Album Of The Day

Not bad at all

Real improvement over the last album. Work It being the obvious stand out, but this album just sounds so much smoother and nicer

Thoughts before listening: I only know the hits, but they're fun and memorable. I still quote things that Missy Elliott said in these songs. Review: So this is actually a later album for Missy Elliott. I was expecting to hear all of the hits that were on Supa Dupa Fly, but the only song I actually recognize is "Work It"...which is a great hit from that era. In general, this album is very indicative of early 00s hip-hop and R&B, probably because Missy was just so influential to the sound at that time. I wish there were a few more hits like "Work It" on here, but this was enjoyable enough. 3-stars

3,5/5.

5.5 / 10 - Another generic 90s hip hop album. The beats are pretty cool and it’s well produced. However, the lyrics are trash, don’t think theres a single song where she doesn’t song abt being a slag. Still better that the jay z album tho

Good album, there's pretty good beats just gets pretty weird and the lyrics aren't good.

Flawed but fun listen, with moments of brilliance. Bouncy and futuristic, full of quirks in Timbalands production. Missy's charisma is unmatched, playful, confident, and powerful even on weaker tracks. There are simply too many filler tracks.This album could have been a 4/5 with 4-5 tracks removed. The overused skits, and cheap punchlines drag it down to a two for me. Work It, and Gossip Folks claws the album on a hard climb to a three. Timbaland grabs the edge of that three, and keeps it there for me.

-Missy Elliott has always occupied an interesting space in my mind where i understand she was one of the most important female rappers of the early 2000s, but also i know nothing about her or her music -this was pretty good tho. far from my favorite hip hop album ive heard but something about it kinda charmed me -Favorites are Bring The Pain, Gossip Folks, and Work It

I liked this

Not my style but I liked her attitude. Definitely not background music.

Ok, I’m in two minds about this album - it’s gorgeously produced, and Missy herself has a huge amount of sass. However, it opens with a spoken introduction (including a stunningly uncomfortable reference to the current president of the USA) and there are more of these throughout, feeling almost like a dvd commentary track. I get the sentiment, and the call for rap rivalries to be settled through words rather than violence is heart felt, but they still feel out of place. Missy can also be as crude as male rappers (equal opportunities!) and there is some cheeky use of sound effects (guess what a cat miaowing is a reference to), but her feminism seems a bit reductive. It’s a positive thing to sing about female sexuality but then she limits it by going on about keeping your man happy so his eyes don’t wander. I mean, really? The best track is a collaboration with Beyoncé in the form of a phone call between the pair of them, and I wish more of the album had been like that.

Missy Elliott is a good rapper, the album is quite entertaining. But it a bit overproduced and "modern" to my taste, a bit too clean. Although, to be fair, having sometimes minimalistic background is good to highlight her flow.

When this popped up, i was delighted and initial thoughts put this in the 3-5 stars range as a couple of tracks keep regular rotation in my hip hop playlists. The first few tracks are bangers. I love gossip folks and work it and timbalands production is god tier throughout. But after that initial high, it gets really mediocre. Jay-z pops up with a couple of lazy verses, Missy's singing voice isnt a patch on her rapping and there isnt much to get excited about.

Pretty good—a big improvement from Supa Dupa Fly

Not my vibe

Work it and gossip folks are so good. The rest didn't do much for me

3/5. Definitely entertaining and the wordplay is great. It’s surprising me how much I’m enjoying the rap albums that show up on this list.

Yeah, this is very much a product of its time. Some of the production is not timeless. But I still enjoyed it quite a bit but will probably not return to it.

для любителей хип-хопа...

3.4 Thought she was a 1 hit wonder. Actually enjoyed this as a whole album. Some great tunes in here

Not usually my taste, but unexpectedly brought me in.

