Under Construction, Pt. II

The second part of a record that Timbaland apparently began with Missy Elliott's Under Construction, this one may have a few similarities -- the stylistic bent and the production finesse certainly -- but the replacement of an energized rapper like Missy with a mush-mouthed mess like Magoo (Timbaland's usual henchman) could be an immediate deal-breaker. Fortunately for fans of the most exciting producer in hip-hop (superstar favorites Neptunes are to Timba little more than what a pop princess like Britney Spears is to the intriguing, multi-talented Pink), Timbaland keeps Magoo in the background while offering a wide-ranging set of backing tracks with limber percussion, speaker-rattling subbass, and very little else. Under Construction, Pt. II is the most spartan record of his solo career. Timbaland's still very proprietary with his sound, warning off biters with "Don't Make Me Take It There," "That Sh** Ain't Gonna Work," and "Can We Do It Again," then cautioning bootleggers with the sure hit "Cop That Disc" (the only track that features Missy). Aside from Missy and Bubba Sparxxx, Timba's actually the best rapper on display, much improved from his previous solo shots or his infrequent rhymes on other artists' records. Magoo is still an unimaginative, pint-sized Snoop Dogg, and he pops up several times with a verse or two, though other guests, Sebastian and female vocalist Raje Shwari, do very well on a pair of tracks with Indian accents, "Naughty Eye" and "Indian Flute." (After dozens of tracks sampling faraway Indian vocals, it's refreshing to hear one start mouthing back to a sweet-talking rapper.) There aren't quite enough guest features or catchy hooks to make this a must-purchase for most rap fans, but Timbaland always has a few tricks up his sleeve. ~ John Bush