Under Construction

Zaskakująco dobra. Może na tle dzisiejszego rapu dość monotonna, ale całkiem mnie porwała. Missy ma kawał gadanego. 7/10

Bold, groovy, fun. I’m not that familiar with Missy’s work outside of her big chart hits so this was a good one to get into. The spoken tracks, sex-positive lyrics and smooth harmonies clearly had an influence on today’s artists like Jazmine Sullivan.

This is #day194 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... give me 00s hip-hop and R'n'B crossover any day. Toss in Timbaland’s production, and you’ve got me hooked, all wrapped up in nostalgia. Growing up in the ‘90s-early ‘00s, this music instantly takes me back to when things felt good—or at least, I thought they were. Whatever went down, there was always music to lean on. When I think of 2002, I can’t help but think of Britney Spears, Eminem, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, Jay-Z, Backstreet Boys, and more. And, oh yeah, Lady Marmalade with that unforgettable Missy Elliott cameo at the end of the video released a year prior... Ah, memories. As for this album, sure, the lyrics are often goofy and nonsensical, but the beats and vibes make up for it. I didn't think I'd enjoy this that much. Must be the dopest female hip-hop record I've heard, actually. This is a 4 out of 5 because, and, as it goes in "Back In The Day", I wanna go back in time... Looking forward to #day195.

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

Cool beats. Atrocious lyrics.

# 416 : Nah. I still don't like rap…

Nicce

Surprisingly enjoying this album today. Must be that I'm on a better mood. Anyway, the commentary about keeping peace at the beginning is nice (the Donald Trump comment aged like milk though). I'm not from the USA. I have no idea about the drama between rappers from this or the other coast, and frankly don't really care. When this album was released, MTV had already stopped playing most rock bands in favor of boy bands, pop music and this kind of hip hop. One of the extremely overplayed songs was "Work It" which, of course, I hated at the time, along with all the other crap that MTV started pushing. I was finishing high school at that time and I was very much into metal, hard rock and industrial. I had no interest in pop music and I deeply hated Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears. But after all these years, I can appreciate more this kind of music. Not my cup of tea once again. But It's really well done, sounds great even after more than 20 years. And the messages of peace and "getting along and be gentle to everyone" sounds really good to me. Again, I have no idea about the beef between rappers, and I don't even know if Missy Elliot has been cancelled or has done anything bad since then. I'm only taking this album at face value.

2.5

Really fun. Alot of features form big names. All around a good time. Good party music.

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

I can see myself coming back to this its fire.

Fine overall. Work It is a great song. This album did not grab me.

Now this is a Missy Elliott exclusive, this album could just be Work It a dozen times and it would get 5 stars. But everything else here is great also. Yay!

I was between a 3 and a 4 on this. It had some nice songs and moments, but was just a little too boring.

More or less one of the major templates for female fronted R&B / Hip Hop for the next 20 years. In other words, it both led the way and still holds up.

Amazing collaborations and great tracks

I really liked this at points; at other points she lost me. Most of it still sounds great. What’s she up to anyway? 3.5 but I just don’t think I can round up right now.

The search for hip hop I don’t want to switch off continues. I want to like this better than I do (indeed at all) because the artist probably deserves it, but it is full of sounds that make me feel like a cat having water splashed on its face or noise from someone else’s car drowning out what I’m trying to listen to.

I like it. Jay Z still sucks tho.

Cracking stuff, 4 stars alone for sampling an elephant noise on Work it!

Captivating encounter with an album path frequently walked

I'm not usually a fan of hip hop but I liked this tbh

Good hip-hop and a great example of early 2000's rap. Her talent is not just lyricism but in the production and collaborations.

I like it! I've heard her music a lot. 3 or 4. Standout track was the cameo from Beyonce cause she's famous now lol.

Gutter rap. Gangsta rap. All of it is total crap.

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.

не вызывает отвращения как в молодости, просто хипхопит со своими фитами, удачи подруга

A second Missy Elliot album? I’m skeptical that this is really necessary, but let’s see. Still not sure if it was necessary, but this is probably a better album than her first. It has the mega hit Work It, so there’s that. Anyway, probably a 3.5 but I’m feeling generous.

Awwwww. So gooood. Think she'd go on a date with me?

Some of it is a little hilariously outdated today (Donal Trump having no time for politics / Diddy being something to brag about) but you can’t deny she’s the best female rapper in the business

Interesting beats 2/5

NSFW. But if that’s your only standard for rating hip-hop, you’re going to miss out on some good music.

Interesting to listen to once, but not something I would seek out a second time.

The music grew on me and I appreciated her honesty and transparency.

Work It is fun. Some variety in the songs. I didn't hate it.

3.25

This is.... a Missy Elliott.....ex-clu-sive.

she's so cool

Quite basic and pretty uninteresting hip hop. It doesn't have any unique ideas, and most songs are not that catchy (Work It is a banger, though). It's not bad, but I got bored after the first half, so there's that. 5/10

Po okladce zapowiada sie przesrogo... Boze, to ma 56minut, te albumy raperskie to masakra. Nuda, piski, jeki, bezsens.

Classic.

Inte lyssnat på Missy annat att man hört hitsen. Ska säga att jag blev riktigt positivt överraskad. Det är jämnbra genom typ hela skivan. Bra beats. Som vanligt lite för mycket snack (typiskt hiphop). Men, kul upplevelse.