After writing a review about how Missy's debut album didn't really show off her prowess, this album comes in a few albums later and she is obviously much more fleshed out as an entity, fully in her female rapping power. This album is home to the infamous "Work It", which may be the the most famous song ever to have a backwards snippet in it. I remember when this song came out, there was so much speculation about what she was saying at that part and what effect was being used...it was literally just as simple as "put your thing down flip it and reverse it", reversed. Makes sense. A particularly moving part of the album is "Can You Hear Me", in which she addresses fellow female R&B and hip-hop legends like Lisa Left Eye and and Aaliyah. Anyway, it's great to hear Missy at her peak here; there's still plenty of features on the album, but unlike on her first album, she's in full control of the narrative and stage here.

Appreciate that she’s an icon and enjoyed the vibe of this album. Work It is great. There were a few others I liked but overall not my thing

Hip hop retro. No es el meu estil.

I went into Under Construction expecting not to enjoy it—this isn't a genre I typically gravitate toward. But to my surprise, I found myself not only enjoying the album, but replaying it several times in one day. There are some standout moments here. The star-studded collaborations with Beyoncé, Jay-Z, and TLC bring variety and elevate several tracks. "Work It" in particular is a brilliant showcase of Missy Elliott’s creativity and energy. It's hard not to appreciate her originality and flow—she may well be the best female rapper out there. Favourite Tracks: The collaborations really shine. I especially enjoyed “Gossip Folks,” “Nothing Out There for Me,” and “Bring the Pain.” Least Favourite: Honestly, every track was worth a listen—there weren’t any obvious skips. Album Artwork: Not something I'd hang on my wall, but it suits the album's tone.

Shout out to Trump! Beyoncé ruins everything

Fine. Not my thing.

It’s 2000s hip hop, I’m not big on it, but there’s some good hooks here.

Mediocre. Some good listens but rap is not my ideal choice

A fun album full of choppy keyboard and drum machine RnB pop rap beats in big party mode, braggadocios horny rhymes, and all-star cameos. Mixed in with some reflective personal tracks about embracing life in a new way the wake of loss. Too many annoying and weirdly defensive spoken interludes. Not as good and not as many undeniable hits as So Addictive but still a good time.

Pretty fun overall but does start to dip in quality around the halfway point.

Low-key impressed by Under Construction which, although drenched in that early 00s Timbaland production, appears very progressive in its' themes. It's not difficult to see that many rappers 20 years later owe a great deal to Missy Elliott. This would probably be a 4 star review, had I been part of the target audience. Also, I could do without the intro and outro. 'Bring The Pain' is such a solid opener in its' own right.

It reeks of Timbaland (that’s not necessarily bad) and it’s hard to grasp the reason behind the spoken introduction (that, in the other hand, is quite bad). Apart from that there’s a lot to really like on Under Construction. The cast of guests is legendary but they somehow don’t take away from the talent of Missy Elliott.

For better or for worse, without Missy Elliott we wouldn’t have the late 2010s, early 2020s wave of female rappers. And you can hear that in this record. You can’t dismiss how influential this record is.

Missy is the best. So much fun, so engaging. I’m sure I’ll return to this, but I don’t know if it’s exactly legendary. Really good, though.

da hemmer ja grad chli en run von not-cköntri-und-rock wo sehr guet tuet mal – so machts spass missy machts für ihri girls seit sie im album, git chli kontra da im 2002 produced vom timbaland unter anderem seit da de wikipedia artikel und ich finde das ghörtmer au use isch nöd so boppy action gsi wie bim i-would-like-to-confirm-a-fanta-lite-please-brevvvvv skepta aber doch no nice zum chli lose segemer mal drü baustelle blinkliechter klaut fürd construction site

Catchy Hip-Hop. Always a pleasure. Makes the day go by really fast when I’m jamming to the fast pace cadences. “Work It” was the only song of Missy Elliott I was familiar with before this, and I believe it was the right song to get as big as it did. I was pleasantly surprised with the entire thing as a whole though. This was an album made in the wake of multiple tragedies in the USA, including 9/11 and the deaths of a number of prominent rappers in the scene, and Missy mentions all of them, with a somber yet hopeful undertone that we will all heal, slowly but surely. When she’s not rapping about some massive ass or getting laid, there are some surprisingly deep messages here. The features are also tremendous. Would put my thing down, flip it, reverse it, and listen to more of her stuff.

