Missy Elliott
No female rap artist paralleled the success of
Missy Elliott,
neither during her reign nor before, and none was more deserving. Unlike most of
urban music's female superstars, Missy writes her own songs as well as performs
them, and her creative wit in on a par with her stylish demeanor. In addition to
her talent and showmanship, she established herself as a genuine hit maker
alongside her long time producer,
Timberland.
She initially scored hits for others, namely
Aaliyah
("One in a Million," "If Your Girl Only Knew") and to a lesser extent
702
("Steelo"), before moving on to score a dazzling run for herself. Her debut
album,
Supa Dupa Fly
(1997), spawned a number of hits such as "The Rain" that were more trend-setting
than they were chart-topping. The chart-toppers, of course, came soon after:
"She's a Bitch" and "Hot Boyz" (1999); "Get Ur Freak On" and "One Minute Man"
(2001); and "Work It" and "Gossip Folks" (2002). In each of these, Missy proved
that, with both dignity and joviality, women could be sexual as well as
forceful. As a result, she defied every stereotype imaginable without forsaking
her broad fan base.
Born in Portsmouth, VA, in 1971 as
Melissa Elliott,
Missy's professional
music
career began when
Jodeci
member/producer
Devante Swing
signed her and her group,
Sista,
to his Swing Mob record label. Unfortunately, Swing Mob Records fell through and
along with it the plans for
Sista's
debut album. Determined to move forward, Missy turned to longtime acquaintance
Timberland,
who happened to be producing some tracks for
Aaliyah's
One in a Million (1996) album. It proved to be a key move for Missy, as the
album racked up enormous sales. Soon record execs were knocking on her door.
Missy began working with a number of artists as either a songwriter or a
vocalist/rapper before finally signing herself a deal with Elektra in 1996. A
year later,
Supa Dupa Fly
hit the streets and soon after went platinum thanks to "The Rain." Besides the
sales numbers, the album also proved critically successful, impressing nearly
everyone who heard it. It had not only radio-ready singles ("Sock It 2 Me,"
"Beep Me 911," "Hit 'Em Wit da Hee") but also an astounding array of album
tracks that showcases just how multi-talented Missy indeed was, singing on some,
rapping on others.
In 1999, she returned with her much-awaited follow-up album,
Da Real World,
an even more ambitious album that featured two mammoth hits -- "She's a Bitch"
and "Hot Boyz" -- along with an array of often daring collaborations with such
unlikely candidates as
Eminem.
Around this same time, she began appearing in
TV
ads for the Gap and Sprite, proving that not only was she a musical talent but
also an important icon for the era. The cycle repeated itself in 2001 when she
released Miss E...So Addictive, again powered by two huge hits: "Get Ur Freak
On" and "One Minute Man." Her remarkable popularity continued a year later with
her next album,
Under
Construction,
and its hit singles, "Work It" and "Gossip Folks." Missy's music machine
continued pummeling the charts, with Timbaland & Magoo's follow-up Under
Construction, Pt. II appearing in mid-November and the new Elliott LP This Is
Not a Test! released a week later. Ciara, Slick Rick, Mary J. Blige, and
American Idol winner Fantasia were some of the guests on Missy's 2005 album The
Cookbook.
Jason
Birchmeier, All Music Guide
Hits:
Work it Video: Watch here
Get your Freak on Video: Watch here
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