Under Construction

I don't need to like Missy, she likes herself enough for both of us.

I'm not looking forward to his. At all. This is not a genre I enjoy. But hey ho, gotta open yourself up to new things haven't you. First track. Oh, she's mouthing off already. Shut up and sing ffs. Ok, here we go. Oh no. Go back to the talking. Please. I'm not going to make it through a whole album of this. Hitting the fourth minute of this now. The tune is pretty decent. Oooh, first use of the N word. Edgy. Better turn it down a bit. Nothing to the 'lyrics'. Track two. There are lots of collaborations on this. Maybe that'll help, because on her own she seems quite bad. Yeah, this is better. I mean, it's still nonsense lyrics, but it's got something. Track three. Did I just hear 'mama-jama'??! As annoying as I find it to say this, this track is quite catchy. Not lyrically, obviously. Track four. Ooooh, I've heard this before. It's alright from what I remember. Good chorus. Still a bit dodgy outside of the chorus - 'sex me so good I say blah blah blah'. I'm gonna be humming this all night, I know it. Hang on, she's talking to me again. Hope I'm enjoying the album? Meh, it's ok, thanks for asking. Track five. Jay-Z in the house. This track seems louder than the others? She sounds better on this track. More singing rather than rapping? I dunno. This is a bit of a nothing track tbh. Track six. 'My attitude is bitchy because my period is heavy'. Nice. No, I will not turn the volume up. This seems like something a school kid would come up with and think it's cool as fuck. It's not. It's shit. Track seven. This sounds a bit sexy. 'Pussy don't fail me now, I gotta turn this N out so he don't want nobody else'. I know I'm beating on these lyrics a lot, but come on, they fucking deserve it. Keep your man happy by making sure he's enjoying the sex. Oooh, more chat. Fuck me, is she reading my mind??!? She's having a go at me for slating her lyrics. Fuck off woman. Track eight. Here's Beyonce. Awww, she doesn't want to go out, she wants to stay in with her man. And on and on. I think she's protesting too much. Clearly out shagging all sorts. Are we at the end yet? No? Oh. Track nine. Pretty funky start to this one. She seems to be saying she's doing alright for herself. Got a bit of money, a couple of nice cars. Ok, good for you girl. Track ten. Why does she feel the need to keep telling me I'm listening to Missy Elliott? I'm ten tracks into the album, I know who you are. More advice on keeping your man. Back rubs, sex (I think), laundry, shout at hoes. Might play this to all prospective girlfriends, make sure they know what I expect. Track eleven. Back with the funk. Still telling me it's Missy Eliott. I. Know. Sounds like her fella left her. Stupid pussy must have let her down. Track twelve. 'I bought a Murcielago to sit, on the plush leather seats, forget am I on my own clit?'. It's Shakespeare. Some guy is broke, Missy isn't. 'Cuz rich folks, we buy boats' is gonna stick in my head. Track thirteen. This is pretty good. Yeah, quite like this. Best track on the album for me. Good way to finish. Oh, it's not over. More chat. She hopes I like the album, but if I don't, she doesn't give a shit. Ok.  I won't ever listen to this again. Hopefully.

Missy is hands down the best female rapper of all-time. One of the best rappers period. And this album has her talent on display - smart meaningful lyrics, cool beats, lightning quick raps, and a pretty darn good voice. Her interludes are actually worth listening to (not just BS) and shows her depth of thought. Although her claim in the Intro that you don't hear Gates and Trump arguing because they got "paper" and "better shit to do" shows how much times have changed in 20 years. Her wordplay or own version of pig latin that she does in Gossip Folks and Work It is so unique and innovative. The former is one of my favorite rap songs of all time - beats and lyrics are just awesome. I'm not sure there was a weak song on the whole album. Slide and Go to the Floor were particularly good tracks I didn't know of before.

I hadn’t listened to Missy Elliot before this, and that’s on me.

Enjoying this way more than I thought I would.