Two REALLY good songs and this rest are kinda meh

Never much cared for the Missy Elliot singles that made it out into the world (except Gossip Folks…holy shit the kids in that video were dancing machines), but I did enjoy this album. She was ahead of her time as far as raunchy lady rappers go, but man did she miss the mark with that intro. “You don't see Bill Gates and Donald Trump arguing with each other 'Cause both of them got paper and they got better shit to do.” Man….I fucking wish that was case, Missy. I really, really, do 😔

I liked the rap songs. "Work It" and "Gossip Folks" still hold up for sure. Didn't care much for the slower R&B stuff or the talking intros/outros. 3.5 rounding down.

In comparison to the previous Supa Dupa Fly that we got to listen to, I'm more casually familiar with THIS version of Missy Elliot - very sharp and full of energy. I think she frontloaded this album with songs she figured would play on the dancefloor or radio; "Bring The Pain" has a hypnotic sample loop, "Gossip Folks" has Ludacris on it, then "Work It' is obviously wildly iconic for its innovative vocal and quirky delivery. I could see how hardcore early Missy fans coulda been mad at this release - its a departure for the more airy, mellow early stuff produced by Timbaland. This album has a selective, star-studded features list and everything. I can't say I get a lot more out of this presentation of Missy Elliot. I don't think it's way worse or anything, it's just after some of the best first few songs, you kinda get the message loud and clear. The good: Missy Elliot's vocal presence and confidence, some great samples in the production, and a few hit-worthy bops. And that insanely punchy beat on "Slide". The bad: an album made seemingly to appeal to a wider range of people Alright, 3/5!

Solid stuff. 3.3

Ok

I like how she checks in on us from time to time lol

While I'm not much into Hip Hop, the music, beats, and production are quite good. The lyrics are not so much, though I appreciate her departure from all this gangsta BS that was so popular back in those days.

My first Missy Elliott album despite knowing of her and her legacy for so long. It was fine. Work It was a bop, Jay-Z had a fun feature, and I liked the story telling with Beyonce. I understand some of the "disclaimers" on the tracks but I wish they were individual tracks; It doesn't work smoothly in the streaming playlist era.

Strong female hip hop voice. Catchy tunes.

Makes sense why the singles were chosen. The rest is meh to fine.

🎧Wish all the tracks were as good as Work It

An album from my teens. I remembers a lot of the songs from the radio and MTV. Great listening to them again. The songs that weren't as successful I kind of get why now. They aren't straight up bad. They just don't hit as hard.

3.6 good but a bit too explicit for my taste

Second Missy album on the list, even better...damn didn't knew I liked it at all!

Hmm. It terrible. I was thinking to myself give me this over Beyoncé album anytime. Then Beyoncé had a feature. Highlight was the Paul revere sample, which oddly enough was two albums ago. Great song. Again not terrible, kinda of enjoyed it.

I like her so I have some bias I'll admit...

Some fun songs on this. Her production is distinct and the beats are really good. Album loses steam a bit near the end. 3.5/5 Might listen again

Super solid productie, paar bangers, best wat rnb cuts die minder mn ding zijn, wel enjoyable. 7/10

I like some (most?) of this album, a few of the tracks are a little underwhelming. Missy is a good lyricist, but sometimes it feels a little repetitive. 3+ stars, but I’m not quite feeling it enough to round up to 4.

Good fun! Strong first half with some great beats and flow. Lost me a bit in the second half as not really connecting with the more R&B stuff. Standout tracks: Gossip Folks, Slide

Неплохой альбом и типичный хип-хоп того времени. Одно то, что в 2002 году женщина записала трек с 50 cent, так ещё и не хуже него, было революционным и производило приятно удивление.

