This week,Marie Claire profiled living legendand prolific hit-maker, Missy Elliott. Missy remains a pioneer in the industry, a hip-hop and R&B icon for over 20 years. Winner of 4 Grammys (nominated for 22), and having sold 30 million records, any discussion of Missy starts with where she sits, on top of the hip-hop world, solidly on anyone’s top 5 or top 10 lists. Her unique and timeless sound is both refreshing and nostalgic. And like the male performer-producers in the industry, Diddy, Pharrell, Kanye West and Dr. Dre, she is still making music (Dr. Dre emerging only when he feels like it) but there really is no one like her.
Melissa Arnette Elliott, now 48, was destined to become a star. This was according to a young Missy, who received affirmation from her kindergarten teacher, a memory so vivid it remains impactful enough for her to recall to writer Ashley C. Ford:
“This is why you have to listen to kids. I knew what I wanted. I remember.”
Missy says her teacher asked the class what they wanted to be every week. (Not surprising, as kids’ inclinations about their futures change rapidly.) Her classmates’ minds did change often, though the list of possible futures they considered stayed roughly the same: “I want to be a fireman.” “I want to be a teacher.” “I want to be a doctor.” “I want to be a lawyer.” Missy’s answer was consistent each week:“‘I’m going to be a superstar,’ and the whole class would bust out laughing.”Her teacher, Mrs. Gardner, would admonish the class, insisting that if Missy wanted to be a superstar, it was possible that’s exactly who she would become.” Ashley begins the piece taking Missy back to an emotional moment early this yearwhere she spoketo the graduating class at Berklee College of Music, where she received an honorary doctorate in music.
甚至很难回忆起一个打击歌曲或时刻that characterizes Missy Elliott’s career. In terms of music, you can always hear when Missy is on a beat. You know the beats immediately: “Work It”, “Get Your Freak On”, and on Ciara's “One Two Step”. Her influence on other artists’ music stands alone, creating, writing and producing hits with her childhood friend, famed producer Timbaland, with 702, SWV , and our late princess, Aaliyah.
Missy’s third album, 2003’sSo Addictive, introduced us to “Get Your Freak On” and it became more of a movement than a song. It’s impossible to think about that era without recalling her and Timbaland’s domination of the charts, every high school dance, and wedding. 22 years after her debut solo album, 1997’sSupa Dupa Fly,Missy recently produced and was featured on the amazing track “Tempo” on Lizzo’s album,Cuz I Love You- 她继续与新兴艺术家建立创造性的合作伙伴关系。像推文。她告诉阿什利：
“When I saw Tweet, it was like something is so special about her that is so different,” Elliott recalls. “I remember watching the way she played the guitar, and I said, ‘This is interesting. She’s not playing it upright; she’s playing it flat.’ But the reason is so she could see the strings because she taught herself how to play. And I was like, ‘This is amazing to me.’” Elliott wanted to work with the young woman immediately. And she did. This was normal for her.”
Missy represents a low-key element that other less commercially successful, showy artists don’t have. I personally prefer superstars to be less humble, but Missy is undeniably refreshing. And her work clearly speaks for itself. Missy knows exactly who she is and what she means to music.
在她的2015年超级碗半场表演中，米西回忆起后来洗狗，而她的朋友们则强调了当下的重力。我记得这场表演和Twitter爆炸了，因为长期的粉丝陶醉于怀旧，新粉丝发现了她的光彩。我很难掌握那个表演之后的人谷歌搜索的人，这不知道她的标志性目录，但我很感激互联网可以向人们介绍我们心爱的艺术家。很明显，米西现在花点时间能够享受她的成就。她告诉阿什利，“I was in the car with Michelle Obama [for ‘Carpool Karaoke’ in 2016], and they called me like, ‘Girl, we got to celebrate; that’s huge!’ And I’m like, ‘I’m watching a movie on Netflix.’ Now that I’ve had a chance to slow down, I look back at stuff, and I look back at my ‘She’s a Bitch’ video [1999], and at the time I didn’t even think about it. But I look at it now and I’m like, ‘This is still so many years ahead.”
And that is how Missy wants us to look forward to her next album. I can’t wait.
Click hereto see photos and read Marie Claire's Missy Elliot profile.
