Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott, also known as Misdemeanor, is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. She began on her musical career as a member of the R&B girl group Sista during the 1990s, who were part of the larger musical collective Swing Mob—led by DeVante Swing of Jodeci. The former group's debut album, 4 All the Sistas Around da World (1994) was released by Elektra Records and met with positive critical reception despite commercial failure. She collaborated with album's producer and Swing Mob cohort Timbaland to work in songwriting and production for other acts, yielding commercially successful releases for 702, Aaliyah, SWV, and Total. She then re-emerged as a solo act with numerous collaborations and guest appearances by 1996, and in July of the following year, she released her debut studio album, Supa Dupa Fly (1997).
Swing Mob was a loosely knit musical collective consisting of artists and record labels first discovered by Jodeci member DeVante Swing in 1991. The artists on Swing Mob included Missy Elliott with the group Sista, Timbaland, Magoo, Ginuwine, Static Major and the rest of Playa, Darryl Pearson, Mike "Funky Mike" Jackson, Tweet with the group Sugah, Majik, Jimmy Douglass, Stevie J, Maija Max, Renee Anderson, Bazaar Royale and Chad "Dr. Ceuss" Elliott among others, although the group's full membership has never been documented comprehensively. A list of some known artists in Swing Mob at the time of the group's activity can be found in the liner notes of Jodeci's third studio album, The Show, The After-Party, The Hotel (1995).
"Gossip Folks" is a song by American rapper Missy Elliott featuring fellow American rapper Ludacris, released as the second single from her fourth studio album, Under Construction (2002), on December 9, 2002. Written alongside producer Timbaland, it peaked at number eight on the US Billboard Hot 100, topped the Billboard Dance Club Play chart, and reached number nine on the UK Singles Chart.
"Work It" is a hip hop song written by American rapper Missy Elliott and her producer Tim "Timbaland" Mosley for Elliott's fourth studio album Under Construction (2002). The song's musical style, and production by Timbaland, were heavily inspired by old school hip hop from the early 1980s. It samples Run-D.M.C.'s "Peter Piper" and Rock Master Scott & the Dynamic Three's "Request Line".
The Goldmind, Inc. is an American record label founded in 1997 by rapper Missy Elliott. Elliott and Goldmind were once distributed through East West Records & Elektra Entertainment Group, Until 2004 when Time Warner sold WMG to a private investment group. The new owners then merged the Elektra with sister label Atlantic Records, transferring Elliott and Goldmind. Goldmind is home to Missy Elliott, specializing in R&B/hip-hop/soul music.
The discography of American rapper and record producer Missy Elliott consists of six studio albums, three compilation albums, one extended play, seventy-four singles and twenty solo music videos.
"Get Ur Freak On" is a song by American rapper Missy Elliott. It was written and produced by Elliott and Timbaland for her third studio album Miss E... So Addictive (2001). Based on heavy bhangra elements, a popular music and dance form from the region of Punjab in India, the song features a six-note base that is a Punjabi melody played on a tumbi and rhythm and bassline played on tabla.
"Pass That Dutch" is a song by American rapper Missy Elliott. It was written and produced by Timbaland and Elliott for her fifth studio album, This Is Not a Test! (2003), and contains samples of "Magic Mountain" by War and "Potholes in My Lawn" by De La Soul.
"Ching-a-Ling" is a song by American rapper Missy Elliott. It was written by Elliott along with frequent collaborator Cainon Lamb as well as Shawn Campbell and Marshall Leathers from production duo The Arkitects for what was supposed to be Elliott's seventh studio album Block Party, while production was helmed by Lamb, Campbell, and Leathers. In the song, sound elements of the 1981 arcade game Donkey Kong are heard throughout the song.
"Best, Best" is a song by American rapper Missy Elliott. It was written by Elliott, Marcella Araica, and Nate "Danja" Hills for what was supposed to be Elliott's seventh studio album Block Party, while production was helmed by Elliott and Hills. Announced as the album's lead single, it was released by The Goldmind Inc. and Atlantic Records on June 13, 2008, and peaked at number 94 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Since Block Party was abandoned in the spring of 2009, "Best, Best" remains a standalone single.
"Work" is a song recorded by American recording artist Ciara for her third studio album Fantasy Ride (2009). It was released by LaFace Records on July 24, 2009, as the album's third and final single. Rapper Missy Elliott provides featured vocals on the song. Ciara and Elliott wrote it in collaboration with its producers Nate "Danja" Hills and Marcella Araica. "Work" is a fast-paced electropop and dance song with elements of bounce music and hip hop. Ciara described it as an energetic club track, and considered it initially as the lead single of Fantasy Ride.
"Take Away" is a song by American rapper Missy Elliott. It was written by Elliott and Timbaland for her third studio album, Miss E... So Addictive (2001), while production was helmed by the latter, with Elliott and Craig Brockman served as co-producers. The downtempo track features guest vocals from R&B singer Ginuwine. While the album version of "Take Away" credits background vocals by 702 member, Kameelah Williams, the single version replaces Williams's vocals with then-newcomer, Elliott's former protégée Tweet.
Brianna Perry, also known as Lil' Brianna, is an American rapper and actress from Miami-Dade County, Florida. She was the youngest act signed to Missy Elliott's label The Goldmind Inc. Perry made her debut on Trina's album Diamond Princess (2002) on the track "Kandi". Since then, she has released several mixtapes and starred as a regular cast-member on the reality-television series Sisterhood of Hip Hop. In 2016, Brianna left major label Atlantic Records due to low promotion and moved forward with her indie label Poe Boy Entertainment.
Dani Stevenson is an American contemporary R&B singer. She is best known for her background vocals on Nelly's single "Hot in Herre" and her own singles "Honk Your Horn" and "Yo, Yo, Yo", which was featured in the film XXX starring Vin Diesel.
"Take That" is the debut single by American R&B singer, Torrey Carter. It features guest vocals by Carter's former mentor Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott and was released as the lead single from Carter's unreleased debut album, The Life I Live (2000).
"I Deserve It" is a song by American singer Faith Evans, featuring female hip-hop recording artists Missy Elliott and her protégé Sharaya J, from Evans' sixth studio album, Incomparable (2014). It was written by Evans, Elliott und Sharaya J along with Chucky Thompson, Andre Johnson, Toni Coleman, Achaia Dixon and Evans' daughter Chyna Griffin and samples Nina Simone's "To Be Young, Gifted and Black" (1969). Due to the sample, Simone and co-writer are also Weldon Irvine credited as songwriters on "I Deserve It."
Ashley Chrisha Marie Everett is an American dancer and actress. She is best known as lead backup dancer and dance captain for Beyoncé, and has worked with such artists as Usher, Jennifer Lopez, Ne-Yo, Tina Turner, Ciara, Sean Paul and Anitta. She frequently features in high-profile music videos, television commercials and concert tours.
"WTF (Where They From)" is a song by American rapper Missy Elliott featuring fellow American musician Pharrell Williams. Produced by the latter, it was released in 2015 as Elliott's first single and first music video, since 2008's "Shake Your Pom Pom", although she had been a featured artist on others' singles and videos and had released promotional singles, during the intervening years. The song received significant praise from critics, and was sometimes referred to as her "comeback".
Sean Bankhead is an American dancer and choreographer. He served as a judge on the American music competition series Becoming A Popstar.
