The title Missy Elliott initially wanted for ‘Da Real World’
When you combine creativity with incredible music, Missy Elliott is the result. Not only was the production of her instrumentals outstanding, but her vision and lyrical skill made her one of the most popular female artists of a generation. Timbaland’s beats, whether for Aaliyah or Elliott, were always always completely mindblowing to listeners and often sounded like something from the future.
Unlike today, Missy wasn’t chasing numbers, and in a pre-streaming age, she placed a lot of importance on her albums. From Under Construction to The Cookbook, the Virginia native has a number of quality projects under her belt.
Following the era of Lil’ Kim, Elliott pushed the envelope concerning what a female lyricist was meant to look like. As a slightly chubby young lady who was happy, rocking short hair, the lack of focus on sex appeal made her a far more significant figure to many women who didn’t fit the mould.
That said, Elliott also injected humour into her lyrics. With sarcastic lines such as “Don’t I look like a Halle Berry poster?” appearing on her hit single ‘Work It’ not only did she reject the beauty expectations in hip-hop but made her fans laugh at it.
Of course, one can’t forget to mention her eye-popping visuals. With a reputation for outlandish videos directed by Hype Williams, Elliott was not just a rapper in her videos but a fashion icon and a dancer. With visionary choreographers and creative directors at her fingertips, fans always got with colour and a side of swagger.
The world was first introduced to Elliott when she released her debut album, Supa Dupa Fly, after which her career skyrocketed, leading her to become an international superstar. The project that followed was Da Real World in 1999.
Missy’s sophomore effort, in true Missy Elliot fashion, boasted epic hits and some sassy visuals. One of the tracks featured on Da Real World was ‘She’s A Bitch’. Hype Williams directed the iconic video, and Marilyn Manson’s tailor designed the bold leather outfit.
In an interview with The Telegraph, Elliott explained that the song was meant to highlight the double standards between men and women, detailing, “When a guy acts in a certain manner, it’s thought of as healthy aggression, but when a female acts in the same way she’s called a bitch: all it really means is a female knowing what she wants.”
However, ‘She’s A Bitch’ was meant to be the title track of Elliott’s album. Da Real World was a name that Missy came up with after she sent the project to the label. According to the legend herself, several record executives raised concerns with her as they didn’t want the cover to be censored.
As such, after becoming worried about censorship issues, Missy told the Telegraph, “I wanted it to get into K-Mart.” Like her previous body of work, the album entered the top ten immediately and was certified platinum by the RIAA in 2000. You can listen to Da Real World album below.