Not bad, over 20 years old and still sounds modern. A lot of great features kept the track list fresh. Some tracks were forgettable and the intro / outtro tracks were a little silly for my taste. 3/5

After the recent string of hip-hop records, I was dreading another dense, drawn-out dirge of muddy drum-programming and diarrhetic flow, but I really enjoyed this. Missy is funny ("You soggy-breasted cow stomachs!"), musical (Back in the Day may be awkward nostalgia, but she can sing), and refreshingly sincere - skits are always embarrassing, but Missy's commentary here is sweet and tender. Timbaland's production is sharp and the beats are genuinely bounce, when so much 00s radio hip-hop sounds like grinding robots. The samples are neatly integrated into the whole and the features are all good - who is that kid on Gossip Folks? I don't know that I understood much of it. This rating might go up or down depending on if I ever understand what is happening. For now, it is enough that, after I did my due diligence, I put it on again, thankful for access to all these Missy Elliott exclusives. 3 This wasn’t exactly ‘Good’, in any sense of the word, but I must say it was entertaining. For one, I really didn’t see the twist coming when the ‘fuck poor people’ track transitioned into a reflection on loss and the nature of the afterlife. It was funny, possibly unintentionally, and touching. Intention, generally, is difficult to untangle on this album. In recent weeks I have been disgusted at the frankly psychotic misogyny on open display in the lyrics of Eminem and 50 Cent. Despite the (seeming) protestations and clarifications of the odd spoken word sections my sense after a couple of listens is that Missy Elliot’s material not only doesn’t challenge their poisonous worldview but enthusiastically collaborates with it. Perhaps there are performative nuances or an element of irony that I have missed; I note this was ME’s 4th album, well it was the first I’ve listened to. Setting aside my repeated moral repulsion I quite enjoyed some of this, even where the musical content of the backing was a beat and a short, chromatic loop. Missy Elliot has a fascinating voice - singing and rapping - from which she builds mesmerising collages of syllables and heavy breaths. Sometimes she will suddenly turn rapping into snippets of sweetly harmonised melody. Sometimes the words are completely incomprehensible but the texture of the vocal fascinates enough to carry the track through (Gossip Folks). Sometimes it put me in mind of the many-voiced rantings of the demon in the Exorcist; as long as you can ignore the psychological attack, the slanders about your mother etc, you could listen with interest for hours (there is even some backwards stuff!) Credit to Timbaland’s production as well - I am a complete sucker for big compressed synths playing chromatic riffs over heavy beats; I enjoyed Gossip Folks and Work It - Slide was my favourite thing here. 2.5/5

Definitely in the upper tier of this era of hip hop to me… I just don’t love this era of hip hop all that much. Was she making this album when 9/11 happened and then went back to add reference to it? It seems that way to me.

Missy Elliott is my guilty pleasure - paving the way for the likes of doja cat, Megan thee stallion, cardi b and all those artists.

7/10. I feel like for me this album is more than the sum of its parts. Of course the songs are good, solid hip hop beats and some nice flows but as a while I was a big fan. The monologues at the beginning and end are great and an there's an absolute star studded feature list as well so overall I think it just comes together well. And it's fun too, no less exhibited by the iconic track 'Work It'. Definitely deserves it's solid score.

Solid jams throughout, even if it’s a bit cheese ball at times. “Work it” and “Gossip Folks” are songs I often listen to to hype myself up before something scary (like a job interview). So far, it’s worked. Thanks, Missy. 🥰a proper 3.5.

I think we can all agree elements of that intro have not aged well. It’s super important that this is here; I’m simply not within its audience.

Man I'm digging the albums from my millennial age! I was never really that into Missy Elliott, but this was a good album and I enjoyed it for what it was, there were some things that didn't age very well but alas that's how things go! Overall a decent album

Fun mix of old school and futurism that holds up alright 23 years later. Missy and Timbaland were on fire around the millennium shift. But just like her other records - the hits are enough for me, I don’t need the rest.

