I tisdags tog Missy Elliott en ”trip down memory lane” när hon reflekterade över samarbetet med Timbaland som resulterade i fem album. Från ”Supa Dupa Fly” 1997 till ”This Is Not a Test” 2003. Hon berättade även om den ökade pressen som kom i samband med varje albums succé. Om debuten ”Supa Dupa Fly” skriver hon:
“My 1st album was stressfree because I didn’t have any expectations. My label told me they would give me my own label if I did 1 album so me & @timbaland completed this album in 2 weeks not knowing this would be the beginning of many more to come”.
My 1st album was stressfree because I didn’t have any expectations. My label told me they would give me my own label if I did 1 album so me & @Timbaland completed this album in 2 weeks not knowing this would be the beginning of many more to come🔥 pic.twitter.com/mineJQSfDN
— Missy Elliott (@MissyElliott) December 6, 2022
”Supa Dupa Fly” anses vara en av de bästa rapdebuterna någonsin och enligt Missy skapade den starka debuten en enorm press när album nummer två, ”Da Real World” skulle skapas.
Now this was my 2nd album “Da Real World” this was the hardest album to complete because of the success of the 1st album I was so hard on myself & for a while This was my least favorite until years later I realized the MASTERPIECE @Timbaland & I had created💯🔥 pic.twitter.com/iYJBtyPoTx
— Missy Elliott (@MissyElliott) December 6, 2022
Om sitt tredje album ”Miss E… So Addictive” som släpptes 2001 skriver hon:
”By this album I felt a small relief & I felt my 2nd album allowed me & @Timbaland to EXPERIMENT with my 3rd album outtaspace sounds since my 2nd album was theatrical with knockin beats. We were open to showing what the FUTURE of music could sound like in our minds.”
By this album I felt a small relief & I felt my 2nd album allowed me & @Timbaland to EXPERIMENT with my 3rd album🔉outtaspace sounds since my 2nd album was theatrical with knockin beats🔉 We were open to showing what the FUTURE of music could sound like in our minds🔥 pic.twitter.com/Q2cfjed1DJ
— Missy Elliott (@MissyElliott) December 6, 2022
Ett år senare kom ”Under Construction”. Missy berättar att Timbaland och hon hade svårt att bestämma sig för vilken musikalisk inriktning de skulle satsa på med tanke på de tidigare albumens experimentella sounds. Hon berättar:
“This album was challenging because every1 of my albums was so different in sound & cadence Tim and I was scratching our heads on which direction to go next. So we took our love for old school Hip Hop & breaks beats & Blended with our FUTURE sound & this what came of it.”
”Under Construction” debuterade slagkraftigt och landade på plats nummer tre på Billboard 200 med över 350 000 kopior sålda den första veckan. Albumet blev även nominerat till två grammisar, bland annat i kategorin ”Album of the Year”, och blev certifierad till dubbelplatina av RIAA.
This album was challenging because every1 of my albums was so different in sound & cadence Tim and I was scratching our heads on which direction to go next😩 so we took our love for old school Hip Hop & breaks beats & Blended with our FUTURE sound & this what came of it🔥 pic.twitter.com/drwRO8lkns
— Missy Elliott (@MissyElliott) December 6, 2022
Missy avslutade den reflekterande twittertråden med att prata om ”This Is Not a Test!” som släpptes 2003. Hon berättar att albumet kom naturligt till henne och Timberland eftersom de nu var vana att pusha hennes sound till nya nivåer.
“This album @Timbaland & I was back to SOUND EXPERIMENTING & we felt a little more free to explore since the other albums success. But each album was a lil pressure except ”SUPADUPAFLY” & ”So Addictive” but each time we took a risk sonically”.
This album @Timbaland & I was back to SOUND EXPERIMENTING & we felt a little more free to explore since the other albums success. But each album was a lil pressure except “SUPADUPAFLY” & “So Addictive” but each time we took a risk sonically🔥 pic.twitter.com/SUmptsfB4z
— Missy Elliott (@MissyElliott) December 6, 2022
Det finns nog ingen som kan säga att Missy Elliott inte har påverkat hiphopindustrin. Och hon får ofta hyllningar från yngre kollegor. Senast var från Nicki Minaj efter att hon skulle få ta emot årets ”Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award”, vilket Missy vann 2019. I samband med nyheten skrev Nicki på Twitter:
“Mumbling & cackling??? nah omg thank you Missy. You kicked down this (door). Nothing but Love & Respect for your iconic artistry”.
Lil Wayne hyllade också Missy när han placerade henne i toppen av hans ”Hip Hop Mount Rushmore” i podcasten ”What’s Right” med Nick Wright tidigare i år.
“It’s always gonna be first Missy Elliott. She’s a huge influence of everything I’ve ever done. JAY-Z is the best ever to speak. Biggie, obviously. Then I have the whole Goodie Mob. Then I have UGK.”
I september fick Missy en gata döpt efter sig i hemstaden Portsmouth i Virginia. Under ceremonin passade hon på att uttrycka tacksamhet över sin familj på Twitter.
“#757 VA my Grandma who passed when I was young always told me to stay PRAYED UP & DREAM BIG. A BlvdTears of JoyI have been BLESSED so much but this right here hits my heart differently. I am so HUMBLY GRATEFUL to be from P-TOWN 2up2down The ENTIRE VA.”
Lyssna på Missy Elliotts debut ”Supa Dupa Fly” från 1997 nedan.
https://open.spotify.com/album/6UkdyvPElK6JDkyeRClbI2?si=cMjAIMYHTvyIDq9JazhCtA
Foto: Bottega Veneta / Pressbild
