Rating: NNN
There is no greater testament to the unorthodox creativity of the Neptunes than Justified. The Virginia producing duo, and to a lesser degree Timbaland, have taken Justin Timberlake from a shapeless pop tart and made him an R&B star. The former Mr. Britney Spears’s identity is inextricably tied to the lurching, brain-scrambling beats on Justified, on which the Neptunes have often sculpted the vocal arrangements to fit their twisted shards of flamenco and stuttering soul. It’s a good thing. On its own, Timberlake’s voice is unremarkable and his lyrics are little more than strings of clichés, but these producers know a malleable product when they hear one. When it works and Timbaland and the Neptunes are allowed to run riot, the results are undeniable. It’s throwaway pop, but it’s funky as hell.
