Magoo, Rapper Who Collaborated With Timbaland And Missy Elliott, Dies At 50
Melvin "Magu" Barcliffe, best known for his contributions to hip-hop alongside Timbaland and Magoo, has died. Virginia's chief medical examiner confirmed the news Monday, but the cause of death has not yet been released. He is 50 years old.
Originally from Norfolk, Virginia, Timbaland and Magoo formed as a musical duo in 1998 after meeting as teenagers. Timbaland hadn't released his own album yet, and at the time, Magoo's experience consisted mostly of Ralph Tresvant covers and New Edition tracks. Show your talent. After working together, they released three full-length albums and became one of the first artists to form the legendary hip-hop circuit in Virginia. Their influence continues to grow with contributions from the Neptunes, Clips and Missy Elliott, who (according to the story) were introduced by Magus Timbaland.
In the early 90s, Timbaland and Magoo recorded music under the label Surrounded by Idiots (SBI), which included Pharrell Williams. His poems appear in many in-depth works, which are then widely published online.
After signing with Blackground Records, an American record label founded by Jomo and Barry Hankerson (Alia's late uncle), Magoo and Timbaland had their biggest commercial hit, the 1997 single Up Jumps Da Boogie featuring Alia and Elliott. .
The song peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and appeared on the duo's 1997 debut album Welcome to Our World, which also featured Ginuwine. "Clock Strikes" (No. 37 in 1998), "Here We Come" (No. 92 in 98) and "Cop That Shit" (No. 95 in 2003).
After their debut, Magoo released two more albums with Timbaland: Indecent Proposal in 2001 and Under Construction, Part II in 2003. These recordings included songs from Jay-Z, Benny Man, Ludacris, Twista, Brandy and Wyclef Jean.
While Timbaland pursued a solo career, Magoo decided not to pursue music. In an interview with Billboard, Magoo explained that he had decided not to continue without friends and colleagues: “I never thought about doing a solo album... If Tim decides he wants to stop working, I will think about it. . rap It would be very difficult for me to even think about recording an album without him. We've been together since 1990, so [one] would be nice. The team and Magu are more of a friendship than a band."
On Monday, Timbaland announced Magoo's death on social media, writing, "This hit is different... Long live Melvin aka Magoo!!! Tim and Magoo forever... rest in peace my necklace." He shared videos, old photos and even an old Williams poem from the 1991 demo tape, Surrounded by Idiots. Long live SBI", he wrote in the caption.