Jag tillhör dem som verkligen avskydde Timbalands stil när den slog igenom. Så här 20-25 år senare är jag nog lite mer förlåtande och jag kan erkänna att han ibland har sina förtjänster, men mycket är fortfarande inte bra och jag har fortfarande väldigt svårt att se storheten i t ex Work it, som jag tycker hör till de sämre låtarna på den här plattan. Missy är i mitt tycke inte så mycket mer än en okej rappare och det kanske är därför som jag tycker att collabsen sticker ut som de bästa låtarna. Mest gillar jag Bring the pain, vilket också surprise surprise råkar vara den låt som har den minst Tibalandiga produktionen. Andra halvan där hon mest kör solo är rätt svag. Hon avslutar med ”hopefully you felt some old school flavor in there”. Nej, det gjorde jag inte och om jag gjorde det så var det tack vare Method man och Jay-Z.

her message resonated with me

Een girl power album waarbij Missy ongelijkheden voor vrouwen in de hiphop wereld bij de hoorns pakt. Sommige nummers zijn niet zo denderend, maar door haar persoonlijkheid en praatjes tussen de nummers door is dit echt 4 sterren waard.

Loved it. I had forgotten.

No vá

Not her best but really good to listen

This is a Missy Elliott exclusive

Definitely not the target audience for this, but not bad

Some excellent songs on here The rest are a bit swing-and-Missy

3.8 - Liked this a lot more than I thought I was going to. Actually felt like it was pushing a genre forward

I feel awkward saying that I don't like this. I know people love Missy, so it feels almost blasphemous, but this album doesn't sound nice to me. The production has that big glitzy early 2000s hip hop sound that I think has aged particularly bad. There are some Neptunian elements that kinda still slap (did they produce this? I don't really care enough to check), but a lot of it is just annoying. I really could not care less about the spoken word sections. To me these are just messages that could have been turned into songs, but weren't. Fave Tracks: Work It, Can You Hear Me 2.4/5

yuck

for being dedicated to the victims of the september 11th attacks, this is a deeply unserious album.

Better than I thought it would be

Had somewhat low expectations going into this, but was pleasantly surprised. Missy has some skill, and Timbaland is fire on production as he often is. Bring the Pain, Gossip Folks, Work it, Pussycat as my highlights. Interesting to get the perspective of a female hip-hop artist from 2002. Overall, interesting lyrics and chatter throughout. Solid stuff!

Love Missy Elliot overall. It has some bops, but she has great musicality overall.

Really didn't like this. I just can't like the style. So 1 star from me.

It's like they injected 2002 into my veins. This is such a snapshot of the time period in a way that sort of holds it back from being anything more than good. The features on it are all awesome, but I feel like Missy Elliott starts and ends the album trying to tell a serious message, but forgets about it completely for most of the album. Favorites were Bring the Pain, Back in the Day, and Play That Beat.

You forget how much Timbaland owned the 00’s until you listen to something like this. Those drums still hit. Fun time. Very early 2000’s. Favorites songs were Bring The Pain, Work It, Back In The Day, and Play That Beat.

Expected to love it but lyrically it doesn’t stack.

Really not for me, but I understand the appeal and it sounds very of its time.

Well, I was ready to give this 2 stars for a while 'cause there's some pretty execrable stuff on this 1001 list and thought maybe this was better. Nah.

Let’s just say this: I never listened to Missy Elliott’s albums back in the day, and after hearing this, my opinion hasn’t changed. The lyrics feel weak and sleazy, and when she’s not rapping, she’s talking—and that’s even worse. The lyrics aim to be witty and obnoxious, but they don’t have the kind of substance to stand the test of time. Her talking sections, often about how women can keep their men from straying, come across as more scolding and nagging than helpful, which is ironically counterproductive. That said, I always thought she had strong production behind her, and I’ll admit, the music production here is still just as catchy and fun as it was back in the day. Her sound has been heavily sampled and used by other producers and DJs, so she’s definitely made her mark. Even so, this album doesn’t make me want to go back and revisit her music.

Spotty. But always good to hear Method Man on a track.

A hip hop classic. It's fun, easy to listen to and well produced. Really enjoyed Bring The Pain, and tracks like Work It are iconic. I just wouldn't rush back to listen to the whole thing again.

Considering this was recorded in 2001/2002, this sounds super dated right now.

Naah, not feeling this

I think it's hilarious how her intro and outtro sound exactly like an AI trained on her voice would. You know that Spotify DJ AI? Yeah.

Great production. I find her rhymes a bit lazy and annoying at time. The spoken bits are a bit shit. Just had Queen Latifah and I think thatcwas better.

A pretty personal album with arguably her biggest hit in "Work It". Missy was always one to be brash and risqué in her lyrics, and that's apparent here. Some good guest features here too, but the rest of the album was forgettable to me, unfortunately. I guess when mostly everything is equally brash and abrasive, that's the result you get.

Basic rhymes, decent but dated beats, not much to say.

8/10

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.

I often think about what might have happened to Len if I hadn’t met him. If Houmous & Chutney hadn’t become what there did. A multi genre mega star in the world of music. I know for one thing, Len’s hip hop career would have been significant! Let’s not forget 8 Mile was actually based on Len’s life. It was railroaded by Eminem. Something Len’s never quite got over. 2.7

The Good: We get a fair warning, that this album isn’t finished… The Bad: trying to figure out what additional work the album needs… The Ugly: all the subliminal context. Rap, remains, my least favorite, even when I can give 2-3* where credit is due. Missy Elliot, I recall as the artist who used to wear those puffy winter coats in her videos—or, very well possible, I only saw 1 of her videos in my life time and in this video she was wearing a puffy winter coat… or, even more probable, I can’t distinguish this from many of the other cut-n-paste hip-hop acts of the 00’s Tell you the truth, I was actually enjoying the first couple of tracks, but then it just turned into what it turned into… music I am no fan of. 2 1/2* for trying, and warning us about the construction issues… downgraded to 2* as I don’t like… rap.