There are a few swings and misses here, but also a whole lot to like. Every collaboration works. It's criminal how underrated she is. Best track: Gossip Folks

This album was a super fun listen with immaculate production and delicious retro-future sampling. Some of the tracks don't quite hold up, but the highlights are so, so high. I can really hear the influence on Janelle Monae. Rating: 3.5/5 Favourite tracks: "Work It", "Back in the Day"

My first real awareness of Missy Elliott was the release of Work It. That song was all over the radio, and jeez, it's a banger for the ages. Is there any other track on the album that good? Well, no, not really. But it's a really strong hip hop album of its vintage. The production is fascinating and funky, full of references to hip hop (and pop) classics. But the album is more than a mere throwback. For an album with clear ambitions to mainstream success, it is surprisingly weird, clearly within the history of hip hop, but looking forward into the future as well. Missy's flow is on point; funny, surprising, and funky fresh. A who's who of A-list collaborators appear across the album, but would it be churlish of me to say I'd like to hear less of the featured artists and more of Missy herself? Not many hip hop albums of this vintage (especially those pitched at the mainstream) stand up so well over time. This is still (mostly) really listenable. I could live without the spoken interludes, which are sincere, but boring on repeat listens. Coincidentally, the day after this came up on my listening queue, I was at a record fair where I stumbled across a promo 12" of Back in the Day b/w a remix of Gossip Folks. Yes, please, I'll take that for $4, a bargain at twice the price!

This album is like a history book of early 2000s hip hop and R&B. Back when driving Escalades was cool. Missy starts out with a heartfelt message to the listener that she wants to channel the roots of hip hop and celebrate the lives of those that we lost over the years. It really puts into perspective how many people left the world too soon, from Biggie to Aaliyah. From Big Pun to Left Eye. In a way this record is a memorial for all of these acts, these people who were at the top of their craft. This album is absolutely packed with features from all of the biggest names in the scene with references to popular media and figures who you undoubtedly would hear about at the time. It's almost like it was unintentionally a time capsule that, upon opening 20 years later, steeped me so deep in an era that I felt like I was actually there. Missy's intention for 'Under Construction" was clearly for it to be a love letter to hip hop and R&B. She samples classics to create boom bap earworms like "Play That Beat" but weaved throughout with Timbaland's modern style in a way that works perfectly. There are these classic-sounding tracks that are like a daydream to a golden fledging old school era with tracks like "Work It", "Slide", and "Hot" looking to the future. Side note, it's so cool that "Hot" sounds like it was born and raised in Virginia Beach. Timbaland, Pharrell, and Pusha T were all in the same circles growing up and it shows so much on this track. The beat could be a P track, the hook on the chorus could be delivered by Push. Missy ends the album with a final message to the listener where she again remarks on how far hip hop has come dedicating this one to the fallen soldiers as she calls them in "Hot". She remarks that she made this one for the ladies and it made me thing damn, Missy walked so Nicki could run. She ends it with the line "you may not feel like I’m a real hip hop artist but I grew up on hip hop and that's what motivated me to do music”. I respect the hell out of that. Seriously. Thank you Missy Elliott for this gem of a tribute to a classic era. TL;DR This album is a 5/5 for me because of the absolute heart put into it, the love for the craft and the genre, the features and the history they carried with them in their lyrics, the blend of old and new, and for "Work It".

Damn this was fun. I love the little before and after speeches and that, somehow, she managed to get the names of Bill Gates and Donald Trump in there. Exactly what hip-hop had been begging for.

I can’t believe this is twenty years old

This is a Missy Elliott exclusive. An album so influential, it can be heard today front and center on the top 40 charts, paved the way for many female MCs. Work It is an all time great song, and everything else here is almost as good. Phenomenal skills on the mic by Missy Elliott too

Strong! So many top-end collaborators on this, and some deep digs for samples, and a really unique style. I never listened to the full album back in the day but really enjoyed hearing it through.

Track 1: “You don’t see Bill Gates and Donald Trump arguing with each other…” Ohhh 2002, if you only knew what was to come… I enjoyed a track or 2 but nothing special and a bit dated. I don’t know why rap records need/needed to have so much extra verbal filler or little skits or whatever.

