Rapper Melvin “Magoo” Barcliff, one half of the 90’s rapper/production duo Timbaland & Magoo, has died at the age of 50
In the wake of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Hip-Hop, news broke that rapper Melvin “Magoo” Barcliff, one half of the 90’s rapper/production duo Timbaland & Magoo, had died at the age of 50.
The Virginia native became a staple in the 1990’s hip hop scene, along with other natives such as Timothy “Timbaland” Mosley and Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott. Timbaland & Magoo was formed in 1989, and released their debut album Welcome To Our World in 1997 on Blackground Entertainment and Atlantic Records. The album peaked at number 33 on the Billboard 200 chart and spawned the singles: “Up Jumps Da Boogie” and “Clock Strikes”.
Writer Kyle Eustice, in his 2023 article for AllHipHop.com, “Timbaland’s Former Rap Partner Magoo Reportedly Dead At 50—Fans React”, writes, “Timbaland’s former rap partner and Missy Elliott affiliate, Magoo, has reportedly died. News of his death started pouring in on social media late Sunday night (August 13) and quickly became a trending Twitter topic…At the time of publication, Timbaland, Missy Elliott nor any one from their respective camps have commented on his passing. No cause of death has been revealed either.”
Magoo, Mosley, and Elliott was first discovered by Jodeci member DeVante Swing. All three were later added to Swing’s music collective label “Swing Mob” imprint, also consisting of other 90’s artists Ginuwine, Tweet, and the music group Playa. After Swing Mob dissolved in 1995, several of the members, including Magoo, formed another collective called “The Superfriends”. This collective largely focused on songwriting and production initially, and then each artist would soon find themselves carving out a lane for themselves as main artists.
Timbaland & Magoo would go on to release two more albums: Indecent Proposal (2001) and Under Construction (2003) and yielded other hits such as “Drop”, “All Y’all”, and “Indian Flute”. The duo would later disband in 2004 and keep a relatively low-key profile. TImbaland however would continue to find success as an artist-producer, working with artists such as Nelly Furtado, Katy Perry, Aaliyah, Keri Hilson, and Justin Timberlake.
Not much is known about Magoo in subsequent years. He was often remembered by his peers as being pivotal in the success of the artist collectives he was a part of. In an article for AfroTech, Missy Elliott spoke about how she fought for Timbaland & Magoo to be signed by Elektra when she was signed. Magoo himself was featured on Elliott’s 1997 single “Beep Me 911” from her debut album Supa Dupa Fly.
Magoo’s role in the 1990’s/2000’s hip hop scene will solidify his contributions to the 50th anniversary celebration of Hip-Hop.