This album is badass. Missy is showing off her creative musical chops. She’s a treasure of imperfection, realness, and damn.

Missy be workin' it. Nuff said.

Nix! Möjligtvis skulle jag kunna tänka mig att kramas lite med henne.

She’s got talent and confidence overflowing but it’s not my bag.

Brilliant. Loved every song

Sucks

Classic!

Hip-hop again, not my scene!

she’s kind of a badass and has great flow. good album.

This wasn't terrible, but it wasn't anything I'd listen to again.

Not bad, she knows what she’s doing and pretty impressive guest list too

I like hip-hop music, but I don't know a whole lot about Missy Elliott or this album, my loss. It is a good album. Some old school callbacks along with newer things. A lot of big-name contributors. Songs that stood out for me were Bring the Pain, Work It, and Funky Fresh Dressed. It's one of those albums that sound like they put a lot of effort into it, it just sounds good. Definitely worth listening to.

This is a really solid album. If there were another one or two big hits, I could see people reasonably giving this a ten out of ten. Right now, people will unreasonably give it a ten out of ten. Don’t get me wrong, this is a great album and I really enjoy it, but it falls just short of historical. All the songs are put together very thoughtfully. It’s nice, I like Missy. 4/5

Me cuesta mucho el hip-hop. Voy a tener que saltear este disco habiendo escuchado solo 4 canciones.

I remember getting a bootleg of this in '03, from a market stall in Bolivia. I was underwhelmed at the time but that's more on my taste than on Missy. It's fun and decent.

Under Construction is the fourth studio album by American rapper Missy Elliott, originally released in 2002. This record was released in a time period where boom-bap was going out of style, and coming in was more dance/club-centric rap. It's evident when you compare this record to Supah Dupah Fly. The songwriting take a considerable step down on here imo. Timbaland's production is solid, as I would expect from him. Overall this project feels a little half-baked and really tries to pander to the club scene. I'm giving an extra star for the good production.

She's got talent and I reaches through the mic to her audience, but it's just not for me. Not a hater.

Fun album.

I liked it! I found the bits of Missy speaking both jarring and charming. The songs themselves were alright, a little repetitive/boring but with some highlights. Work it is a classic, Play that beat was great, and I found Can you hear me quite moving. 3.5/4

I enjoyed this a lot. The hits were great and the worst songs were fine at worst.

Missy sure can make some catchy tunes. She has a good lyrics and beats and doesn't default to raping about her junk like most modern female rappers. 7/10

The throwback angle doesn't always do it for me but I love Missy's delivery and charisma so even one of her lesser albums is still pretty good.

A little too much yapping for my liking but the raps were good

not close to as good as the other album, this one had no hits so it was mostly between a 2 and a 3 but ill be nice

Liked this a lot more than I anticipated. A few really prescient lyrics and moments, and a lot of solid music. Not my favorite style of music, especially when it dives further into R&B, but I could stand to go back to this. 3.5/5

It was good to hear an album by her. I've never listened to a whole one, so it's filled in my education a little bit.

Awful

This album came out during the peak of rap/hip hop's party phase. Just fun music to dance to with some motivational messaging for young women peppered in. Is it a masterpiece? No. But was it enjoyable? Yes.

It‘s really cool but also I don‘t dig all that Kindergarten dis-game that‘s so prominentes spread across hiphop in general

Not something I enjoyed

I should’ve listened to more Missy back in the day. Real fun how she rapped with some pretty famous talented rappers and actually rapping with them to their styles and flows. She’s extremely talented.

I was pleasantly surprised, apparently I was not familiar with missy’s game like that. Some big name features definitely helped the album but I was not expecting to enjoy the solo tracks as much as I did. The best compliment I can give this album is that I even enjoyed the track with Luda on. Very much an album of its time and what a time it was for hip hop/R&B. Artists rarely make tracks like these anymore, very much hoping for that late 90’s and early-mid 00’s era to come back. Special shout out to the first 10 seconds of work it, so nostalgic

Shite

I can safely say never have I felt more like a strong, empowered, black woman.. with a formidable attitude and an equally formidable puss. (And in this day and age, it is completely fine for me to say, identify and revel in that feeling.. so, before you scoff, go and check your white privilege). Jokes aside, I liked a lot of this album. The production was good, the features were solid and the reworking of 'Bring the Pain' with Method Man was almost as smooth as the original. I appreciate this is going back over 20 years- and is a far cry from some of the work you'd hear put out today- which tend to be much more crass, unapologetic muff-first vagathons from female 'Rappers'. This album, whilst not perfect, felt like a genuine attempt to pay homage to rap and throwback to a golden era that preceded it. Whilst I'm not a huge Missy Elliott fan, being forced to listen to the album made me appreciate her flow more than I have before. 4/5 for me. A fun album built on the top of some more serious undertones. It was also nice to finally learn I wasn't going insane when I couldn't understand half of the apparent gibberish she says in 'Work it', and have since learned she's reversing one of the lines, which weirdly feels quite cool and stupid at the same time.

Was quite excited to listen to as I remember enjoying this album much more as a kid. Nostalgia wasn't enough to have me enjoy the whole thing. Held together by a few familiar & tracks as well as a couple good features but drags out. Her skits don't help either. Work It & Slide the only solo songs I feel like I actually enjoyed. Maybe it is just very much of it's time and doesn't hold up anymore. Quite disappointed.