Whew!!! She came out hard and kept going. And the Guests! I still think Missy Elliot is underrated in popular culture. Love this album.

There's nothing in the world that sounds like a Missy joint. When Missy's on her game, she's unstoppable. Unfortunately, there are a few tracks here that DON'T feel like Missy joints (I'm looking at you "Pussycat", "Nothing Out There for Me", and "Play That Beat") hence the 4-star review. But the rest of the album is just so good, she almost pulled a 5-star anyway. These beautiful, throwback traps feel so good with her effortlessly confident flow draped over top. Legendary talent.

Worst of the worst. In my bottom five albums I've ever heard

Missy's rap game is strong. Even though this isn't my genre I enjoyed it very much. Definitely an album that should be included in this list.

This is a Missy Elliot Exclusive. I like how personal this album feels. Missy has always been one of the best flows in the game, but I never knew she had such a good singing voice. Great beats. Favorite tracks: "Work It", "Pussycat", "Nothing Out There for Me"

American dog shit

Bangers a-plenty. Really enjoyed this, although the spoken word bits sound like an earnest podcast. Tunes though!

I love Missy Elliot, and love this album most out of all of her work. The nod to early hip hop while also sounding brand new really works here. I am not sure about a couple of the more smoochy numbers, but Ain’t It Funny is a standout here with the layered vocalists and buzzy synths over a pop construction. The best from one of the best.

I cant think of any positives for this album whatsoever, so I won't pretend there are any. I do struggle with rap/ hip-hop at the best of times, but if you are going to release a 'work in progress', then please show me ears the decency of finishing it before final release.

Lasted until the end of Work It. After reading that that song won a Grammy Award, and was named the 56th greatest song *of all time* by Rolling Stones, I realised that this stuff is like landing on an alien world and just not being able to understand any of it so what's the point in trying. It sounds utter, utter, shite.

Really listenable, 23 years later. Elliott played the same boastful, sexually explicit game her male counterparts were playing at and demolished them. Her flow isn't as compelling to me as some others and I'm lukewarm on the beats produced in this era but this is an excellent record. That's without even mentioning the featured artists (Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Ludacris, Method, Ms Jade, TLC and 50 Cent). There's a definitely touching moment later on, mourning the passing of several of her young peers. Even the brief, spoken interludes hold up better than typical hip-hop sketches. I'd argue that both hold up because they represent Missy Elliott's genuineness throughout what's otherwise a typically posturing, braggodocious rap album. She knows who she is, she knows what she's doing and she's killing it. Better than Eminem's actual output at the same time (and he's still rightly a legend). 5/5

This swept me right back to TRL when Missy videos played back-to-back with Limp Biscuit and Brittany Spears and Three Doors Down. What a time to be alive! Timbaland beats, Missy's rhymes, this album is Phat! Could've done without the long, rambling intro and outro. It's really kinda silly and breaks the flow of the album, but whatever. Missy can do what she wants.

The best message of any early 2000's main stream rap album with no loss in swagger and a noticeable bump in production. Amazing.

Classic.

Missy Elliott was a blindspot for me, and this album made me feel dumb for that. It's pure fire, a wonderful celebration of hip-hop's past that also pushes the genre forward. I'm totally on board with everything she's doing here (well, aside from the "Missy Elliott exclusive" thing on every track), and the handful of guests shake things up a bit without stealing the spotlight from her. Totally loved it and will be spending more time with it, and then digging into her other albums.

There’s a contradictory nature to Under Construction. On the one hand, thematically it’s a call to come together and acknowledge that we are all works in progress and not perfect, and on the other all the best songs are about how hot, sexy, and fucking awesome Missy Elliot is. I’m not complaining about that, at all. I’m utterly in love with Missy Elliot after having listened to this record, hearing how confident she is makes me, a straight white man, feel just as sexy and confident as she sounds. I’m intrigued about what she says in the final spoken outro, about not caring if people think this is real Hip-Hop, because I genuinely think this is one of the best Rap albums that I’ve ever heard, immaculately produced, with a great sense of fun in the lyrics and flow for days

Good stuff. A must listen after a run of duds dogs and dross this is finally something with actual value.