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.

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

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

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.

I like it. Jay Z still sucks tho.

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

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

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

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

3.25

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.

Definitely not the target audience for this, but not bad

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

Better than I thought it would be

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.

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.

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.

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

Missy be workin' it. Nuff said.

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

Classic!

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 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.

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

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.

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.

Decent

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

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)

Taking me back

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

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.

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.

This is a Missy Elliott exclusive.

Besides the explicit language, yeah, not bad!

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)

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.

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

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"

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

Talented but nothing enjoyable enough to come back to.

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

Good album. Enjoyed it!

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

1st full Missy album and it was rad as hell

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

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

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.

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

This was fine, enjoyable enough without being life changing.

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

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

Bastante bien.

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

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

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

classic

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

ok

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)

63/100 Better than I was expecting

Standouts: Work It, Gossip Folks, Back in the Day, Slide 3.5

Actually better than I expected. Prob not a must listen but not bad. The pussycat song is insane.

Probably a significant upgrade compared to the other Missy Elliott album included in this list (her debut LP, if I'm not mistaken). But still quite derivative overall. Timbaland was (is?) a hell of a producer, of course--someone very skilled and talented. But as nice and effective as his arrangements and production values are, they still point to everything that now sounds dated when it comes to early-naughts hip hop / r'n'b. I'd rather listen to current rap artists to be honest. Or go back to the nineties. Because this 'middle ground' between the two periods now sounds so 'generic' that it loses the impact it supposedly had at the time... About some of the words I've just used in this first paragraph... First, I want to point out that being "derivative" isn't necessarily a dishonour when you're a singer or a musician. It's just that having some sort of polished cover version of Method Man's "Bring The Pain" as track number 2--almost ten years after the original track was released--is maddeningly devoid of imagination, let's not lie to ourselves here. And it's not because Method Man himself comes to cash in a check as a featured artist that the idea suddenly becomes acceptable. Also, what's with this huge letdown that the overlong first song is? This record doesn't start well at all. Not a good omen in this genre... Missy Elliot is a gifted lyricist and a stellar performer, don't get me wrong. You need someone like her during the naughts to have Little Simz or Cardi B today. Yet musically speaking, this record has few original highlights. Famous single "Work It" is fine, I guess. "Gossip Folks" (featuring Ludacris) is extraordinary. And on the second half of the record, "Slide" is pretty great. But that's about it when it comes to sheer originality mixed with effective touches. The rest of the songs sure is "effective" but you feel like you've heard that sort of pop / r'n'b / rap drivel a thousand times before. And I have a sneaking suspicion that I would have felt the same way if I had listened to this album when it was released, in 2002. Everthing is so goddamn predictable. You even have featurings by Mr. and Mrs. Carter, mandatory for any "big" hip hop name between 2000 and 2005. The track featuring Jay Z is admittedly quite fine, and it's always a joy to hear Beyoncé's voice, even though I'm more excited by her 2010s output, or 2022's *Renaissance*, or the upcoming *Cowboy Carter* album, than anything she's done during the naughts--bar "Crazy In Love", of course. So here I am rambling about things unrelated to *Under Construction*. A sure sign that this album can't be "essential" to me, as well-crafted as it is. And it seems to me that having too many commercial hip hop albums from this period of time does a disservice to the whole genre. Unless you go for truly cool, interesting underground stuff such as MF DOOM / Madvillain or EL-P. But I guess that's a story for another time, kiddies. 2.5/5 for the purposes of this list of "essential records", rounded up to 3. Which translates to a 7.5/10 grade for more general purposes (5+2.5). Next, please. Number of albums left to review: 247 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 326 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 193 Albums from the list I won't include in mine (many other records are more important to me): 242 (including this one)

2.5/5

Hip hop hooray

Missy Elliott cracks me up. Her lyrics and style are always so playful and she's really the only artist from this era of hip hop I look forward to listening to. I don't really know any of her albums well other than the singles, but I liked this one and would play it again.