The intro was cool and earnest. Impressive featuring artists throughout. Diverse sounding from one track to the next, quite eclectic, reminds me of other albums from similar time like Stankonia or the Ecleftic. Bring the Pain, was smooth, reminiscent of No Diggity with the backing vocal and a similar melody. I haven't heard Gossip Folks for years and it still stands out. I'm sure the Timmy from South Park impression was something a few artists did around this time, somewhat of a cultural linchpin. Work It is a work of genius, the woodblock sounds almost like a click track along with the drum machine, the lyrics, the gibberish, the elephant noise, the implication that the listener couldn't handle Missy, the record scratching, the get ya hair did, the badonk. It's all iconic. Pussycat is cool, it's like a parallel to Dre and Snoop’s Fuck You, with the ownership and intent coming from a woman. I sense sarcasm as much as realism, I don't imagine Missy is all that worried about her man doing the dirty on her. It's quite telling that she feels she has to add context at the end of the song, almost defending her music and the sentiment, where male rappers wouldn't feel the need to do the same. You wouldn't catch Three 6 Mafia apologising for Slob on my Knob. All the songs were great. Nice light and shade, fat beats, big dirty bass lines, soulful vocals at times, well crafted songs, attacking and humourous lyrics. Brilliant album, I'm only not giving 5 because perhaps 2 songs weren't as strong as the rest.

Not necessarily an album I plan to revisit, but there is some depth in these lyrics. Good mix of hits and some deep themes explored.

I’m still not a huge fan of female hip hop artists, and I still struggle to put into words why. But this album was more enjoyable than I expected it to be. You can definitely hear Timbaland all over this record, and it’s certainly something I appreciate. It’s funky, it’s fun, and there’s some really excellent features throughout. Jay-Z’s work on “Back in the Day” is particularly notable. It’s not particularly for me, but I can very much appreciate it as an excellent album thanks to Missy Elliott’s skill in both lyricism and songwriting, and the top tier production value.

Missy Elliott and Timbaland are a funky fresh dream team. Sadly I think this album is considerably weaker than ‘Supa Dupa Fly’, and if there is only one Elliott on this last, I’m mad it’s this one over her debut. But this album is nothing to be mad about; it’s full of very fun, very funky, very fresh tracks. The first two are kinda sleepers, but the run of “Gossip Folks”, “Work It”, “Back in the Day”, “Funky Fresh Dressed”, “Pussycat”, and “Nothing Out There For Me” is just killer. The remainder of the album is a little meh until the last track, “Can You Hear Me”, which always makes me a little weepy. It’s a very touching elegy. The features on this album are really good, even if the Jay-Z verse is a bit goofy. Elliott’s rhymes are always so playful and light-hearted, they are really a joy to listen to. I have to dock this album though because even though it’s quite good, no part of it is really excellent except “Work It” and “Can You Hear Me”. Compared to ‘Supa Dupa Fly’, it’s a little disappointing knowing how much better this album could’ve been. 8/10

Early 2000s rap. Never heard a song by Missy Elliot before. I thought the instrumentals were good overall, and some were really good. Made me think that 50 Cent should be rapping on them. He had a remix at the end, but I didn’t care for it, so maybe they weren’t for him. Missy Elliot has a good flow, but I felt mostly indifferent to her lyrics. Her speeches created a nice line through the project. Overall good, but not for me. Standouts: Bring the Pain, Back in the Day, and Play That Beat.

Female rap.

4+

An excellent hip hop album full of great features! Banger after banger with a couple of turds thrown in (but that seems to be a trend in hip hop).

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

4 sterne

This could be one of the greatest but there are a few songs that fall flat in contrast to the fabulous Work it. One of the best Rap songs ever.

In which Missy Elliott opens with a rambling monologue which includes telling us to be more like Donald Trump, interrupts her album midway through to chastise the general public for being prudish, and ends with the admission that “I just love music and if you don't like it, I don't give a shit”. Fast-forward twenty-odd years: this album is praised as a landmark in its field, it paved the way for much more explicit radio-charting material, and absolutely nobody is bringing up Trump as an example of somebody who doesn’t beef. By comparison, “Under Construction” may come across a little quaint or even naive through today’s lens. Missy Elliott leans into an old-school R&B sound for much of the album (even by 2002 standards) She celebrates hip-hop’s heritage and its influence on her life in “Back in the Day”, a Jay-Z collab which celebrates the genre’s roots and is almost entirely sung-through by Missy (complete with a whistling sample). It’s a standout of the album and nicely introduces another dimension to its sound. Other warmer moments include “Pussycat” and album closer “Can You Hear Me” with TLC, an affecting tribute to fellow R&B artist Aaliyah after her death the previous year. And then we get a pre-megastar Beyoncé, adding class and inimitable vocal power to the lovely “Nothing Out There for Me” (though as a side-note, it’s slightly troubling to hear 20-year-old Beyoncé sing about how 32-year-old Jay-Z doesn’t like her hanging with her friends because they influence her too much, but that’s a review for another time). The remaining half of “Under Construction” is given over to sultrier fare: strutting R&B beats, Elliott’s casually swaggering vocal, progressive sex jams. It may all seem passé in the 2020s, but by the way Elliott brags about being so against-the-grain - and the fact labels rejected “Pussycat” as a single for being too risqué - one has to appreciate she has a point. They’re only let down by the music itself: stuttering electronic samples that sound like 2000 keyboard demos. It means that while “Gossip Folks” or “Work It” are striking, impactful cuts, the effect is lessened by the time “Ain’t That Funny” and “Hot” roll around. All that said, this is a perfectly solid record. While I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as “Supa Dupa Fly”, it comes very close and may well grow on me in future.