Exclusive. 5

When I was younger I would listen to rap rap and it was rare to see any women rapping. Hearing Missy for the first time I said this is some good shit. Easily one of my favorites. Isn’t my first listen. Growing up with this album did open the doors to other artist in the genre of rap. Listening to it again after time of not listening to it for awhile quickly gets me listening to missy once again. Beats are raw, lyrics are different, this is some good stuff. I understand why it’s on here. Missy is one of the best to ever do it. Enjoyable listen.

"This is a Missy Elliott one time exclusive" e eu já fiquei animada. Conhecia pouco o trabalho da Missy, embora escute muuuito Work It até hoje, amei o disco e fiquei me perguntando porque não tinha parado para ouvir antes.

Mucho flow, buenas rimas, grandes beats. Qué buena la Missy Elliott, no tengo skips, me gusta todo, quizá especialmente "Work It" y "Slide". También la de Beyoncé muy cool. 10/10

Ground breaking album. Showed women can rap salty and talk about being human from their perspective.

It blows my mind that this album doesn’t score higher or even get a fair chance with some people just because it’s Hip Hop. I see this bias a lot on this site. Sure, personal taste plays a role, but when the top reviews clearly undervalue it, that’s not just taste, that’s bias. Now, the album itself: this is melodic hip hop at its finest, and you can hear her R&B roots woven into the sound. The feature list is massive: Method Man, Ludacris, JAY-Z, TLC, Beyoncé, 50 Cent. This record was built to stand among the 1001 albums that matter. The production is loaded with sharp sampling and mixing, pulling from legends like RUN DMC, Public Enemy, and Blondie. Missy Elliott is a powerhouse in hip hop. This album proves it. For me, it’s at least a 4-star record. Solid 8/10.

she's so cool

Loved it. I had forgotten.

This is a Missy Elliott exclusive

Good stuff here! Pretty sure it's the hip hop album I've enjoyed the most so far. That said, some minor grumbles: I'm not sure how I feel about Missy interrupting the album to do DVD commentary; it bugs me that she starts so many songs by introducing them as Missy Elliott exclusives; and I'm having a hard time with the line "Can I put my booty-booty up in your spaghetti?" And there's no way 2002 Missy could have known where we were headed, but the commentary in the opening monologue about how Donald Trump doesn't waste time with pointless beefs is quite unfortunate.

Omg that reference to Donald Trump not wasting his time with public fights 😂 I don’t listen to much hiphop but I’m clearly missing out. This album is catchy and a lot of fun. Love Gossip Folks, Play That Beat.

This was a fun record. I can see why people consider Missy the queen of hip hop. An honest record filled with all the sexual references you'd hear around this time from the men in the genre. Love it. Also lol at the Donald Trump shout out in the intro. 2002 truly a different time.

This was so enjoyable. Slick production, with infectious, highly danceable beats and some excellent uses of sampling. Missy Elliott is a talented, entertaining MC and singer, serving up the perfect balance of the assertive and the soulful. We tend to talk about women rappers as their own category, but really, Missy's way more fun to listen to than most of her male peers. Gotta laugh at that Donald Trump reference in the intro though. That petty man does nothing but hate LOL Fave Songs: Gossip Folks, Back in the Day, Nothing Out There for Me, Slide, Can You Hear Me, Funky Fresh Dressed, Ain't that Funny

This was really good but shaky of the 5 that the tiger album we heard by her deserved. She’s a great rapper and interesting artist but repeated use of mixtape like tags were very annoying. Some stray thoughts: Always strange to hear old references to Trump in rap songs knowing what would happen later. Missy and Jay’s ode to hip hop itself in “Back in the Day” was great (Fuck Bill O’reilly indeed). Nicki takes a flow from Funky Fresh Dressed and uses it in Bottoms Up I think?

