The late great Aaliyah Haughton easily avoided the sophomore slump in late summer 1996 when her album One in a Millon hit record stores. Aaliyah’s label lined her up with some of the hottest producers of the time, including Daryl Simmons, Kay-Gee, Jermaine Dupri, and Rashad Smith. However, her tracks with a then up-and-coming Timbaland truly helped Aliyah find a different sound.
Timbaland produced nine of the album’s seventeen tracks. The time spent working on One in a Millon led to a successful working between the two. A year later, Timbaland and his partner were preparing to release their debut, Welcome to Our World, featuring two appearances from Aaliyah. The first was “Up Jumps da Boogie,” and the second was
“Man Undercover this week’s pick for Slow Jam Saturday.
Toward the end of Welcome to Our World, Timbaland & Magoo provided the listeners with two slow cuts. “Joy” (featuring Ginuwine and Playa) and Aaliyah’s contribution. The track begins with Timbo’s signature drum sound, with Baby Girl and Missy Elliot’s voices lushly blending before Aaliyah croons the first verse.
“I, I, like the way, way, you get down, down
(that’s the way I like it)
You’re the kinda guy
That makes mom feel proud
Don’t have to show you’re the boy, oh
I, I, like you the way that you are
I like my man undercover
Smooth dark brotha
Fly to the bone
You don’t need no fly jeep
To come and scoop me
You can drive what you own
(thats the way I like it)
A man undercover
Smooth black brotha
Fly to the bone
Don’t need no Gucci sweater
To make you look better
You can wear what you own.”
What I’ve always liked about the song is how Aaliyah eludes admiration for her man while avoiding crass lyrics. Toward the end of the track, Timbaland drops back in to drop a few bars. A fan favorite for years, “Man Undercover” is worth a listen if you’ve never heard the song.
“Man Undercover” is available on Timbaland & Magoo’s Welcome To Our World and Ultimate Aaliyah on all streaming platforms
This weekend is about celebrating the King of Pop, Mr. Michael Jackson, and his legacy. For this week’s Second Listen Sunday, I wanted to highlight his debut solo album, “Got To Be There,” which was released on January 24th, 1972.
Fifteen years after his untimely passing, the King of Pop’s music continues to resonate with us, a testament to its timeless appeal. As we honor his heavenly birthday this past Thursday, I wanted to pay tribute to him with ‘Loving You’ for this week’s Slow Jam Saturday.
When we reminisce about the potential of lead singers who could have been iconic solo acts, the name Sisqó immediately springs to mind. The front man for R&B quartet Dru Hill, Sisqó, stormed onto the scene in 1999 with his solo debut ‘Unleash the Dragon.’ The success of the singles ‘Incomplete’ and ‘Thong Song’ propelled Sisqó’s solo debut to sell a staggering five million copies in the US alone, leaving an indelible mark on the music industry.