Very good start, with great production, good flow, and nice features. Got a bit stale by the end

Decent

I like Missy well enough, but most of the album doesn't rise above average for me.

I just don’t like this genre no matter how many times I give it a try when these albums come up. Not totally to my dislike as many others.

2.5 rounded up i really wanted to like this, as everything i’ve learned about missy elliott has made really like her, but unfortunately it just let me down. kinda boring :-( highlights: work it, nothing out there for me (feat. beyoncé), play that beat (feb 25 2026)

This was a really fun listen, enjoyed all of the features. My favorite was “Work It” or “Back in the Day”. 3.5/5

I’ve heard worse.

Another great hip hop album! Missy Elliot is an incredible MC. Missy and her contemporaries were some of my first intros into hip hop when I was in middle school. So while it was nostalgic to listen to, it still felt fresh and I was having a great time listening again. Her bragadocious verses and great features make this a fun and re-listenable album.

Taking me back

Meh.

Heb er van genoten op het meest dat ik van een missy Elliott album kan genieten. Paar leuke samples herkend, verder vind ik er niks aan

.tI kroW dna skloF pissoG rof 4 ot pu gnidnuor ,5.3

Such a great album! Missy Elliott has no misses on this album. "Work It" and "Pussycat" are the two standouts to me.

I'm starting to think all of these songs are Missy Elliott exclusives

Not a genre I enjoy nor would listen to on my own.

gostei demais

First listen. Impressed by this one.

Didn't know what I'd get here but I was hoping for something that would lead me in. Just doesn't do it for me. I can't buy a boat so maybe I need to rent a Bentley (?) Best: Work It Worst: Hot, Funky Fresh Dressed

She is one of the better female rappers in my opinion, the track with Method Man is cool, other than that nothing too special for me.

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

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.

I still like the singles. I tended to like the tracks with features more then the other ones. I think i'd just listen to the singles instead of listening to this whole record.

I've never really liked Missy Elliott and a whole album of it was way, way more than I ever needed. I alternated between bored and annoyed the whole time.

This is a Missy Elliott exclusive.

"Under Construction" is the fourth studio album by American rapper Missy Elliot. The album was primarily produced by Timbaland and features guest appearances by Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Method Man, TLC, Ludacris and Ms. Jade. The album was dedicated to Aaliyah (who had recently died) and the victims of 9/11. Commercially, the album hit #3 in the US and #23 in the UK and was well-received critically. The album opens with "Intro/Go to the Floor." Missy explains she's a work in progress and dedicates the record to Aaliyah and the 9/11 victims. The music starts halfway through with James Brown yelling "hard working" from "Sex Machine." Synths and the beats in the background. She's shaking her booty. A hypnotic, repetitive beat highlight "Gossip Folks." Missy raspy rapping. Ludacris joins in and tells his story and don't believe the rumours. Michael Jackson and Vanilla Ice are mentioned. A drum sample of Blondie's Heart of Glass" pervades throughout "Work It." She gotta work it. Provocative lyrics and you won't find no better bitch. You got to turn the volume up on "Funky Fressed Dressed" featuring Ms. Jade. Various samples including the Beastie Boy's "Paul Revere." A lot going on with scratching, drum beats and a repetitive chorus. Missy in fast rapping mode and her attitude is bitchy cause her period is heavy...never heard that before. "Play That Beat" begins with an early 80's synth sound and a drum sample from Thunder and Lightning's "Bumpin' Bus Stop." This time it's the synths that are hypnotic. An impressive grinding vibe. Most of this album is pretty chill and blends soul and R&B with the hip hop beats and sampling. Missy Elliot's rapping is strong and in control and at times raspy. Hypnotic beats. Sex and romance seem to be the main lyrical topics. Great use (and not overuse) of guests. This is Missy's album and a very decent one at that.

Besides the explicit language, yeah, not bad!

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

They squeezed a lot of puns and new deed terms into this album. Ladies calling and raising. Missy pushes limits boundaries and while you wont blush, you may choke on your cheetohs or laugh if you follow the lyrics. Skilled , tight and entertaining, abnove overage and the resoruces and playas must have something to do with it. best track "work it" which got airplay everywhere so even this bit of eurotrash knows it. 3.5 overall. (woudl not seek to rotate it, but if in the right mood I'd allow it)

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!

I frequently lament the state of early 2000s music, and then Missy Elliott reminds me that there was some really, really great stuff from then too. This album sounds years ahead of its time, and cements Elliott as a producer to look towards. She does everything almost perfectly here, with the exception of the spoken intro track. That's never a great thing. Some absolute tracks of the ages here, still sound brand new twenty years later.

Rap, geht so Vote 3

I think Missy Elliott is an excellent writer and rapper, and she is as good and creative here as she was on her debut ‘Supa Dupa Fly’. However, I’m not a massive fan of Timbaland’s futuristic production style from the early 2000’s which was so prevalent in rnb/hip-hop. My favourite songs on ‘Under Construction’ are the ones he didn’t produce. That’s not to say this is a bad album per se, I just prefer the vibe and the more organic, soulful sound of ‘Supa Dupa Fly’, which ironically, Timbaland also produced.

Big fan of what she did for hip hop and this album a staple to showcase that women in the genre play a powerful and important rule to change/improve it all together

This. Is. Another. Missy. Elliot. Exclusive. Really good production. Liked the beats that go ra ta ta, liked the performance. Writing is above average. I actually loved the little talk interludes like at the end of Pussycat. Fav Track: Work It

Hip hop. Her first album I enjoyed much more. This one leans more into the rap, and it just felt a little flat and repetitive. There were some songs I enjoyed, but a lot of things I didn’t.