When I first searched for this on Spotify the first thing that came up was some jive from The Sims. A damning indictment of modern society. Anyway, this is really good - rhymes are sharp, the beats are accomplished and for once, guest spots are done with taste and intention. Absolutely of its era but no bad thing!

Musically, this is tasteful, beautifully engineered, sounds like the product of a committee, made from sounds that felt ubiquitous for a while, though I appreciate the parts that feel like they’ve been lifted from the 1980s - mostly old vocal samples - and the squelchy low end. But she’s cool, it’s all setting for her, likeable, thoughtful, deft, and with a voice that sticks. The music didn’t move me, but she’s good company.

Mid. If only there was a way to identify the artist on each and every track. RIP Mani - will play XTRMNTR next

This was an entertaining listen, but it felt very much like a guilty pleasure i.e. we're not inventing the future of music, but we're having a good time.

I remember when Missy played the Super Bowl and all the white suburban online millennials pretended to be longtime huge fans. When in reality they were just nostalgic for her hits like "Work It" which reminded them of middle school dances. I doubt many regularly (if ever) put on "Under Construction" as an album. The album definitely feels of its early 00's time, not the least because of the distinctly Timbaland production. Her flow is good and understandable why she is held in such high regard for her rapping. It was a fun and interesting listen for the time-capsule element, but I don't think it has the timeless sound that keeps me coming back regularly in 2024. My gripe is mostly with people who pretend otherwise for the clout.

Hmmm. I wanted to like this more than I did. Bold on the surface but aged kinda badly 'pussy don't fail me now' ??????

When you need a badly articulated monologue to explain why your pussy is the most interesting thing you have to talk about... it's not a good sign. Also, too many ripped off classic verses. Good beats though.

There’s a line in the intro of this record, where Missy Elliot makes reference to Donald Trump not arguing with Bill Gates, because he has better things to do and they both have money. That first half kind of aged like milk. Donald Trump in 2025 is probably the most argumentative person on the planet. That motherfucker does nothing but pick fights (I write this as he is starting a trade war with our two nearest allies and potentially the entire content of Europe). On the other hand, I don’t think he’s started shit with Bill Gates in the intervening years, but I may be wrong - Twitter never forgets and there is a tweet for everything, after all. In fact, given our current accelerated slide towards fascist technocracy, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if Gates and Trump were in lock-step agreement these days. Reminds me of a line from a song by Daniel Romano’s Outfit that has been reverberating in my grey matter lately: “No one can remember, how can we forget The rulers of the earth were never our friends” So yeah, Bill Gates and Trump probably aren’t arguing, but that’s because they’re on the same team. It’s a team that we’re not part of, and never will be, but we still have to abide by their whims. That message from Daniel Romano is a message that will never get to the people who actually need to hear it: those who say that no politician should be trusted, but put their trust and unending loyalty in a billionaire who is notorious for stiffing his workers, a man who couldn’t give less of shit about their survival - as evidenced by his rollbacks of price caps on drugs like insulin or plans to privatize social security and defund Medicare… Fuck me, why am I looking for socioeconomic nuance in a pop record? They’re not meant to solve problems, they’re meant to distract you from them.

No

Horrible

If you're working in a style that foregoes melody and harmonic structure/development and focuses instead on language and rhythm, you need to do more to interest me than yap for an hour about what you think of yourself. Oh, and rhythms performed by computers don't move me; they leave me feeling empty and cold.

Didn't think we would need to hear 2 Missy Elliott albums...but here we are. Yeah we did not need a second Missy Elliott album.

After listening to this for 10 minutes, I have determined that this is an album that I DO NOT need to listen to before - anything!

Tried to be open-minded about this (c)rap but even speed listening five or six tracks was just simply painful. * (still maintain that this reading system should have a zero available.)

Sounds tired an brings zero to the table whilst being incredibly annoying to listen to. What a waste of time listening to this was

I'm reaching for the off switch seconds into each track. Unlistenable.