This was decent. I appreciate the message behind the album even if most of the album wasn’t really my vibe.

same as most other 90s / 2000s rap albums. just fine

Work it on niin hyvä. Tää albumi ei sattumalta tainnut tulla meille naistenpäivä-ish? Selkeä sanoma nimittäin. Juttelut ei kyllä ärsyttäneet, ne oikeastaan tekivät tästä kokonaisuuden, ihan erin mitä olis ilman niitä ollut. Ja minä pidin siitä!!

Yksi listan yllättäjistä, mutta miksi? Jos joku, ömm, Kendrick olisi vetänyt näitä huolella valmisteltuja biisejä, kaikki olisivat pähkinöinä. Kielellisen ymmärryksen ylittävä hittikertsi: check.

This review is a Missy Elliott exclusive. Y'know, I'd be lying if I said a lot of the thoughts I had while I was listening to this album didn't have anything to do with the top-voted review on this website. Well, "review" in quotes, because it's not really one. It's a track-by-track stream-of-consciousness where they list off every complaint they have, presumably in real time. That sort of method just feels unfair to me. Like, sure, it's not as bad here as the "review" of THE FRAGILE that's over on Pitchfork, but if you're gonna try and formulate and structure your thoughts, then what's the point? What does anyone gain from this? I don't wanna make this whole review about that one, but lemme at least address the point where I stopped reading: right at the top, where they say "Shut and sing ffs." Before I heard the album, I thought they meant "Stop rapping; I just want to hear you sing." However, it turns out they were referring to a minute-long spoken introduction before the first song. Which I'm fine with, myself. This is a rap album, so they're allowed to have something like that. The words and what they mean matter more in this genre than any other (except maybe folk), and I liked being given some context directly from the artist themself. If this was a rock album, I think I'd have more of a problem with it. I mean, heck, I enjoy that one she has in the middle of the album, with the bit about Prince. Although, that said, it's not like Missy Elliott is a master lyricist. I don't think she's aiming to be one, but there's a lot of weird lines sometimes. Sometimes they hit, like on "Work It" (buh-dunk-a-dunk-dunk), but then you have that weird bit in "Pussycat" where she asks if she can put her ass on your spaghetti. And it's not like the featured MCs aren't any better a lot of the time, either; you hear that "solid water" bar from JAY-Z on "Back In The Day"? If that don't remind me of Nicki's whole "duct tape" bit on "Only". Plus, I can imagine how revolutionary Timbaland's production was back in the day, but here in 2024 it can sound pretty damn wacky at times. Of course, when it hits, it hits hard. It's just, when you take it together with some of the aforementioned lyrics... It's got weak spots, to say the least. As a sit-down-and-listen-to-it experience, anyway. I'm sure if you throw these on at a party people would indeed get on the floor. The album ends with another monologue from Missy (if you don't count the remix of "Work It", anyway), where she says, among other things, that she doesn't give a shit if anyone doesn't like her album. The "review" (and I checked, just to make sure I wasn't putting anything in their mouth) I read shrugs it off with an "OK." I can just hear their eyes rolling. And it's not like I can't see why someone, especially someone who doesn't like hip hop as that person admits, wouldn't dig this. I'm not giving this a 3 for nothing, after all. My problem isn't the negativity in and of itself. It's just that I feel like it doesn't add anything to the conversation. Complaining by itself, without much substance beyond it, is pretty useless. But then again, despite all I've said, I probably shouldn't care. I mean, if Missy doesn't care what they'd say, even as hard as I know it'd be for me to ignore it, I shouldn't either.rehtie t'ndluohs I ,ti erongi ot em rof eb d'ti wonk I sa drah sa neve ,yas d'yeht tahw erac t'nseod yssiM fi ,naem I

Not my thing but equally, if I was at a shit club I would be praying for something like this to come on

A fun nostalgia trip

i actually listened to this for the first time a few weeks ago after getting Missy’s debut Supa Dupa Fly. very fun to listen to.

