Earlier this year, we compiled a short list of three of the most notable songs Missy Elliott wrote for other artists. Unsurprisingly, though, Elliott has earned many more writing credits over the years.
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As one of the most beloved and versatile rappers and singers of the late 1990s and early 2000s, the Virginia native is well respected by many across the industry for her songwriting abilities. As we noted in our previous story, she has offered her writing skills to R&B icons like Ginuwine, Monica, and Aaliyah, while also carrying her own thriving superstar career.
So, to further display her elite pen game, we found seven more songs by other artists you may not have known were written by Elliott. Check out the list below.
1. “Babydoll,” Mariah Carey (1997)
For international sensation Mariah Carey’s sixth studio album Butterfly (1997), she enlisted the help of Elliott for the second song “Butterfly,” their first ever time working together. Followed up by their 1999 “Heartbreaker (Remix)” collaboration, “Butterfly” contains elements of pop, R&B, and even gospel. The song peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100.
2. “You Won’t See Me Tonight,” Nas feat. Aaliyah (1999)
As we already mentioned, Elliott had the honor of writing for the late great singer Aaliyah from time to time, most notably on the track “Hot Like Fire.” Three years after “Hot Like Fire,” though, she penned Aaliyah’s feature verse on Nas’ song “You Won’t See Me Tonight,” produced by Timbaland, “You Won’t See Me Tonight” landed on Nas’ third album I Am… (1999), which included other hits like “Hate Me Now” with Diddy and “Nas Is Like.”
3. “I Care For U,” Aaliyah (2001)
Just a couple of months before her tragic death, Aaliyah put out her third and final album, which was self-titled. One last time, Elliott was able to earn writing credits on an Aaliyah song, for the LP’s sixth track “I Care 4 U.” Initially, the song was meant to land on Aaliyah’s sophomore album One in a Million (1996), but the deceased legend wanted to make sure she saved it for a special moment.
“[One in a Million] was done and mastered, so we figured we’d hold onto it for the next album,” she told Billboard. “It’s just one of those timeless songs. I also love the fact that it’s a female saying: ‘Don’t cry, I’ll wipe your tears. I love you, just give me the chance to show you.’”
4. “So Gone,” Monica (2003)
Three years before helping craft “A Dozen Roses (You Remind Me)” from Monica’s 2006 album The Makings of Me, Elliott provided her writing chops for “So Gone,” the third track on Monica’s fourth album After the Storm. As one of five songs on After the Storm that Elliott helped craft, “So Gone” peaked at No. 10 on the Hot 100, and stayed at No. 1 on Billboard’s R&B chart for five weeks.
5. “My Love Is Like… Wo,” Mýa (2003)
The same year as “So Gone,” Elliott also connected with Washington D.C. native Mýa to work on her third album Moodring. Upon its release, the LP peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, thanks to songs like “My Love Is Like… Wo” and “Step,” both written and produced by Elliott. “My Love Is Like… Wo” served as the album’s intro.
6. “Free Yourself,” Fantasia (2004)
For North Carolina-bred R&B singer Fantasia, she turned to Elliott often while making her first two albums Free Yourself (2004) and Fantasia (2006). For the title track of the former LP, Elliott not only provided background vocals but also earned writing and production credits on the song. This was one of three songs on Free Yourself that included contributions from Elliott.
7. “Everything to Me,” Monica (2009)
Before Monica dropped her sixth album Still Standing in 2010, she used “Everything to Me” as her lead single in December 2009. Peaking at No. 44 on the Hot 100, the song received production and writing assistance from Elliott. Additionally, a remix of the song leaked a month after the LP was released, which included a full verse from Elliott and a posthumous appearance from The Notorious B.I.G.
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