Timbaland: Scream [Review]

pO157.

Posted to Music on Sun Apr 20, 2008 at 12:31:40 PM EST (promoted by port1080). RSS.

Hip Hop producer cum artist Timbaland recently released a new single off his album "Shock Value" and associated music video, "Scream" which co-starred two women from the Pussycat Dolls.

In a world where almost every single link to YouTube connects to Rick Astley's classic disco hit "Never Gonna Give You Up" you would imagine any new music video would be a welcome sight. Assuming you could get to it safely and avoid the ubiquitous machinations of the "RickRoll" meme that is sweeping the internet, of course. Perhaps that is why when Timbaland originally released his video it went to Yahoo, only following along on YouTube.

After the masterpiece of choreography, music, and artist design that was Timbaland's first major music video I expected great things from this film. While I want to talk mostly about "Scream" I'll point out a few things that impressed me about "The Way I Are." Mr. Land obviously is aware that the majority of popular hip/hop tracks are consumed by middle-class whitebread kids or middle-age guys in the suburbs who are still cool. Thus you will note several homages to this demographic in "The Way I Are." Included are several common 'white guy dances', most notably: the usage of The Robot @ 0:28, The Fish @ 0:30, unneeded and totally unrelated spontaneous line dancing @ 0:54, walking like an Egyptian @ 1:24, the help-me-help-you hand gesture @ 2:00, jazz hands @ 3:00, and partially offscreen disco pointing @ 3:10. He also references some pop culture elements of middle class America, including the Starwood Hotels American Express Card. Between that, his sponsorship by McDonalds  and the whole I'm not okay, but you're not okay because you are overweight either but we're still okay themes going on he plays to his anticipated demographic very well. I also enjoyed the random Mormon door-to-door salesmen playing soccer in the background for some reason. It sends the inclusive message of peace and understanding that only comes from saying "You know, even if your religion taught people of my appearance are substandard until the mid-70s and still have not removed offending text from your religious books, we can still enjoy the comforts of this poorly lit and dingy alley together --- albeit at some distance from each other and only as long as we never actually speak."

As you can imagine, I looked forward to reviewing the latest music video "Scream." I felt the song was interesting, if a bit dull. I did enjoy some of the lyrics such as "Can I have some of your cookies? / Can I have some of your pie?" As you are likely aware, the idea of using food as a metaphor for sexual activity is not novel, most recently occurring in the classic Black Eyed Peas "My Humps" (Mix your milk with my cocoa puffs, milky milky cocoa puffs.) I also enjoy how they teach people to use a designated driver, because being a cool hip/hop artist who hangs out with hot chicks doesn't excuse you from personal responsibility. Despite those few kernels of lyrical goodness, most of the song appeared to be vaguely about sex and whatnot. Which is fine, except I felt it was quite unoriginal. It has a good beat, and the kids can dance to it, but that's about it. It will probably be popular in dance clubs for a year or so, but won't have the staying power of other hit classics.

Now on to the music video. Although it opens mostly in some apartment featuring Mr. Land with his harem most of the action after 0:30 occurs in some sketchy public parking garage. The whole music video seems to be rather plot less and pointless. If I wanted to see a bunch of chicks and classic cars I would have gone to a road rally or something. And what is up with the choice to use a vacant parking garage as the scene of most of the shots?  There is no hilarious middle aged dance guy moves, save one "airplane strafing motion" at 1:22, which may not have been intentional. There is a little plot development in the final seconds, in which an article on Wiki implies they were planning a robbery, but it just doesn't make sense at all. If that is the point of the music video, why not introduce that earlier? And why rob a building on foot with no masks or anything? If this is the definition of "Keepin' it real" then call me fake. I mean, what criminal mastermind is also a supermodel and hangs out in vacant garages and storage areas wearing a mask and playing with herself for no reason? Is this "How to be a cool thug that I want people to idolize" or "How to get locked up by some $5 an hour rent-a-cop moonlighting to pay his way through a Criminal Justice certificate program?"

Now, of course Mr. Land has made some major blunders before, such as going in with Justin Timberlake for a single on an original album. This was nowhere near as bad of a tactical mistake as that, but I expected a much better music video out of somebody of his musical talent. Let this be a warning to all would be producers and directors: Hot chicks, classic cars and no plot does not a music video make.

Final verdict:
Single: B-
Music Video: D+