I'm sure I didn't need to know that this was another Missy Elliott exclusive. On the one hand, I love the girl power vibe in a boy's world. Sex positivity, woman in charge here. Cool. On the other hand, I don't like swagger rap, and that makes up over half the album. Not my thing. Back in the Day is easier for me to listen to. It tells a story external to the persona of the artist. I get along better with that. Nothing out There for Me is a bop. Can You Hear Me is really touching. The woman is a powerhouse, no doubt about it. But seriously, y'all: is the "Missy Elliott exclusive" thing a bit? Am I missing the joke?

First things first, "Work It" is an absolute top-tier early-2000s banger. Iconic song. Outside of that, this is pretty fine but maybe a bit unexceptional to me. It's generally a pretty smooth sound, rap but definitely a bit of an R&B type feel to a good bit of it. There's a lot of A-list appearances on this too (Jay-Z, Ludacris, Beyonce). Maybe not a shocker, but they lyrics are very explicit. "Pussycat" is definitely not beating around the bush much. There's a few funny spoken word asides too (one on the end of "Pussycat" and then another on the intro song where at one point she says "You don't see Bill Gates and Donald Trump arguin' with each other / 'Cause both of 'em got paper and they got better shit to do / Get more paper"; that's quite the 2002 statement). Also she dedicated this to Aaliyah and the 9/11 victims, so there's that. Generally a fine album, about what I was expecting. I don't see any real reason to listen to the full thing again, but there's some solid song on here. Favorite song: Work It Other: Bring the Pain, Back in the Day, Funky Fresh Dressed, Nothing out There for Me, Slide 2/22/24

I actually enjoyed it way more than I thought. So nasty, so saucy. Loved the guest vocalists on this one.

Fun party album.

I enjoyed this album more than I thought I would. It had some great collabs with Methodman and Jzee that I really enjoyed and I have added into my liked Spotify songs playlist.

it was ok but i got bored. sorry missy. loved the first few songs

Good concept album. Everything was very listenable, and Work It is a smash hit.

I am no fan of hip-hop so am not qualified to judge this album. It seems representative of the music of the time.

Okay

I generally appreciate Missy Elliott's music but for some reason a whole album isn't doing it for me.

Great album that I have never heard before. Obviously I have heard a few songs from it but never the whole thing. Not necessarily my thing but I would probably listen to it again.

Mm

good and solid made hip hop

Lotta fun.

It’s a good album, and I think Missy Elliot deserves inclusion on this list. My only complaint, is that 80% of the songs start with “THIS IS A MISSY ELLIOT EXCLUSIVE”, I don’t get it.

Go to the Floor - i don't think i have actively listened to Missy Elliott. i don't like this intro, but i get it. sucks that 2002 is little to no different 21 years later. Trump and Gates not giving a shit cause they make too much money? yeah (3/5 i'm starting at a 3 because i don't understand Missy Elliott's flow yet. Eminem Shake That? Ass Like That) Bring the Pain - oh Method Man. so far Missy Elliott has a very chill remix beat vibe with smooth rap flow. (4/5 i love M-E-T H-O-D Man the spelling is fun. feel like Fergie) Gossip Folks - this is so 00s. it kinda hurts. (3/5 i like the rough raw rap stuff, the content is not for me though. god the lyrics are so dated* holy shit) Work It - i only know the one line. i didn't know the song though (4/5 this would have been popping at the skate rink) Back in the Day - Jay-Z sounds the same. this is just a chill rap song more hip hop than rap in my opinion. (3/5 i don't think i like this.) Funky Fresh Dressed - this is the raw rap flow i like. (4/5 i vibe with it) Pussycat - the RnB side. this is okay. a flirty song (3/5 eh. this is literally what Megan Thee and CupcakKe said) Nothing out There for Me - this was before Beyonce was Beyonce? damn i cannot believe this is early Beyonce. (3/5 only because Beyonce talks about Jay Z like that a lot and he does not deserve it) Slide - i'm going to be honest. if i listen to one more Missy Elliott song on this Missy Elliott albums start with "Missy Elliott exclusive" i sure fucking hope it is???? (1/5 for reminding me after the last song. this goes kinda hard though) Play That Beat - i legit will stop listening to this album if the next song opens with "Missy Elliott exclusive" 1/5 Ain't That Funny - thin ice because it TECHNICALLY did not open with "Missy Elliott Exclusive" 2/5 Hot - alright it broke me. if this album took the time in intermissions to bother me, i'd be okay. this album is good, but the talking or something could have been edited. it only bothered me a lot toward the end, i get that rappers have their sign-on and sign-off thing that they do sometimes to tell you who is on the track. but come on. i'm listening to Missy Elliott on a Missy Elliott album. i know who you are. and honestly i have to drop it to a 3/5 for that cause it took up too much of my time and didn't even flow well enough into the song that i could just ignore it. *they are so far not negative dated

