Discography Chat: Missy Elliott

[jarrylf]

So the way I'm doing this series is, I'm plan on holding off on artist releasing albums in coming months (Brandy, Toni Braxton, etc.), and I was considering including Missy to that....but now I decided if theres no release date, I'm not expecting it to come for at least several months, so whats the point of waiting for what might be years away (Missy has been doing this album since 2008....)

Anyway, Missy is truly my favorite rapper (male or female) she's got speed, style, originality, substance, she can be funny, she can be serious, she can sing, dance, write and produce. Thats my kind of entertainer I had no clue who she even was until "All In My Grill" in 99, like I had seen her before (and she was a person you dont just forget) but I didnt know about her or her style but that was my intro to her. And OFCOURSE I remember 2001, and then all the eras that followed, I just really fell for her. So heres my thoughts on the albums

Supa dupa fly, Very nice debut, because she came out, outside of the box, she did NOT play it safe, and thats what was great. I gotta say tho I honestly loved the Supa Dupa Fly era more than the album itself. But my personal cuts from the album is Beep Me 911, The Rain,Sock It 2 Me, pass that blunt, Best Friends, & Hit em wit da hee

I always felt like Da Real World is SUCH a better than Supa Dupa Fly, like the songs and videos just always were better for me, and even her look and she hooked Beyonce up with a good solo track on that album. My picks from it will always be ALL IN MA GRILL, She's A Bitch, Hot Boyz, Busa Rhyme, Checkin For You (Missy & Kim Collabs are always GREAT), & Crazy Feelings

And ofcourse I loved Miss E, I always preferred Minute Man to Get Your Freak On, and always loved Lick Shots, Take Away (such a beautiful duet), 4 My People (EVE KILLS IN THAT). And those are my tracks

Which brings me to my favorite Missy album to date, UNDER CONSTRUCTION, WORK IT IS MY SHIT, LOVE the song & Video since 1st listen and view, LOVE THIS SONG SO DAMN MUCH. THEN YOU GOT GOSSIP FOLKS!!! LOVE IT!!! "I heard the bitch got hit with three zebras and a monkey,I can't stand the bitch no way"LOFL! Then you got Pussycat, I love that song, and Ima need her to drop that remix feat.Janet like yesterday (I wonder if thats Janet doing the background in it, sounds like her in the harmonys). Then you got Back In the day.

This Is Not A Test, I was still living Work It & Under Construction when the album and Pass That Dutch dropped, anyway I LOVE Pass That Dutch, but it sounds to me like a track that got cut from Under Construction, same with I'm Really Hot, which isnt necessarily a negative, since I LOVE that album and era so anything extra plus anything as good as those 2 songs are welcomed for me. Let Me Fix My Weave is a song fresh and new for that era that I really liked, along with Baby Girl, Wake up (HOTTT beat). It was a good album & era but I forget it or attach it to Under Construction.

The Cook Book might be my 2nd fave Missy album because of Loose Control (1 of my top 3 Ciara songs as well) and WE RUN THIS!!! That song should've been huge, I loved that song and video. I also loved Teary Eyed, Joy, My Struggles, & 4 My Man. Very solid Missy album and image

I AM DYING for this new album, but damnit I cant depend on anything she says about it seems, because she's been having release dates for all these years, all these songs leak, and then it's reported she starts all over, and just...I dont know. And I KNOW she has health problems, but I'm saying I wish she'd say she's putting off the album instead of all the pushbacks, and release dates and "buzz singles". I'm just kinda over it and dont want to be. When she has a release date, album cover, tracklist, and 1st single on the radio I'll be so at ease about this.... Anyway my ranking for the albums go

1.Under Construction

2.The Cook Book

3.Miss...E

4.The Real World

5.This Is Not A Test

6.Supa Dupa Fly

and poll wise I'd bet on Miss E &/or Under Construction

[EphraimAdamz]

I can't choose. Def one of the greatest to ever do it

[jarrylf]

I can't choose. Def one of the greatest to ever do it

Oh I feel you, I had to rundown her discography myself, like for real, WHAT CANT THE WOMEN DO?!!!

[TwistedElegance™]

Thanks for this one, J.

Missy is just something else. She's probably the most consistent artist we've discussed so far in this series. There's no such thing as a bad Missy Elliott album. Hell, there's barely such a thing as a bad Missy single. She's a workhorse. A visionary. A pioneer. In 50 years when people recall the greats of our generation, Missy should be one of them. I say she 'should' rather than she 'will' because at times I feel Missy's work goes underappreciated. When it comes to guest appearances, half the time I would say that's warranted because she's definitely not the beast she is on her own records, but on creativity and individuality alone, she deserves all the praise in the world.

