#93 Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott, 'Supa Dupa Fly' (1997)

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Missy Elliot had been kicking around a little before the release of this, her debut album. While in high school, her and three mates formed a group called Sista, which was signed to Jodeci member, DeVante Swing’s label, Swing Mob. Following the non-release of their debut recorded in New York, their contract was terminated and Elliot returned home to Portsmouth, Virginia. There she reconnected with childhood friend, Timothy Mosley, aka Timbaland, where the two would subsequently write and produce half the tracks on Aaliyah’s second record, ‘One In A Million’ (#314). So impressed by her, Elektra Records signed her, and even gave her an imprint of her own, The Goldmind Inc. She immediately went to work on ‘Supa Dupa Fly,’ letting old pal Timbaland take the production reigns.

The first song that jumped out at me was ‘The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly),’ so wasn’t surprised to discover that this was the first single released. The track heavily samples Ann Peebles’s ‘I Can’t Stand The Rain.’ ‘Sock It 2 Me’ bears a sound that would become Timbaland’s signature. ‘Beep Me 911’ is a slow jam typical of mid-90’s RnB punctuated with Elliot’s rapid-fire rap. The release features guests such as Lil’ Kim, Ginuwine, Busta Rhymes and Aalyiah. In a genre so dominated by men, Elliot completely smashed the glass ceiling debuting at #3 on the charts and going on to sell over a million copies. Missy Elliot blazed the trail for female rappers and songwriters.

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