Missy Misdemeanor Elliott - Supa Dupa Fly

Gettin' by with a little help from her friends, you have to know that Missy Elliot means business when her CD starts out with an intro by rap's reigning jester, Busta Rhymes ("Busta's Intro"). From there on, Elliot's soulful vocals and clever raps would serve to be strong enough on its own, but the whole disc becomes a superpowered collective when a host of celebrities contribute on nearly every song. There's the built-for-cruising grooves of "Sock It 2 Me" featuring Da Brat on trademark lightening-fast rhymes, the sultry Ginuwine-marked "Friendly Skies" and "Best Friends" with Aaliyah. Supa Dupa Fly is a disc filled with woman-empowering lyrics and philosophies, but those looking for a role models for young children should be forewarned; some rough language is mixed in with the disc's good intentions. --Denise Sheppard Amazon.com

 Her first album
Aside the few "1 star" rankings posted by some heavy metal fans which likes to complain about the other musical styles (i don't know why they love this kind of useless behaviours) i think that the majority of the reviews are rightly focused about the "new sound" that this disk, and the other albums produced by Timbaland in the same period, has introduced in the R&B and Hip-Hop scene in the late '90.
Actually i've really liked the first three albums released by Missy, while the following aren't on top of my list. The recent "The Cookbook" it's the last in my personal ranking, and probably isn't a coincidence that it was the first album where Timbaland wasn't the main producer.
"Supa Dupa Fly" has been a remarkable debut for Missy, and i wish to mention even the funny and creative videos released to promote the singles extracted from the album. The beats provided by Timbaland was amazing (as usual) and the guests was truly a great contribution to the very high quality of this project.
You can hate or love Missy Elliott, but there's no doubt that she's been a main artist during the last decade, speaking about the R&B and Hip-Hop scene (i don't know who's been in the spotlight on the heavy metal scene...but i promise that i'll try to find some news about it). August 16, 2007

 Beep Beep, Who Got Tha Keys to my Jeep, VROOOM!
Missy Elliott had been a member of the band Sista where she also met up and coming Producer Timbaland, the band however didn't get much airplay and disbanded quickly. Missy teamed-up with partner in crime Timbaland and helped him record Aaliyah "One In A Million" and Ginuwine's "The Bachelor" both from 1996. The upcoming year it was time for her to record her own album "Supa Dupa Fly" and ofcourse Timbaland was the man behind this album aswell. The sound of this album would be revolutionary to both Hip Hop and R&B. Timbaland produced his first major Hip Hop album and the production style he used is still amazing to this day. Timbaland mostly produces his own music (without the use of samples) and he's heavily influenced by dance and new wave using a style that was nowhere to be found in the Hip Hop at this time with heavy bass bounce beats, synth stabs and diffrent kind of unpredictable sound effects and in many occasions he'd be mumbling a few rhymes in the backround of his songs aswell. Only a few years later many other producers would be copying his style and it the charts would be loaded with timbaland influenced copy cats. Missy Elliott is also one of a kind, she's a song writer, rapper and R&B Singer and her style can not be compared to anyone else around. While she may not be the best female rapper around, she's perhaps the most influentual and accessible with humouristic and improvising rhymes that are hardly deep but funny, sureal or just weird like on "The Rain" (Sway on dosie-do like you loco, Like CoCo, so-so / You don't wanna play with my Yo-Yo/ I smoke my hydro on the dee-low. Add all the funny sounds that she makes on her songs on top of this. Obviously "Supa Dupa Fly" is perfect for radio airplay but also artistic enough to stick out on it's own.



This serves a bluprint for both Timbaland and Missy's later music, but as diffrent that this album was when it came out and how much impact it later would have, it's impossible to not speak positively about it! I'll have to add that this is more R&Bish then many of her latter albums that goes further into the Hop Hop territory. Busta introduces the album but doesn't appear otherwise. After an all female first song called "Hit em wit Da Wee" with Lil Kim, one of the highlights arrive, "Sock It 2 Me". There's actually 2 versions of this song, one that samples The Delfonics "Ready Or Not" and the other one without the sample. DaBrat appeared on the video version with the sample. Her biggest hit of this album "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly) samples Ann Peebles hit with the same name on it's hook and is obviously a highlight with it's unique sound lyrics. "Beep Me 911" which was also a single deals with a cheating boyfriend and feauture Magoo. This clearly shows a diffrent side of Missy more vulnerable and sensitive, ditto with "Don't Be Coming" where she demands respect from her man. "Pass the Blunt" borrows the hook from Musical Youth's reggae hit "Pass the Dutch" while Ginuwine and Aaliyah appear on "Friendly Skies" and "Best Friend", both slower songs that make up for the cocky and surealistic in your face uptempo's that most people associate with Missy's music. 2 more worthwile songs needs a mention "Izzy Izzy Ahhh" that is Missy in a nutshell and "Getaway" with Nicole Wray, both funny uptempo's. On the first one Missy sound high on something when she sings the hook and she also makes cat noises during the verse!. Busta does an outro and then the album closes with a short message fro Missy where she thanks her fans that bought the album and god for making it possible. You get 13 real songs, + one intro, outro, interlude and finale.



Overall, Timeless album and one of the best in Hip Hop I can think of, cause of it's originality, production and because it serves as a bluprint for both Timbaland and Missy's latter careers. This is also Missy's best album in my oppinion. Not only it was revolutionary but it combines uptemops with ballads and seriousness with wittyness. Something that some of her latter albums didn't have. Missy May not be Queen Latifah lyrically, but she's far more enterraining to listen to and her great combination of singing and rapping is rare in Hip Hop. She may not be very deep either, but I can ensure you that you'll find enough funny words and phrases in her playful lyrics that makes up for that. Having said that, This is a classic and I'll be recommending it to anyone that wants originality and great and well produced music. June 14, 2007

 This is not good, don't believe the hype!
Now I have heard a lot of people say that this is a classic, and that it may be the most creative CD of all time, but when I take a listen, I just laugh. There are so many better rappers who have a million times the talent that Missy Elliot has and are so much more creative. Honestly, and the lyrics are awful, only a couple of the beats are okay, but after listening to Missy Elliot's annoying voice, then you will be very frustrated like I was that I bought this. July 2, 2006

 really big
Wow! that seems ages ago but it sounds totally fresh. Missy's debut album-1998-totally rocked my world at the time. I hadn't played it for almost five years. Superb. January 19, 2006

 Supa Dupa Missy
I remember this album when I was 10 years old. I love this album and it is hot. I still play this album until this day. The album fully unveiled her rapping and singing talent. The album is a funky,jungle tinged slow-ride one minute,a simmering cauldron of cranked-up rhythms and underground beats the next. The multi-talented Elliott's laid back singing style lulls you along the groove on some tracks,while Misdemeanor's nervy raps help to punctuate others. Her sense of when to converge style complements Timbaland's easy-on-the-trigger/heavy-on-the-bass perfectly, lighting up the record with pinball snatched of self-etyled sond effects. The CD is suitably peppered with snippets of both their personalilites,with her laying on her ambient beep beep's,and hee ha's,for good measure. This album has been certified Platinum. Remember,this was 1997-1998.

I was amazed and pleased when I was listening to this album. This album has that stutter beat style that was introduced on Aaliyah's 1996 album and Ginuwine's debut album. Timbaland really made this album a classic. Hot beats and fresh lyrics. Missy knows how to rap and sing. Aaliyah's album was a key move for Missy. I love the videos from this album. Her image was different. Missy is "Supa Dupa Fly". Nuff said. Listen to this album before you judge. June 15, 2005

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