The one singer who left Missy Elliott stunned
Missy Elliott faced her fair share of challenges throughout her career. Being one of the first female rappers that shook up the petite stereotype, the ‘Work It’ singer had a more contested journey into the industry than some of her counterparts may have. However, she persisted regardless of these criticisms and proved to be a frontrunner in the female rap industry.
Bursting onto the scene by forming the all-female R&B group Fayze in 1988, she quickly caught the attention of Jodeci member and producer DeVante Swing. Fayze took a chance and performed an a cappella version of Jodeci songs to Swing himself. This helped the band on their journey to be signed by Elektra Records and the Jodeci member then renamed the group Sista.
Missy ‘Misdemeanour’ Elliott went on to work for one of her idols: Whitney Houston. The collaboration came after a simple phone call where Houston told Elliott about how much she liked her work as a rapper and producer. “It was a dream come true to get a call from Mariah, but to get a call from Whitney?” Missy Elliott shares to Interview. “Those are major people I’ve always dreamed of working with.”
The call led to the song ‘In My Business’ on Houston’s 1988 album My Love Is Your Love. The track discusses nosy people that think they know everything about Whitney Houston’s relationship when they really don’t. ‘Why they all in our business? It’s just too ridiculous’ is the chorus that rings throughout the song.
Elliott later discussed the phone call in more detail, recalling: “She said ‘What up, girl? This is Whitney,’ and I replied, “Yeah, right. Whatever. Stop playing. She called me and I didn’t believe it was her. When I got off the phone, I screamed so loud. She was so down-to-earth.”
It wasn’t until 2019 when a Twitter user Zionology unearthed an interview clip where Whitney Houston stated that she thought Elliott was “one of the most talented producers in the industry”. She reacted to this by saying: “I teared up so hard, no one can imagine what it did to my spirit to hear this the first time. I am so humbled to even have been in your [Houston’s] presence.”
The collaboration with Houston spurred on more fame for Elliott, who left the Sista group in 1996 and teamed up with childhood friend, Timbaland, to work as a duo. They notably crafted Aaliyah’s renowned album One in a Million, it gained double platinum status the next year. The duo collaborated and found success in producing for other artists, leading a string of songs for Nicole Wray, Destiny’s Child, and Puff Daddy, to name just a few.
Additionally, Elliott went on to create the respected classics of ‘Work It’ and ‘Get Ur Freak On’ both in 2001. These tracks hit world-renown and built her fanbase as an artist in her own right, and not just as a producer. Her catchy flow of punchy lyrics and individualistic style captivated audiences from the very start of her career and throughout.
Following a 14-year hiatus, Elliott returned to releasing music with her 2019 debut EP Iconology. In 2021 Missy Elliott was honoured a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and, the following year, became the first female rapper to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.