!
My “I GOTTA SEE IT” attitude got worse when Luv 2 Luv Ya came out. The video was themed in this Scooby Doo looking haunted house, and the rapper Shaunta was added to the mix as Timbaland’s co-rapper. Once again, the entire Blackground Records crew was in the video. In my opinion, Luv 2 Luv Ya is one of the best songs of all time.
Many people have this notion that neither Timbaland nor Magoo can rap. I'd say those people have a point, but this is one of few records that's not particularly gangsta. They mostly talk about not being broke anymore and how the world treats them now that they have money. Tim and Magoo know they're not "hard core" and don't pretend they are.
The album Welcome to Our World was the first CD I bought for myself with my own money. I distinctly remember the trip to get it. We listened to it in my friend's car, and as soon as I got out, I dropped the disk on the floor of his garage, wrong side down. I can at least say the parts that skipped were consistent.
HOW DID THIS VA ERA THING START FOR YOU?
In 1991, Teddy Riley built Future Recording Studios in Virginia Beach. Riley, from NYC, is a musical child prodigy who started putting hip-hop and R&B together and is largely credited with creating New Jack Swing. Plus, he was in Blackstreet, so you can thank him for No Diggity, too.
Once Teddy built a million dollar studio that had all the music stars of the era coming through to work there, he also had to deal with all the kids hanging around who wanted to work with him or get put on. Two kids he mentored were Timbaland and the Neptunes.
The music began to expand massively in this VA space. I'm not going to say it's all because of Riley's move to Virginia, but his presence was essential to the interesting musical styles coming out. Timbaland's stuttering style, Missy Elliot’s amazing songwriting and use of onomatopia rhymes, and The Neptunes stunningly diverse sounds owe it all to the push Teddy Riley gave them. Piece By Piece, Pharrell William's lego-made biopic talks a lot about this, and the film was amazing for VA stans like me!
THE NEW HOTNESS OF THE NEPTUNES
Legend has it that Pharrell Williams won his first Grammy from writing Teddy Riley's verse on Rump Shaker. I don't know if that's true, but I heard it in one of his songs, so I assume it is. Pharrell was a kid who had synesthesia and literally saw sounds. That's bad for class but good for music. Pharrell, Chad, and their friend... Timbaland started a music group called Surrounded By Idiots. All of these guys went to high school close together, and all of them were trying to work at Teddy Riley’s studio.
When Chad and Pharrell finally formed The Neptunes, it was its own revolution. N.O.R.E. was the first out the box with Superthug, and people loved that banging beat so much the team started working with everyone from Mystikal, Ludacris, and eventually Jay-Z.
I feel that the best thing about this Virginia Era was how much the producers used their own voices on their tracks. That could be why we know them 25 years later. The artists also promoted them on the dazzling songs they helped put together. With The Neptunes, Timbaland, and Missy Elliot, they would be on the track and world wanted you to know who created the magic.
Once that initial popularity hit, The Neptunes created N.E.R.D. with their friend Shay and In Serach Of… blew my world so hard that I still have the free sample I got while working at the college television station. N.E.R.D. remains one of my favorite bands of all time. They have the kind of love that never fades Check out the Piece by Piece article for more.
LAST THOUGHTS
My love of Timbaland was so great that I got in a random conversation in an elevator about music with Gregg Sansone. He loved Timbaland even more than I did and became my first musical partner at college. That is the impression Timbo made on us from Welcome to Our World until we met in 2000.
The Neptunes and later, Pharrell Williams were always in this out there space that made me feel like I fit. I love hip-hop. I love rock music. I love electronica. The tracks and music they produced made me feel at home in a way other musicians just couldn't. They spoke to the feeling of being the ethnic kid lost in a sea of white people. That was my life. It’s taken a long time to understand that part of my consciousness, and I'm glad N.E.R.D. made the music they did. It sums up the connective tissue of lives like mine.
I believe the Virginia Era is worth discussing as its own thing. It's produced so much incredible music since. Here's a list of songs that made a huge impression on me in Katy, Texas.
Big Pimpin by Jay-Z feat UGK producer: Timbaland: I wouldn't even know who my hometown heroes UGK were if it wasn't for this song.
Frontin' feat Jay-Z producer: The Neptunes: Pharrell was always singing in the background, but this was the first time he took over the whole song that was NOT in N.E.R.D. Apparently, they wrote this for Prince, who turned it down.
Sexy Back by Justin Timberlake producer Timbaland: I didn't have enough faith that a beatboxing pop star like Justin Timberlake could be that kind of world-famous. Timbaland didn’t agree with me.
Everyone Nose (remix) by N.E.R.D feat Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco, Pusha T: I mean... I love N.E.R.D., so this remix left the rock style and made a hip-hop song about girls doing cocaine. Killer dude.
Trippin' by Total producer Timbaland & Missy Elliot: This classic song has a baseline that makes me want to beg to get my breath back. It still sounds futuristic to me.
Spaz by N.E.R.D: This is my favorite song off Seeing Sounds released in 2008. If you want me to bang my head, turn this on.
Ugly by Bubba Sparxxx producer Timbaland: I could put this on my Best White Rappers after Eminem piece, but I thought this was Black until I saw the video.
Promiscuous by Nelly Furtado feat Timbaland: I loooove Nelly Furtado since her first record, and seeing her in this mode was a treat. Nelly Furtado is like a bird in my brain that I hope never leaves.
That's enough for now, but if you ever get hungry enough to talk 90s or 00s music, hit me up. Remember, I used to be in a band called the 99 Boyz. We played music from before 1999... unless we didn't.
Thanks for reading, and go vote for me in the "Work With Timbaland" contest!
Thanks everyone!