Supa Dupa Fly is an interesting record to play in 2012 because as a listener you know what Missy did next. It's a solid album, one dripping with Timbaland's signature '90s bips and bleeps, and that's great in itself, but I can't hear it with the same level of respect and excitement I do her other albums, because it all feels a little same-same by comparison. I mean, Missy took it to the fucking edge and back, didn't she?

Da Real World, and 'She's a Bitch' in particular, were the first slices of Missy to really WOW me. The video for that single, like just about every other Missy video, was born out of pure imagination. How does one come up with that? I instantly had to know everything about her. As a long-player I still think it was Missy a little restrained, but you could feel the chains breaking track by track. 'Busa Rhyme' and 'You Don't Know' are the standouts for me on that album, aided to perfection by Eminem and a playful Lil' Mo, respectively.

If you ask me, I will tell you the new millennium brought out the best in Missy Elliott. If we thought she was creative and experimental up until this point, we really hadn't seen anything yet. Miss E... put her in a league of one. 'Get Ur Freak On' is on some other shit. And I say that as someone who's never truly warmed to that song, I just know how freaking off the wall it is. 'One Minute Man' is the stronger track imo, but neither hold a candle to 'Take Away'. Missy will never be known for her ballads, however this pleads a mighty strong case. It's paced to perfection, building and collapsing at just the right moment. The addition of Ginuwine and Tweet's ad-libs were a melting pot of bittersweet magic. Coming at a time where she had just lost Aaliyah made it all the more special to me. Elsewhere, the album is a testament to the great minds of Missy and Timbaland. 'Lick Shots', 'Dog In Heat', 'Step Off' etc. They're songs only those two could dream up. I'll never know why she didn't ride that album for another three singles.

If Miss E... put Missy in her own league, Under Construction saw that she stayed there. Whilst it's not my favourite Missy album, I can easily see why it is for so many. 'Work It' is a modern-day classic. When that dropped it had almost reached a point of absurdity. Like, no, you can't be this good. We hadn't heard anything like that before. We haven't heard anything like it since. 'Gossip Folks' proved Missy & Luda could do it again, 'Pussycat' showed why she could be as dirty as the boys, and 'Can You Hear Me' pulled at the heartstrings. A big annoyance for me, though, were the lengthy interludes. I get them, but they were just too intrusive. All in all, though, it was the Missy album for everybody.

This Is Not a Test! is almost the era time forgot. In actuality she was probably on too good a roll. People barely had time to digest UC before we were passing the dutch. Because of that I don't think the songs ever got to spread their wings. The fact that she only released two of them commercially says a lot. And it's not like there weren't hits to be had, because 'Don't Be Cruel', 'Let It Bump', 'Pump It Up' and 'Spelling Bee' were all begging for airtime. I don't know, it just felt like there wasn't enough push behind that album to get it over the line, and that's why it's often overlooked.

The Cookbook holds a really special place in my heart. There's just something about the placement and flow of all the tracks that works for me. I was pretty much obsessed with 'Lose Control' when it dropped. Talk about intensity! Another cracking dance tune, another head-turning video; it was Missy back to her best. 'Irresistible Delicious', 'We Run This', 'Partytime', 'Meltdown' (with its Janet shoutout! ), 'Mommy', 'Bad Man' all rank among Missy's finest work. The one negative I have is that her Neptunes collaboration ('On & On') didn't live up to the hype I'd given it. I also understand that's my doing, and not hers.

Like I said recently, it's crazy to think it's been seven years since Missy served us with the hotness. I want it again, and I want it now. If her trajectory is anything to go by it's safe to say we're in for a treat when she finally unveils it. And whilst that excites the hell outta me, it also worries me a little. I know Missy has never struggled to stand out, in fact she's probably benefitted from that more than anything. I guess I just want Missy to stay true to herself rather than conform to any of today's hip-pop trends. Only time will tell.

My ranking...

1. Miss E... So Addictive

2. The Cookbook

3. Under Construction

4. This Is Not a Test!

5. Da Real World

6. Supa Dupa Fly

[bu.]

I don't think I've ever heard a full Missy album except UC . I know most of the songs though. I LOVE Missy too! There isn't a single Missy song I don't like. This thread has made me want to Spotify her albums tonight.