Great album from a great era of hip-hop

Con Missy Elliott el hip-hop alcanzo nuevas cotas siguiendo sus innovadores ritmos y sus extraordinarias rimas. En este disco se encuentra uno de sus más exitosos sencillos, "Work It", poniendo la visión femenina del juego sexual sobre la mesa en contraste con las propuestas de los raperos e igualando, si no superando, sus rimas más lascivas y explícitas. También me gusta y destacaría su dueto con Beyoncé, "Nothing Out There for Me".

Another Missy Elliott exclusive

3 (-)

High 3 from me, mama dukes says ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Although I've listened to a few Missy Elliott songs, I don't think I've listened to a full album in one sitting before and I very much enjoyed it.

Appreciate her talent...just not my thing.

Never heard this before. Much better than I expected. Not something I'd normally listen to, but pretty catchy. I did get a little tired of "This is...a Missy Elliott exclusive..." "Millze cillzan sillzome plilzay dilzzouble dilzutch"

Great album! Ive heard work it multiple times but didnt kno it came off this album.

upper-tier of hip hop so far but still not something I'd listen to

Beats are uninteresting and dorky sounding. Some of the features are okay, but other than that this is a laughable record.

I’ve found myself generally disappointed by Missy Elliott’s albums so far. Even Work It didn’t really Work for me today

Talented but nothing enjoyable enough to come back to.

2 out of 5. There were a couple of fun songs on this album like Work It and she has a good message in her intro/outro. Also the Beastie Boys reference was cool. Rest of the album didn't grab me as much.

1 or 2 good tunes. Beats were shite.

I like how miss Elliot goes from the deep monologue about self growth to "shaking her booty on the dance floor", "I need to shave my chocha" and "go downtown and eat like a volture" in a matter of minutes. It was quite enjoyable for an hip hop album

This is a really dope record. I've known of and appreciated Missy Elliott, but this is the first full-length record that I've ever listened to by her. The production is spot-on, thanks to Timbaland, the king. Plenty of hits on this record, but Missy's vocals, cadence, delivery and lyrics really help carry this record through and keep the party moving. Solid album.

Rap.. No thanks

Genuinely enjoyed this album and YES it was the clean version. I'll definitely come back to this one.

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.

Missy showing she was one of the finest rappers of the era. Some great collaborations too, including Meth, TLC, and Beyonce. Good times.

Pretty run-of-the-mill early 00s album that has a few nice beats but nothing special.

Missy Elliot is her. She's the original female rapper, and used her prominence to blast open the gates for what was possible for women in music. The guests on this album are crazy and Timbaland absolutely rocks the production. So many big names at the time that they had to stick Knowles after Beyonce because that wasn't enough in 2002. It's prime early 2000's hiphop. She deserved both of the first Female solo rap Grammy's

Missy is Work'in it! Critical colabs and very consistent throughout.

I can't express how much this just is not for me.

Probably a 3.5 hit rating up because iconic

Good album. Enjoyed it!

Very solid album and includes one of the most wonderful hip songs of all time.

nogle virkelig definitive Timbaland beats

Huskede den som meget bedre, kan egentlig godt lide Missy Elliott men synes der var langt igennem og det var temmelig frontloaded

Synes simpelthen at hendes stil er træls. Work it kender man..

4.5

Some fun tracks, but ultimately you gotta really be in the mood for this type of 2000s hip hop

This is a Brett Knutson exclusive. This album has aged like milk. Most glaringly (and gratingly) are the Timbo beats but Missy’s rap style too all sound extremely 2002 and I now remember why this is the worst era in rap history. Maybe 20 years ago is just old enough to seem extremely outdated, but not yet old enough to be cool again and in 10 years this will be a 4 star album but I doubt it.

3.0 My Rap tastes are stuck in the early 2000's ;) so I kinda liked the production. But not something im going to go out to buy to throw in to the shockwave, thats for sure

3.5/5

Don't think it's my favourite rap album but it's good. The rapping feels smooth. The beats are not bad. Wasn't a fan of the Beyonce song. The album is dragging as it goes on. Not enough of the lyrics are really popping, and the 2000s beats are getting to me. Still not bad.

Hip hop facilote, en mi opinión.

Not a hip hop fan so wasn’t likely to enjoy this. And didn’t. Don’t really know how to listen to hip hop or what I should be listening for. Using her own name in the lyrics of every song is weird to me.

01) Intro/Go to the Floor - 7,5 02) Bring the Pain - 7,5 03) Gossip Folk - 9,0 04) Work It - 9,5 05) Back in the Day - 8,0 06) Funky Fresh Dressed - 7,5 07) Pussycat - 8,0 08) Nothing Out There for Me - 8,0 09) Slide - 8,5 10) Play that Beat - 7,5 11) Ain't that Funny - 7,5 12) Hot - 7,5 13) Can You Hear Me - 7,5 TOTAL: 7,96 (80/100) Current ranking: 99/279

I’m conflicted on this one. I can see why it’s widely acclaimed, but I also found it grating at times. She clearly has talent and parts of the album are brilliant. And she proves she can go toe-to-toe with the greats on the feature tracks. Yet something about it left me feeling like I don’t want to listen to it again. For every brilliant moment, there’s a whiney moment where she feels like she’s trying too hard that brings it back down.

Not so much sex positive as sex in your face. Much better than I remember feeling about Missy and her music in the early 2000s.