This takes self love to a whole new level😁 too polished for me and slick. I can't get passed the 💩 lyrics too

Shite

This album has minimum artistic merit. I would like to think the inclusion on the list was to define a low water mark.

Every song is a single 4 second idea repeated for 5 minutes.

Fuck me thank god it's over.

I immediately wished it was over.

I didn't last long before I had to skip this album.

Considering this album dropped 18 years ago, the beats still sound archaic, even for 2002. The majority of the songs are nothing more than hype tracks, and the "Missy Elliott exclusive" announcement on every single track is a bit excessive. Also annoyed at the "explanation" spoken at the end of Pussycat. Who the fuck does that? It speaks to her own insecurities about releasing the song in the first place. Standout tracks are Funky Fresh Dressed, Aint It Funny, and Hot. The rest is forgettable. 1/5, bleh.

WOW

wow.kochsm wiadomości głosowe między piosenkami,pussycat hell yeah missy wie 9 co chodzi,otwarcie freaky kocham

fav one so far, love an album that tells a story

I'm well aware of the hits on here, but haven't listened to the full album. This is great. The hits are total bangers, and even the non-singles are solid.

Early 2000s rap. All her epic songs. Outstanding album.

👑

Already loved the singles off of this album. It was a treat to listen to the whole thing. Immaculate production. I still love Missy.

Excellent album. Great production. Excellent lyricism with her very own unique style. Encouraged positivity at times as well which is missing a lot in hip hop, especially at that time. Funny as well.

*This album has great cohesion with its message of using hip hop to elevate people instead of resorting to violence and honor past hip hop heroes who have passed away. She also does an amazing job of using her status and creativity to empower women with her message. *The cameos are crazy- Jay-Z, Method Man, Beyonce, etc. and the sound is such a dynamic and unique hip hop sound.

I wrote a glowing review and accidentally clicked off to another tab and erased everything. I'll sum it up, fantastic early 2000's rap and hip hop. Great album.

Damn every song brought the heat. If you told me Timbaland produced a Clipse album but then replaced all their vocals with Missy I’d believe you. The beats on this album are insane. Loved it!

Love this album

Brilliant.

I’ve always enjoyed Missy Elliott, but never listened to an entire album. But I really enjoyed this.

A certified freaking banger and not even Missy’s best

Rating: 4.7/5 Short Review: Time traveler in a tracksuit creates funky feminist bops in the middle of a boy-band apocalypse. Favorite Track: “Work It” – the sonic equivalent of someone rewinding your brain and then making it dance. Still sounds like the future.

Missy Elliot knows how to lay down a good beat. Well, maybe she doesn’t know how but whoever she employs to do that, knows how to do it. And ahhh yes the token Donald Trump shoutout in hip hop before they were told to not like him. Ahhh such simple times back then. I didn’t expect I’d hear a Missy Elliot version of Bring the Pain. Well, well, well. Missy has done the job, I will give her another listen. I’m really mind blown over this one. Each track is different from the other. The only constant is the groove, you want to get moving listening to this and I don’t dance. Like not even a little bit. I could pass on Nothing Out There for Me. It’s not a good song. In fact I was thinking “this song sucks, it sounds like Beyoncé bullshit”and that is never listenable. Then I look and it’s gosh darn Beyoncé. Go figure. Skip. Choice cut: Gossip Folks

duh.

I unexpectedly loved this

This album is a masterpiece. Great messaging in the interludes also.

5/5. Что-то на великом.

🔥

Hey, everyone, did you know that this Missy Elliott album is full of Missy Elliott exclusives?!?!

f o d a

Finally a famale singer, I was waiting for this for so long. I'm not really a hip-hop person but much enjoyed this album. Don't know what else to say

One of the bester Missy Elliott albums, not a single song on this is bad.

The flow is smooth and the beats are hard. Album was constructed good. 10/10

5 *s from the moment Bill Gates and Donald Trump get name dropped for not fighting. If this was an early 00s look back at the 80s and 90s, I felt that

A perfect album.

This album is timeless.

Banger after banger love Missy and her little spoken sections, so much charm in this.