Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott, also known as Misdemeanor, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She embarked on her music career with R&B girl group Sista in the 1990s, and later became a member of the Swing Mob collective alongside her childhood friend and longtime collaborator Timbaland, with whom she wrote and produced music for acts such as 702, Aaliyah, SWV, and Total. Following several collaborations and guest appearances, she began her solo career in 1997 with her debut album Supa Dupa Fly, which spawned the top 20 single "Sock It 2 Me". The album debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, the highest charting debut for a woman rapper at the time.
Shawntae Harris-Dupart, better known by her stage name Da Brat, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Chicago, she began her career in 1992 prior to signing with Jermaine Dupri's So So Def Recordings that same year. Her debut studio album, Funkdafied (1994) sold one million units, making her the first female hip hop solo act to receive platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and the second female hip hop act to do so after Salt-N-Pepa.
Total is an American R&B girl group and one of the signature acts of the Bad Boy Records imprint during the mid 1990s. The group consists of founding members Kima Raynor, Keisha Spivey, and Pamela Long. Total is best known for their feature on Mase's "What You Want", as well as their hits "Kissin' You", "Can't You See", and "What About Us?" and "Trippin'", both featuring Missy Elliott. Long also sung the chorus of The Notorious B.I.G.'s hit song "Hypnotize", although she was not officially credited. Total made their first appearance singing the hook on The Notorious B.I.G.'s debut single, "Juicy", widely considered one of the greatest hip-hop songs of all time.
Supa Dupa Fly is the debut studio album by American rapper Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, released July 15, 1997, on The Goldmind, East West, and Elektra Entertainment Group. The album was recorded and produced solely by Timbaland in October 1996, and features the singles, "The Rain ", "Sock It 2 Me", "Hit Em wit da Hee" and "Beep Me 911". Guest appearances on the album include Busta Rhymes, Ginuwine, 702, Magoo, Da Brat, Lil' Kim, and Aaliyah. The album was recorded in just two weeks.
Da Real World is the second studio album by American rapper Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, released on June 22, 1999, by East West, Elektra, and The Goldmind. The album is noted for adding a raunchier and darker style to Elliott's music, as well as including the overt political use of the term "bitch". The album features guest appearances from B.G., Juvenile, Lil' Mo, Nicole, Beyoncé, Eve, Eminem, Lady Saw, Da Brat, Aaliyah, Big Boi of Outkast, Lil' Kim, MC Solaar, and Redman.
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.
"I Want You Back" is the debut solo single of British singer Melanie B, featuring American rapper Missy Elliott. It was released as a single from the soundtrack to the 1998 film Why Do Fools Fall in Love. After two years, the song was also included on Melanie B's debut album, Hot (2000). "I Want You Back" topped the UK Singles Chart on 20 September 1998.
"She's a Bitch" is a song recorded by American rapper Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott for her second album, Da Real World (1999). Produced by Timbaland, it was released as the album's debut single, and despite an expensive music video directed by video director Hype Williams, the song peaked only at number 90 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, with Da Real World's other singles "All n My Grill" and "Hot Boyz" going on to greater chart success. Elliott performed the song live on a number of occasions, including the 2017 VH1 Hip Hop Honors: The '90s Game Changers.
"Not Tonight" is a song performed by the American rapper Lil' Kim featuring Jermaine Dupri for her debut studio album Hard Core (1996). A remix was released the following year featuring female rappers Da Brat, Missy "Misdeameanor" Elliott, Angie Martinez, and Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes for the Nothing to Lose soundtrack. It was released on June 24, 1997, by Atlantic Records.
"Hot Boyz" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Missy Elliott featuring American rapper and singer-songwriter Lil' Mo. The remix version of the song was an urban hit featuring Nas, Eve and Q-Tip. The remix broke the record for most weeks at number-one on the US R&B chart on the issue dated January 15, 2000; as well as spending 18 weeks at number one on the Hot Rap Singles from December 4, 1999, to March 25, 2000, a record not broken until "Old Town Road" by Lil Nas X in 2019. The song also reached number 5 on the US Hot 100 on January 15, 2000. In the UK, the song became the biggest hit from the Da Real World album; it peaked at #18, being Missy's sixth top 40 and fourth top 20 solo success. On February 4, 2000 the song was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.
"Make It Hot" is the first single from Nicole's debut album of the same name. The single was released on June 2, 1998. The single was written by Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, Tim Mosley, and A. Richards, and was produced by Timbaland. The song features Mocha and Missy Elliott and uncredited lead and background vocals from Keli Nicole Price.
"All n My Grill" is the second single from Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott's 1999 album, Da Real World. The song featured Big Boi of Outkast and vocal ad-libs from her former protégé, Nicole Wray. The song had more success than the first single, "She's a Bitch".
"Party to Damascus" is a reggae fusion and hip hop song by Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean featuring guest vocals from Missy Elliott. It was written by Jean, Elliott, and Jerry Duplessis for his fourth studio album, The Preacher's Son (2003). Released as the album's lead single, it peaked at #65 on the Billboard Hot 100, #34 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart, #49 on the Swedish Singles Chart and #20 on the Norwegian Singles Chart. In Europe, the song was released as a double A-side with "Industry", a song which charted at #73 on the U.S. R&B chart due to strong downloads.
"The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" is the debut solo single by American rapper Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott. It was written and composed by Don Bryant, Bernard "Bernie" Miller, Elliott, and producer Timbaland for her debut album Supa Dupa Fly (1997) and contains a sample of Ann Peebles' 1973 single "I Can't Stand the Rain", whose lyrics serve as the chorus.
"Beep Me 911" is a song recorded by American rapper and singer Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, featuring vocals by R&B trio 702 and rapper Magoo. It was written and composed by Elliott, Melvin Barcliff and Tim "Timbaland" Mosley for her debut album Supa Dupa Fly (1997) and released as the album's third single in 1998.
"Hit 'Em wit da Hee" is a single by singer/rapper Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott. The track is found on her debut album, 1997's Supa Dupa Fly. The single was not eligible to chart in the U.S., and it was a success overseas, reaching No. 25 in the UK, her fourth consecutive top 40 hit. The music video edit of the song contains sampled strings from the Björk song "Jóga". In The U.S. the album version was released to radio and it received minor mainstream urban radio airplay and peaked at No. 61 on the U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart. Released from Supa Dupa Fly, it was the final single from the album during summer 1998.
"Steelo" is the debut single by American R&B group 702 recorded for the group's debut album No Doubt (1996). The song, which features hip hop artist Missy Elliott, was released as the first single for the album in 1996.
"Can We" is a song by American R&B trio SWV featuring guest vocals from Missy Elliott and production by Timbaland and Elliott. The song was eventually included on SWV's third album, Release Some Tension (1997), but was originally a hit earlier in the year when it was included on the soundtrack to the 1997 film, Booty Call.
"Here We Come" is a song by American producer/rapper Timbaland. It features frequent collaborators Missy Elliott and Magoo and serves as the lead single for Timbaland's solo debut album, Tim's Bio: Life from da Bassment (1998). The song also features background vocals by Playa and Darryl Pearson. While the song charted and was released via radio airplay on November 17, 1998, it was not granted a physical release in the United States until March 2, 1999; and on October 5, 1999, for Germany.
"Ya Di Ya" is a song by American R&B singer, Gina Thompson. It features guest vocals by Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott and was released as the lead single from Thompson's unreleased album, If You Only Knew (1999).