[jarrylf]

I don't think I've ever heard a full Missy album except UC . I know most of the songs though. I LOVE Missy too! There isn't a single Missy song I don't like. This thread has made me want to Spotify her albums tonight.

[RedSimba]

Missy is my favorite female hip-hop artist (next to Left Eye), and she always seem to get even better with each album. The Cookbook is my favorite. "Lose Control" was a really good first single (I use to play that song all summer 2005 lol). "Irresistible Delicious" is honestly my all-time favorite Missy song. The Slick Rick feature, the "Lick The Balls"/"Simple" samples, it all comes together so well (should've been the 2nd single). Other highlights for me were "Party Time," "We Run This," "Can't Stop," "On & On" and "Remember When." Very solid album!

My personal ranking... (along with my top 2 favorite songs)

1. The Cookbook ("Irresistible Delicious," "Lose Control")

2. Under Construction ("Work It," "Can You Hear Me")

3. This Is Not A Test ("I'm Not Perfect," "Pass That Dutch")

4. Miss E...So Addictive ("One Minute Man," "Take Away")

5. Supa Dupa Fly ("Beep Me 911," "Sock It 2 Me")

6. Da Real World ("She's A B***h," "All In My Grill")

Still looking forward to whenever her 7th album comes out

[jarrylf]

Thanks for this one, J.

Missy is just something else. She's probably the most consistent artist we've discussed so far in this series. There's no such thing as a bad Missy Elliott album. Hell, there's barely such a thing as a bad Missy single. She's a workhorse. A visionary. A pioneer. In 50 years when people recall the greats of our generation, Missy should be one of them. I say she 'should' rather than she 'will' because at times I feel Missy's work goes underappreciated. When it comes to guest appearances, half the time I would say that's warranted because she's definitely not the beast she is on her own records, but on creativity and individuality alone, she deserves all the praise in the world.

Supa Dupa Fly is an interesting record to play in 2012 because as a listener you know what Missy did next. It's a solid album, one dripping with Timbaland's signature '90s bips and bleeps, and that's great in itself, but I can't hear it with the same level of respect and excitement I do her other albums, because it all feels a little same-same by comparison. I mean, Missy took it to the fucking edge and back, didn't she?

Da Real World, and 'She's a Bitch' in particular, were the first slices of Missy to really WOW me. The video for that single, like just about every other Missy video, was born out of pure imagination. How does one come up with that? I instantly had to know everything about her. As a long-player I still think it was Missy a little restrained, but you could feel the chains breaking track by track. 'Busa Rhyme' and 'You Don't Know' are the standouts for me on that album, aided to perfection by Eminem and a playful Lil' Mo, respectively.

If you ask me, I will tell you the new millennium brought out the best in Missy Elliott. If we thought she was creative and experimental up until this point, we really hadn't seen anything yet. Miss E... put her in a league of one. 'Get Ur Freak On' is on some other shit. And I say that as someone who's never truly warmed to that song, I just know how freaking off the wall it is. 'One Minute Man' is the stronger track imo, but neither hold a candle to 'Take Away'. Missy will never be known for her ballads, however this pleads a mighty strong case. It's paced to perfection, building and collapsing at just the right moment. The addition of Ginuwine and Tweet's ad-libs were a melting pot of bittersweet magic. Coming at a time where she had just lost Aaliyah made it all the more special to me. Elsewhere, the album is a testament to the great minds of Missy and Timbaland. 'Lick Shots', 'Dog In Heat', 'Step Off' etc. They're songs only those two could dream up. I'll never know why she didn't ride that album for another three singles.

If Miss E... put Missy in her own league, Under Construction saw that she stayed there. Whilst it's not my favourite Missy album, I can easily see why it is for so many. 'Work It' is a modern-day classic. When that dropped it had almost reached a point of absurdity. Like, no, you can't be this good. We hadn't heard anything like that before. We haven't heard anything like it since. 'Gossip Folks' proved Missy & Luda could do it again, 'Pussycat' showed why she could be as dirty as the boys, and 'Can You Hear Me' pulled at the heartstrings. A big annoyance for me, though, were the lengthy interludes. I get them, but they were just too intrusive. All in all, though, it was the Missy album for everybody.

This Is Not a Test! is almost the era time forgot. In actuality she was probably on too good a roll. People barely had time to digest UC before we were passing the dutch. Because of that I don't think the songs ever got to spread their wings. The fact that she only released two of them commercially says a lot. And it's not like there weren't hits to be had, because 'Don't Be Cruel', 'Let It Bump', 'Pump It Up' and 'Spelling Bee' were all begging for airtime. I don't know, it just felt like there wasn't enough push behind that album to get it over the line, and that's why it's often overlooked.

