Under Construction | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | November 12, 2002 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 56:41 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer |
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Missy Elliott chronology | ||||
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Singles from Under Construction | ||||
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Under Construction is the fourth studio album by American rapper Missy Elliott, released by The Goldmind Inc. and Elektra Records on November 12, 2002, in the United States. The album was primarily produced by Timbaland, with additional production by Craig Brockman, Nisan Stewart, Errol "Poppi" McCalla and Elliott herself.
The album debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 259,000 copies in its first week. [4] It was also certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). [5] The album received Grammy Award nominations for Best Rap Album and Album of the Year. Elliott dedicated the album to Aaliyah (who had died on August 25, 2001) and to victims of the September 11 attacks.
"Work It" was released as the album's lead single on September 16, 2002. [6] The single peaked at number 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100, staying at that position for for ten weeks. As of 2023, "Work It" has sold over 3 million copies in the US alone. [7] The official music video was directed by Dave Meyers.
Under Construction's second and final official single was "Gossip Folks", which was released on December 9, 2002. Dave Meyers directed the video. "Gossip Folks" charted in 14 countries worldwide.
"Back in the Day", featuring Jay-Z, was intended to be the album's third single. It was released in February 8, 2003, peaking at number 86 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart, but was scrapped as a single.
Additionally, another contender to be the album's official third single, was a newly recorded remix of "Pussycat" with guest vocals by Janet Jackson and featuring Lil' Kim. Elliott's label felt the song was too explicit to release and plans were withdrawn. [8] [9]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 81/100 [10] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
Blender | [11] |
Entertainment Weekly | B+ [12] |
The Guardian | [13] |
Los Angeles Times | [14] |
NME | [15] |
Pitchfork | 7.2/10 [16] |
Q | [17] |
Rolling Stone | [18] |
USA Today | [19] |
Under Construction received general acclaim from critics. At Metacritic, it earned an average score of 81 out of 100, based on 19 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". [10] The album was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die . [20]
"It still sounds incredibly fresh, in all meanings of the word," observed the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' guitarist, Nick Zinner. "Karen [O, Yeah Yeah Yeahs' singer] and I listened to it all the time. We used to play it before we'd go onstage... 'Funky Fresh Dressed' is my favourite track. I don't know what else to say other than it's amazing." [21]
Publication | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
BBC Radio 6 Music | 16 Albums That Define 2002 | — | |
HipHopDX | The 20 Best Rap Albums of All Time | 3 | |
The Muse | The Best Albums of 2002 | — | |
NME | Best Albums and Tracks of 2002 | 25 | |
Pitchfork | Top 50 Albums of 2002 | 28 | |
PopMatters | Best Music of 200 | — | |
Rolling Stone | 100 Best Albums of the 2000s | 28 | |
Slant | Top 10 Albums and Singles of 2002 | 54 | |
Slant | The 100 Best Albums of the 2000s | 54 | |
Village Voice | Top 10 Albums of 2002 | 10 |
Under Construction debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 259,000 copies in its first week. [4] The album stayed on the chart for a total of 36 weeks. [32] On July 14, 2003, the album was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of over two million copies in the United States. [5] By November 2015, the album had sold 2,142,000 copies in the US. [33]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Intro"/"Go to the Floor" |
| 5:06 | |
2. | "Bring the Pain" (featuring Method Man) |
|
| 2:59 |
3. | "Gossip Folks" (featuring Ludacris) |
|
| 3:54 |
4. | "Work It" |
|
| 4:53 |
5. | "Back in the Day" (featuring Jay-Z) |
|
| 4:55 |
6. | "Funky Fresh Dressed" (featuring Ms. Jade) |
|
| 3:56 |
7. | "Pussycat" |
|
| 4:32 |
8. | "Nothing Out There for Me" (featuring Beyoncé) |
|
| 3:05 |
9. | "Slide" |
|
| 3:43 |
10. | "Play that Beat" |
|
| 3:02 |
11. | "Ain't that Funny" |
|
| 2:48 |
12. | "Hot" |
|
| 4:09 |
13. | "Can You Hear Me" (featuring TLC) |
|
| 4:29 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
14. | "Work It (Remix)" (featuring 50 Cent) |
|
| 4:59 |
15. | "Drop the Bomb" |
|
| 3:27 |
Notes
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [63] | Gold | 35,000^ |
Japan (RIAJ) [64] | Gold | 100,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [65] | Gold | 260,000 [66] |
United States (RIAA) [67] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott, sometimes nicknamed as Misdemeanor, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, 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 commercially unsuccessful debut album, 4 All the Sistas Around da World (1994), was released by Elektra Records and met with positive critical reception. 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).
I Care 4 U is a posthumous compilation album by American singer Aaliyah. It was released on December 10, 2002, by Blackground Records and Universal Records. Following Aaliyah's death on August 25, 2001, Blackground decided to release a posthumous record in collaboration with Universal Music Group. The album compiles eight of Aaliyah's previously released songs alongside six previously unreleased recordings which were discarded from sessions for her eponymous third and final studio album (2001).
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.
Miss E... So Addictive is the third studio album by American rapper Missy Elliott. It was released by The Goldmind Inc. and Elektra Records on May 15, 2001, in the United States. The album spawned the club and R&B/hip-hop hits "One Minute Man", featuring Ludacris and Trina, and "Get Ur Freak On", as well as the international club hit "4 My People" and the less commercially successful single "Take Away".
This Is Not a Test! is the fifth studio album by American rapper Missy Elliott, released by The Goldmind Inc. and Elektra Records on November 25, 2003, in the United States. It was primarily produced by Timbaland, with additional production from Craig Brockman, Nisan Stewart and Elliott herself.
