It's been exactly one year since Melvin 'Magoo' Barcliff, one-half of the celebrated rap duo Timbaland & Magoo since 1989, passed away. Last year, the sad news of Magoo's demise was confirmed, sending shockwaves of grief throughout fans and the music industry.
R&B star and music producer Digital Black announced the news in an Instagram post, sharing the cover of Magoo and Timbaland’s 1997 “Welcome to Our World” album.
“Man can’t believe this RIH Magoo damn big bro wasn't ready for this at all #superfriends,” he wrote.
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At the same time, longtime friend and “Pony” hit singer Ginuwine, reminded his Instagram followers that “time is short” in a tribute to Magoo, whose real name was Melvin Barcliff.
“I don’t even know how to say anything at this point, I have lost 3 friends now within a month to LIFE and it’s [sic] due date ….this dude always pushed me …I will mis [sic] you maganooo that’s what we called him,” Ginuwine wrote in his emotional caption.
The “Up Jumps Da’ Boogie” performer’s cause of death has been confirmed to be a heart attack. He's been suffering from other ailments such as asthma, but the heart attack was his official cause of death.
What We Can Learn from His Death
An elderly person may come to mind when imagining someone who had a heart attack but know this: Young African Americans like Magoo have also been living with and dying from the condition. In fact, while 6.2 million Americans have heart failure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black people have a higher risk than any other race, and symptoms may emerge at a younger age than in other populations.
One out of every 100 black men and women, heart failure developed before the age of 50. That’s 20 times the rate of heart failure in white people under age 50. The average age for heart failure in Black study participants? Just 39 years old.
Researchers found a nearly 20% increase in the risk of major adverse cardiac events among young, Black adults from 2007 to 2017, including:
- 30% increased risk of heart attack and heart rhythm disturbances;
- 90% increased risk of a blood clot in one of the big arteries (pulmonary) of the heart;
- 150% increased risk of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest;
- 200% increased risk of cardiogenic shock; and
- 50% increased risk of stroke.
Magoo's Legacy Shows He Did So Much More Behind the Scenes
Magoo is best known for his Timbaland & Magoo songs like “Up Jumps Da Boogie” (feat. Missy Elliott and Aaliyah), “Clock Strikes” (feat. Mad Skillz), “Luv 2 Luv Ya (Remix)” (feat. Shaunta and Playa), and “All Y’all” (feat. Tweet and Sebastian). Magoo also notably appeared on Missy Elliott’s “Beep Me 911,” Ginuwine’s “G Thang,” and a remix of Jodeci’s “What About Us.”
Besides his work with Magoo, Timbaland produced some of the biggest hits of the ‘90s and 2000s, including work with Aaliyah, Missy Elliott, Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z, Ludacris, Nelly Furtado, Nas, Keri Hilson and Madonna. Timbaland, whose real name is Tim Mosley, also created the popular webcast series “Verzuz” with fellow producer Swizz Beatz.
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While their debut was released in the late 90s, Magoo and Timbaland's partnership started when they were merely teenagers in the early 90s. After their encounter, their shared aspiration was to create music and make their mark together in the industry.
How His Music Career Really Started
In a past interview with YouKnowIGotSoul, Magoo explained how he started his music career as part of the group S.B.I. (Surrounded By Idiots) alongside Timbaland, Pharrell Williams, and Larry Live. “Larry was the first person I met. He was from Virginia Beach initially, and he ended up moving to where I went to high school in Chesapeake,” the “All Y’all” talent revealed.
“One day, he drove us over to Tim’s house and Tim was better than what Larry had told me… Tim was like, ‘I know this dude named Pharrell. He’s on another level, but he’s in another group.’ Pharrell never wanted to leave The Neptunes, but he was intrigued by what we were doing… It’s funny looking back, but Pharrell was miles ahead of everyone.
Fans all over the world continued to share pictures of Magoo as they honour his memory. One person tweeted, "#magoo I was so hoping to get a performance from the Trio Missy and Timbaland. Rest well Magoo.'
Another fan tweeted, "RIP to Hip-Hop legend Magoo. He passed away at 50." Love for Magoo and his music continues to pour in from his fans and the music industry on social media.