The Cookbook holds a really special place in my heart. There's just something about the placement and flow of all the tracks that works for me. I was pretty much obsessed with 'Lose Control' when it dropped. Talk about intensity! Another cracking dance tune, another head-turning video; it was Missy back to her best. 'Irresistible Delicious', 'We Run This', 'Partytime', 'Meltdown' (with its Janet shoutout! ), 'Mommy', 'Bad Man' all rank among Missy's finest work. The one negative I have is that her Neptunes collaboration ('On & On') didn't live up to the hype I'd given it. I also understand that's not my doing, and not hers.

Like I said recently, it's crazy to think it's been seven years since Missy served us with the hotness. I want it again, and I want it now. If her trajectory is anything to go by it's safe to say we're in for a treat when she finally unveils it. And whilst that excites the hell outta me, it also worries me a little. I know Missy has never struggled to fit in, in fact she's probably benefitted from that more than anything. I guess I just want Missy to stay true to herself rather than conform to any of today's hip-pop trends. Only time will tell.

My ranking...

1. Miss E... So Addictive

2. The Cookbook

3. Under Construction

4. This Is Not a Test!

5. Da Real World

6. Supa Dupa Fly

Anytime

Thanks for the great input as usual, again very great and detailed analysis of the eras. We're completely eye to eye with Supa Dupa Fly, like its good but we KNOW what she's capable of, but 1 thing that cant be said about her debut (aside from MANY MANY others) is that it's safe, nobody was sounding like her back in 97, no other female rapper was doing that kinda rap, and people were using Tim's beats but they werent using them like Missy was, and the videos, NObody (that I can think of) came out with their debut, that visually ahead of the game too. And I sooo feel you on Da Real World, like it's the era that intorduced me to her, but still it was like BOOM, I loved/love it, and consider it a better upgrade from SDF, and perfect pre album to Miss E. And I agree, Miss E was really the album that completely changed everything and brought out the best, and then to be followed up by Under Construction, PERFECT. And we're on the same page about This Is Not A Test, like she REALLLLY should've (in my opinion) gave 2003 to Under Construction too, cause Work It & Gossip Folks were EVERYWHERE and werent going anywhere, and completely overshadowed TINAT, like for real I remember when I 1st heard I'm Really Hot and Pass That Dutch that they were bonus tracks from Under Construction, I didnt even realize until after it was out that This Is Not A Test was an actual album, I thought it was a deluxe edition lol. And I agree with you SO much about The Cook Book, like it was definitely a huge part of my 2005.

Ima need her to put out this new album like yesterday,cause with her Behind The Music, and her tweets and all this stuff, it's so damn annoying like I really need her to remind all the people and ESPECIALLY the people who think Nikki Minaj is so damn amazing, that theres someone out there who RUNS this shit, and is just the best with it (Ima need Trina, Lil Kim, & Eve to do the same)

...........................................HOW fuckin hott would it be to have Missy, Lil Kim, Trina, & Eve all on 1 track.......and it wouldnt be out of the question cause they each have Missy in common.

[TwistedElegance™]

^ I agree with all of that. It's safe to say a lot of female artists have Missy in common. She's the only one I can think of apart from Babyface who's worked with the big 4: Janet, Madonna, Mariah and Whitney.

[vibeology]

Supa Dupa Fly is the only one that matters in my opinion . I like a bunch of her songs but she never really slayed me after the debut. That album changed the hip hop game in terms of production. I still love every song on that album to this day.

I have Under Construction which is cool, but i don't really check for her no more. It wouldn't surprise me if Missy was the most "featured" female rapper though?!

[Bailey]

I can't vote because she is more a singles artist to me....loved her debut though

[jarrylf]

I can't vote because she is more a singles artist to me....loved her debut though

I was seriously debating yesterday whether or not I consider her a singles artist, or a albums artist, but I honestly cant pick 1 because I'd say every album she has has really great songs that werent singles, like the only 1 I think didnt have necessarily that many single choices was This Is Not A Test

[janetDAYZ]

Much as I love "Under Construction" .."This Is Not A Test" is HANDS DOWN her BEST album. It literally has something for EVERYBODY.Its da shit from top to bottom.Can play EVERY track.

[SloLove]

a bitch cant tell me nothing about da real world album...the best ever!