Missy's first album, the Grammy nominated 1997 release, Supa Dupa Fly, became one of the most memorable debut albums in recent pop history. The album revealed to the world what music insiders had known for quite some time: Missy Elliott has the magic touch when it comes to making hit records. Before Supa Dupa Fly, Missy's previous credits included writing/producing stints on more than 20 songs for several gold and platinum artists. But it was her platinum-plus solo debut that changed the pop world forever, debuting on the Billboard Pop Albums chart at #3, and universally hailed by the hip hop, R&B, and rock worlds as a stylistic masterpiece that effortlessly melded both singing and rapping. The much imitated video for the album's smash debut single "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" was also widely praised, and nominated for 3 MTV awards.
In the past two years Missy has built a virtual music empire, launching The Gold Mind Inc. (which debuted with the gold-plus artist Nicole), performing on the renowned Lilith Fair Tour, and producing and writing for a cadre of other artists including SWV, Aaliyah, Scary Spice, and Total, among others. She participated in many superstar collaborations, including writing for Whitney Houston, and doing remixes for Janet Jackson and Paula Cole. Missy also produced her first soundtrack, for the movie Why Do Fools Fall In Love, as well as acting in The Wayans Brothers TV show and starring in high profile promotional spots for companies such as Sprite and The Gap. Released in the summer of 1997, Supa Dupa Flys debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard chart, and went on to reach platinum-plus status. The album also earned Elliott three Grammy nominations. Those achievements notwithstanding, however, it was Elliott's innovative videos - particularly the one that accompanied the smash single, "The Rain" - which created the biggest stir among the mainstream public.
Missy Elliot has managed to bypass the sexual exploitation of the Hip Hop/Rap scene, and is succeeding on her talent and capabilities-not on sexual imagry. Her focus is not on the image she presents, but on the content of her lyrics, and the substance of her music. Missy Elliot is a phenomenal example of women's true place in Hip Hop/Rap music. She is not only a successful artist, but she is also helping to shape Hop/Rap music through her writing and producing. She is doing as the men are doing, and she is succeeding at the same rate. |
