On the nineteenth anniversary of Aaliyah's passing, her longtime friend and collaborator Timbaland took a moment to pay homage to her legacy. And clearly, the thought of producing hit after hit for the talented artist seemed to have spurred within him a sudden bout of inspiration. "It’s been a long time I shouldn’t have left you without a dope beat to step too‼️‼️" he declares, calling back to his iconic intro to Aaliyah's "Try Again."
Jay-Z's Mind With "Dirt Off Your Shoulder"">Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images
Though many would clearly pay homage to Timbo's catalog if prompted, sometimes an artist has to flex their greatness if only to put things in perspective. Tim has done exactly that, revisiting the vault to bring a classic clip out of retirement -- one that serves as a reminder of the power a producer holds in the studio. The clip in question cycles back to a simpler time, the early-millennium, when Jay-Z was in the initial stages of building his "retirement" project -- The Black Album.
Cycling through a few instrumentals, the first of which ultimately became Ludacris' "The Potion," Timbo landed on "Dirt Off Your Shoulder." It didn't take long before Jay-Z caught wind of the track's infectious potential. His face says it all; you can all but hear the wheels in his head spinning as he formulates his verses off the top. Naturally, the rest is history. Fans have likely seen this footage before, but that doesn't mean it doesn't hold replay value. In fact, it only gets better with time, much like "Dirt Off Your Shoulder" itself.
Show some love to Timbaland, one of the greatest producers of all time -- and he's not finished yet. As he teases, he's still got a few jams with Justin Timberlake and Justine Skye in the pipeline. Check out the nostalgic clip below, an oldie but certainly a goodie.