Currently, Missy Elliott and Timbaland are working on Elliott’s comeback studio album, expected to release this summer. The LP will be her first full-length release since her 2005 album The Cookbook, which landed at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and contained hits like “Lose Control” and “We Run This,” peaking at Nos. 3 and 48 on the Billboard Hot 100 respectively.
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Before The Cookbook, from the late 1990s to the early 2000s, Elliott made her mark as one of the most notable and dynamic female acts in hip-hop. Hits like “Get Ur Freak On” (2001) and “Hot Boyz” (1999), which landed at Nos. 1 and 4 on our recent “Top 10 Songs by Missy Elliott” list, elevated her to the peak of the genre. But, much like many of her peers, Elliott’s success story started from humble beginnings and was not a linear path by any means.
The Origin Story
Born Melissa Elliott in 1971 in Portsmouth, Virginia, the beloved singer-rapper first got her start performing when she was active in the church choir. However, much of her childhood was riddled with abuse and hardship, as her family’s low-income and violent father hovered over her like a dark cloud.
When she was 14, Elliott and her mother left her father and started a new life, where she was able to safely live out her teen years and graduate high school in 1990. The following year, she would join Fayze, an all-female R&B group in her home state. This is where she began working with Timbaland, who was a neighborhood friend that she asked to help produce some of Fayze’s music.
Shortly after this, Fayze would catch the eye of DeVante Swing from the famed 1990s R&B group Jodeci. Swing would assist Fayze in landing a record deal with Elektra Records, moving to New York City, and eventually changing their name to Sista. When arriving in NYC, the Sista members would live in a large house with other members of Jodeci’s posse, which included fellow R&B rising stars like Maryland native Ginuwine.
Along with Sista working on their debut album 4 All the Sistas Around da World in 1994, Elliott would land career-elevating songwriting credits with Jodeci and future Disney Channel star Raven Symone. Unfortunately, Swing’s collective and imprint which housed Ginuwine and Sista would fall apart, shelving the debut album and forcing group members to fend for themselves.
Elliott and Timbaland would make lemonade with these lemons, though, and find a path to stardom as a songwriting and production team. In 1996, they were able to earn production and writing credits on nine songs for Aaliyah’s sophomore album One in a Million, which went on to earn 2x platinum certification. After this, Elliott would start to get gigs as a background vocalist, catching the eye of stars like Diddy and MC Lyte.
With all these connections under her belt, riding a monstrous wave of momentum, Missy Elliott would found her own record label The Goldmind Inc. in 1997, and would finally put out her debut solo album Supa Dupa Fly the same year. Along with going platinum, the project landed at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 thanks to the radio hit “Sock It 2 Me” featuring fellow woman emcee Da Brat, which reached No. 12 on the Hot 100.
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