Missy is always a classic!

the big single is so bad man wtf how is it that big? besides that a few good tracks, lyrics are mostly bad too but 3 stars for the style and flow

Not for me.

Just not my thing.

Not to my tastes. I'm not into the staccato, the propulsiveness, the atonality. Just not engaging to me.

I thought I was going to like this more but I found it very annoying. The energy and the beats and the melodies were good but the lyrics were so cringey or just horrible. It’s probably a 2.5 but I’m not feeling kind.

I really dislike Missy Elliott. The only reason I am giving this a two is because I do like Ludacris,

This was great. I was wavering between 4-5 but went with a 5 because what the hell. She killed it.

There's some good stuff on here, but there were also several songs that got old or just kind of annoyed me. I like her, though. Good flow, nice energy, fun rhymes. Work It is a classic for a reason.

One thing I've learned from this project is the hip-hop interstitial bit. I don't know the proper name for this. Missy's got the best interstitials. And it's safe to say I can now answer the question, "who is your favorite hip-hop artist." Fuck yeah! I loved this. I didn't catch the Missy wave in the early 2000s but I caught it now and will be working my way through her library. "We can all stand for going under a little construction"

I can't believe I never listened to this, I love female rappers sm, she's just amazing

I liked this more than I thought I would.

Good start decent ish at end. Songs about pussy in middle meh. Production is strong. A lot of talking justifying album title, hip hop and "for her ladies" even though songs are about pleasing men. 6/10

Exciting

Super great rapper it’s aged very very well. Def see the influence on like cardi b and Nicki Minaj. Loved the Beyoncé one

These 90s albums just get better and better (whatever I know this one is a 00s album but you know what I mean). Too good. Perfect rap album, fun, playful, clever, and also impactful when it wants to be.

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.

Not my style and unlikely I’ll listen to it again. Having said that I enjoyed this listen. A lot going on and it takes you on a journey.

Drags just a little at points, but overall it's fantastic. Pretty easy 4.

There’s some solid grooves and songs. I like that there’s some variety amongst the songs. But overall this isn’t really my thing. I can respect this from afar, though. 3/5

Very catchy, and varied for a hip hop album

Not my taste but good and better than contemp hip hop/rap

1st full Missy album and it was rad as hell

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.

Easy to vibe to

Very nostalgic music for me (at least the stuff that I knew). Otherwise, a fun listen to other Missy Elliott songs that I didn’t know

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.

First four tracks go hard. The intro, while being a cheesier remnant of it's time, actually feels like a nice introduction to the record as a whole. So many guest features that add so much fun to the whole record. Great production.

Started off great and then dropped off as you got later in the album

Too many exclusives.

DJ, please pick up your phone, I'm on the request line. And that request is no more Missy, please. Twice in two weeks is a bit much.

While not a preferred genre of mine, I do have fond memories of the 2 hits off this album at the time of its release. Both “Gossip Folks” and “Work it” stand the test of time after over 2 decades. The rest is average. Hip hop artists seem to make a career out of referencing each other and other figures in pop culture worked into their rhymes. Interesting DJT gets a mention within the first minute of this…lmao.

There were a few standouts on this, but overall just not my jam. And maybe Ms. Elliott knew something at the time the rest of us didn’t by hilariously mentioning in her outro that we might not like the record or “maybe somebody shitted in your cornflakes.” Still…a decent bowl of cereal in the end.

Not a bad listen but overall pretty forgettable. Some fun guest appearances that probably prop this up a bit.

Man, Gossip Folks and Work It are alone worth the price of admission. Missy was hitting in my late-teens / early 20s so maybe I’m so positive on this bc it brings me back to that time. But I just love her beats, flow and the lyrics are great. The shit she says cracks me up. And an elephant noise in work it! And the hook in pussycat 🤣 Ludas verse in gossip folks is 🔥 3.5 - I was struggling to wrong up, but fuck it. I went back and listened to the two aforementioned songs and I just like them too much. They were EVERWHERE when it dropped. So perhaps I have the benefit of seeing the cultural influence first hand.

I don’t know if you know this, but this is ANOTHER Missy Elliot exclusive! Couple bangers but average overall. 3/5

Again, this genre is not my thing at all. However, Work It is iconic and enjoyable enough to increase the rating slightly. The flow is good. Highlights: Work It

3.5

A handful of highs with really interesting and fun production and often times the guest features add a lot to Missy's raps as well. Outsides of these though I think many of the songs are a little forgettable and just don't make much impact. 5/10

Why do a spoken intro? I don't need to hear an interview at the beginning of a record. Otherwise, it's pretty enjoyable. Still, in my opinion, Bring The Pain should be sung by Method Man only.

3.75

I mean, Production from Timbaland and decent features, this one a solid 4. The end of the Album kinda fell off for me but man those first few were banging.

Straight bangerrrrrr! Love Missy.

This was fine, enjoyable enough without being life changing.

Good but not great. Nothing about it stands out to me. She's got better.

Work it - not the demo but enjoyed it more than I thought

HipHop is actually not my genre, but I like this. Old school hiphop not being about banging chicks, big money or gunning down others.

A lot of no nonsense hip-hop tracks that are so delightfully 00s with appropriate levels of pettiness too.

Some of the lyrics are straight up hilarious, to wit: "Not on the bed, lay me on your sofa Call before you come, I need to shave my chocha You do or you don't or you will or won't ya? Go downtown and eat it like a vulture" EAT IT LIKE A VULTURE!!! hahaha Otherwise, some cool beats. WAY too horny though.