The Cookbook is the sixth studio album by American rapper Missy Elliott, released on July 4, 2005, by The Goldmind Inc. and Atlantic Records in Germany and the United Kingdom, and on July 5 in the United States and Japan. To date, it is her final long play studio effort.
3D is the fourth studio album by American girl group TLC, released on October 10, 2002, by Arista Records. Recorded from May 2001 to July 2002, much of the album was finalized after the death of member Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, with her unreleased material that she had recorded for her solo albums Supernova and N.I.N.A. being reworked into new songs. Remaining group members Rozonda Thomas and Tionne Watkins enlisted Dallas Austin, Babyface, Rodney Jerkins, the Neptunes, Raphael Saadiq, Missy Elliott and Timbaland to work on the album.
This Is the Remix is a remix album by American R&B group Destiny's Child. Released in the United States on March 12, 2002 by Columbia Records, the album contains a blend of R&B and dance remixes from the band's previously released three albums Destiny's Child (1998), The Writing's on the Wall (1999) and Survivor (2001) as well as solo material. The album's name is a self-explanatory message taken from the first track "No, No, No Part 2".
The Senior is the fourth studio album by American singer Ginuwine. It was released in the United States on April 8, 2003, via Epic Records. The album was primarily produced by Bryan-Michael Cox, with additional production from Scott Storch, R. Kelly, Brandon Howard and Joe Little III. The album debuted at No. 6 on the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 122,000 copies and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The Senior was supported with the release of three singles, with all of them appearing on the Billboard Hot 100: "Hell Yeah" peaking at No. 17, "In Those Jeans" peaking at No. 8, and "Love You More" peaking at No. 78.
"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 DEFinition is the tenth studio album by American rapper LL Cool J, released on August 31, 2004 by Def Jam Recordings. Largely produced by Timbaland, with several tracks produced by N.O. Joe, Teddy Riley, and 7 Aurelius, the album peaked at number 4 on the US Billboard 200 and spawned two singles: "Headsprung" and "Hush". It was certified Gold by the RIAA for selling over 500,000 copies.
The discography of American rapper Missy Elliott consists of six studio albums, three compilation albums, one extended play, seventy-four singles and twenty solo music videos.
Southern Hummingbird is the debut studio album by American singer Tweet, released on April 2, 2002, by The Goldmind Inc. and Elektra Records. The album features production by Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, Timbaland, Craig Brockman, Nisan Stewart, guitarist John "Jubu" Smith, and Tweet herself. It also features guest vocals by Elliott, Bilal, and Ms. Jade, and included a bonus track performed by Elliott, "Big Spender", which samples the song of the same name from the 1966 musical Sweet Charity.
American singer Aaliyah has released three studio albums, two compilation albums, and 31 singles. Aaliyah was born in Brooklyn, New York City and was raised in Detroit, Michigan. At age 10, she appeared on Star Search and performed in concert alongside Gladys Knight. At age 12, Aaliyah signed a deal with Jive Records and Blackground Records. During that time, she met R. Kelly through her uncle Barry Hankerson; eventually, he became her mentor, sole lead songwriter, and producer for her debut album. Released in 1994, Aaliyah's debut album, Age Ain't Nothing but a Number, was certified double Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and sold three million copies in the United States. Months after the release of her album, Aaliyah ended her contract with Jive and signed with Atlantic Records due to allegations of an illegal marriage with Kelly.
Street Dreams is the second studio album by American rapper Fabolous. It was released on March 4, 2003, by Desert Storm Records and Elektra Records. Fabolous worked with a variety of producers on the album, including DJ Clue, Heavy D, Just Blaze, Rick Rock, Timbaland, Trackmasters, and Kanye West. Guest vocalists on Street Dreams include Lil' Mo, Mike Shorey, Paul Cain, Snoop Dogg, Missy Elliott, Ashanti, and Mary J. Blige as well as Styles P, Jadakiss, M.O.P., P. Diddy, and Jagged Edge.
Respect M.E. is the first greatest hits album by American rapper Missy Elliott. It was released by Atlantic Records on September 4, 2006, in Europe, Asia and Australia. The album includes a collection of the singles from across all six of her studio albums, released between 1997 and 2005, most of which were produced by Elliott along with Timbaland, with "We Run This," the third single from her 2005 album The Cookbook also serving as Respect M.E.'s lead single.
Shock Value is the second solo studio album by record producer Timbaland. The album was released in the UK on April 2, 2007, and released in the US one day later. It is Timbaland's first release on his own imprint, the Interscope Records-distributed Mosley Music Group. Shock Value features a long list of guest artists, among them Fall Out Boy, Justin Timberlake, the Hives, Keri Hilson, Nelly Furtado, Missy Elliott, 50 Cent, Tony Yayo, Dr. Dre, OneRepublic, Elton John, Magoo and Nicole Scherzinger.
Moulin Rouge! Music from Baz Luhrmann's Film is the soundtrack album to Baz Luhrmann's 2001 film Moulin Rouge!, released on 8 May 2001 by Interscope Records. The album features most of the songs featured in the film. However, some of the songs are alternate versions and there are two or three major songs that are left off. The original film versions and extra songs were featured on the second soundtrack.
American singer Zendaya has released one studio album, 10 singles, three promotional singles, 15 music videos and some album appearances. Her first appearance was as part of Kidz Bop Kids on the album Kidz Bop Dance Party, in 2010. In 2011, Zendaya released her debut independent single, "Swag It Out". Her next single, "Watch Me", peaked at number 86 on the US Billboard Hot 100.