Melvin met Timbaland when they were teenagers in Norfolk, Virginia, and they formed a rap group in 1989. They signed with Blackground Records, owned by Aaliyah’s uncle Barry Hankerson, and released their debut album Welcome to Our World in 1997. The album featured the hit single “Up Jumps Da Boogie”, which peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot Rap Singles chart.
They released two more albums titled Indecent Proposal (2001) and Under Construction, Part II (2003). They also appeared on several tracks by other artists, such as Missy Elliott’s “Beep Me 911”, Aaliyah’s “Are You That Somebody?” and Ginuwine’s “Pony”. Their style was characterized by Timbaland’s innovative production and Magoo’s distinctive nasal voice and witty lyrics.
In 2021, Blackground Records and Empire Distribution teamed up to re-release the whole Timbaland & Magoo catalogue, making it available to streaming platforms for the first time.