Not at all my kind of thing, didn,'t listen to whole album, dismal

not for me

This was pretty good overall, with a few standout songs that I'm surprised that I never heard before. Well maybe not too surprising. I'm glad that I'm expanding my musical horizons.

I don't think this is Missy's best album but it's definitely not a bad one.

The trump line didn't age wrll

This is the end Bye, motherfucker, nah, I'm just playin' Anyway, uh, you know, once again, I hope y'all enjoyed what y'all heard You know, I know somebody gon' walk through the door who say they still don't feel me They, you know, don't like my album or maybe somebody just shitted in your cornflakes, so maybe somethin' stink this album does not stink and my cornflakes remain shit free

Missy Elliott's Under Construction turned out to be better than I expected. While it’s clear she’s an interesting artist with a lot of creativity, the album leans heavily into R&B, which isn't really my cup of tea. Tracks like Work It showcase her innovative production and playful lyricism, making them stand out. However, the overall R&B-driven vibe makes the album feel more conventional compared to her earlier, more eclectic work. For fans of R&B, this album is a solid effort, but it doesn't fully capture the boundary-pushing style I was hoping for. Still, her talent and originality shine through, even if it's not entirely to my taste. NUMBER OF BANGERS - 1 STAND OUT TRACK - Ain't That Funny

This is an absolutely dreadful Missy Elliot exclusive. The Elliot-Timbaland produced tracks are the worst. I survived nearly 1 hour of this rubbish. A few tracks were tolerable like "Pussycat". The first half is definitely irredeemable. I'm afraid I have to give "Under Construction" the rare 1 star.

Some of the skits on this were pretty dumb, but I really enjoyed myself. Plenty of good singles, and the overall effect of the album was quite pleasant. I'd be happy to return to this any time in the future!

deserves to be on the list, but not my thing. She talks too much.

Love this! I've never heard Missy Elliot and knew it was a blind spot, but it's great! Great guests and beats.

Bastante bien.

First time I hear about Missy, can’t say I missed too much

It was quite good; not exactly my cup of tea, but it sure was funky throughout.

Did not love it.

Missy Elliot slay

I loved this album. First, every artist should start out with a brief track explaining what they’re doing. But this album was so joyous, and had so many great guests on it. Gossip Folks is such a great track, but I liked it all.

I really enjoyed this album. I’ve heard her hits but never really listened to anything else. She will be famous forever.

The beats are fantastic, which might be Missy or might be Timbaland. The harmonies are great and the rap delivery is awesome. They lyrics are "meh" for me, but there's some creative stuff in there.

It might because the sun is out, or it might be because this Challenge has been feeding us rock music for the last 2 weeks... but I really enjoyed this.

I was reminded of the crying baby Timbaland used so memorably in 'Are You That Somebody' - it still seems innovative & surprising to me, 20+ years later. & that same, no-constraints approach to samples & beats is super evident all over this album (the elephant noise on 'Work It' still makes me laugh). Combined with Missy's clever rhymes, numerous big name guests (really loved the Method Man track), and fun throwbacks - this overall feels like folks have *fun* making music.

Decent songs buts lots of interludes/talking

Favorite songs: Back in the Day, Nothing Out There for Me, Can You Hear Me.

A perfect feminist hip hop manifesto with brilliant music beds.

Favourite songs: Work It, Gossip Folks, Slide, Hot Least favourite songs: Pussycat 3/5

Favorite Track: Back in the Day (feat. Jay-Z) This was such an unenjoyable album that I did not enjoy in the slightest. I would never go back to listen to this one. Not for me at all. I rate this album 1.4/5

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

Wouldn't say it's a must-listen. But I enjoyed it.

Every song is a single 4 second idea repeated for 5 minutes. 1.0/5.0: Embarrassing

Not my thing, this one. But was ok, some high-energy stuff here

Good album. Definitely a product of the early 2000’s!

Easy to forget all the production novelty here with todays hip hop

3.9

I really enjoyed this album. Lots of good songs and collaborations. I wish there wasn't as much spoken content, but I appreciate the artist's perspective.

classic

One song that is hip hops Good Vibrations And a lot of songs that aren’t

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

ok

oh god, not mine

Exclusive. 5

Danceable, fresh beats(at the time) with an attitude. Love it!

That was a truly awful experience.

Missy be puttin’ down.

Solid vibes - good work music although entirely open office inappropes.

I enjoyed this album a lot, that may be because the challenge served up the previous two abominations, and this was a welcome return to music. I like Hip-Hop, and it's great to see some gender representation in a very male-dominated genre.

Great album! The rapping is fun and clever - Missy has a great vibe! OT something I’d revisit lots, but I enjoyed a few listen throughs and appreciated the female voice (which is so lacking in this list and hip hop in general)

And I still don't like rap. I can remember a song by Missy Elliott that I quite liked. But that was a long time ago. I can't do anything with that music. I played the first few songs. I usually fast-forwarded after the first aggressive chant. I found it amazing that the transitions, although randomly chosen, were not audible. No, I really don't need that. 1/5

I feel like despite her successful career Missy Elliott is still somewhat underrated. This was a fun album to walk to, although I did get a little bored towards the end.

Could there be music more annoying than this? Oh wait, I forgot about Limp Bizkit. Still, this is pretty bad. How many tracks did she have to say this is a Missy Elliott exclusive? And did she say she wants to put her booty in my spaghetti? No thank you very much. Best track: Ain’t it Funny I guess? Got a little nostalgia hit with the Run DMC and Beastie Boys samples. But is this really R&R Hall of Fame caliber music. Yuck!