Shocking

Those of you hoping for a banging hip-hop album when pressing play on Timbaland's latest installment 'Shock Value' may be surprised.
On paper 'Shock Value' looks like it will pack a punch with huge stars from various corners of the market, from Dr Dre to Elton John, the wide spectrum promises excellence.

The problem here is Timbaland wanting to showcase himself as an artist. We all know Tim doesn't write rhymes, he hasn't hid that. His genius is behind the boards, and if this album's purpose was to showcase his beats, he's done alright.
I'm still trying to get over the fact that the Jay-Z track never made it on the album, the way it was described was enough to get me excited.

The track I was most anticipating was Bounce. Hearing it on a good system will indeed make you bounce, but not as much as it could have. It does have its flakes of genius however, namely the laughing girl sample throughout. Missy's verse is a perfect example of why she has fallen off, here she is on a Timbo beat after a minute, and everything about her verse is bullshit. Missy was never Foxy or Kim, and she never will, and to me..talking about how she wears no panties and how shes gonna take everyones man is not working. What happened to the abstract and potent flow Missy used to deliver? This to me is proof that Missy+Tim does NOT always equal excellence. Maybe Missy can't keep up with Tim's evolution.

The highlights of the album for me are KERI LYNN's tracks. As Sdot said, she is indeed a beast, and her part in Shock Value has proved that she IS a PROBLEM. 'The Way I Are' is meaaan! The synths are reminiscent of old skool trance/pop and of the whole futuresex/lovesounds movement. Keri could have murked that track alone, D.O.E's verse wasn't needed.
Miscommunication is genius, Keri may not have a powerhouse voice like Beyonce, but her aggression on this track is apparent, and when she harmonizes I melt lol
Scream isn't really me, but I appreciate it for what it is.
BOMBAY is mucks, and I admire Timbo for putting a track on his album which has a majority of its vocals in another language as the Ignorant listener would be like 'i aint no what shes sayin'. (I still think Raje would have KILLLLED it.)
One and Only is great! To have me bumpin a Fall Out Boy track is a lot. 'Wipe that smile off your fucking face' is a mad entry to the song
Apologize is also a lot, fit into the 'Say It Right'/'I Think That She Knows' bracket.

2 Man Show is a funny one, I'm not too sure about it. Elton's haunting piano roll is big, and the choir sounds amazing on it, the strings complement the whole sound too. Content-wise its a mess, I don't wana hear a whole tune of Timbo braggin. Elton John is a great songwriter, and he is definately not just a piano man. I feel like this track could have been epic, but then again that seems to be a feeling for the whole album.

All the other tracks are average to me that could have easily been replaced with a great jigga song, or the rumoured Lil Weezy collab. (Tim and Lil Wayne would have murrrrrked).
And who is this Mya sounding Money chick?

Taking a step back, the album is a good look. When you simply consider that Timbaland and Elton John are on a track together, it speaks volumes for Tim's growth and popularity as a producer. So as a producer Timbaland reigns as King.

Apologies for my thesis lol