Didn’t love it, didn’t hate it. Best track: Gossip Folks

Fun album, liked it more than I thought I would! Of course, I heard Work It years ago, but never bothered to listen the album. But it’s actually pretty good! Some nice features, good beats, pristine mix, good lines and wordplay. 7,5 out of 10

Wel af en toe een lekkere hipperty hop maar kon er minder inkomen dannik hoopte. Gelukkig was wele alles een missy elliot exclusive

I have a lot of respect for Missy Elliott and I liked the songs about loss, being a strong woman, and having fun. I was annoyed when she said “This is a Missy Elliot exclusive” for every song. At least she was having fun.

Really enjoy Gossip Folks through Back in the Day. Funky Fresh Dress cool too

3 years ago I would have passed on Missy Elliott. Probably won't seek her out again, but she's not bad. Some of it is pretty good

I think it's more digestible than other rap albums, but still too sexual for me

Nothing really stood out as amazing, but it's worth another listen. Not as strong as some of her other work, but a quality effort.

Missy Elliots music with its sex positive attitudes was certainly something and the album is better than I thought after I just vaguely remembered the singles. However, it has the problems of many other hip hop albums that just deals with, well, hip hop. It's all very self-absorbed in a way and so I didn't care so much either when Beyoncé popped up. A different time, I guess. Nothing you really need to listen to.

More like Miss-me Elliott. It was fine. Meh. Eh.

Couple of great track, some stinkers.

Całkiem przyjemne, jak kobieta rapowała kiedyś to przynajmniej nie była taka gangsta madafaka jak panowie.

Has merit as a step forward for women in hip-hop. Maybe it's a case of oversaturation, but quintessential early 2000s rap feels so boring now.

Weer gigantische ouwehoermuziek. Maar op een bepaalde manier wel sympathiek en afwisselend. Dus waarom zou ik moeilijk doen.

Ook de dames hebben behoeftes. Dat zou dit moeten uitstralen. Waaraan? Ik denk om de dansvloer op te gaan, want het is vooral een verzameling clubdeuntjes.

Niin paljon kuin oonkin tyytyväinen, että naisräppärit on saanu tehdä tälläsiä levyjä, jotenkin tää 2000-luvun alun valtavirtasoundi on vaan todella tylsää musta. Ihan hauskoja tekstejä, joten kai se kolmoseen nousee.

Other than the songs I already loved the rest of them were between meh and blech

There are some good songs, but for the most part not my cup of tea. The talking portions are also a little jarring.

Wouldnt normally listen to missy elliott. Some catchy tunes, quite a few collaborations. Overall good listen

Quite enjoyed this despite it not being my type of thing. Work it is great

Not my style, I just don't think I'm a fan of the genre. Nothing against the songs, although they were only okay.

Fabulously produced and lyricly inventive as Missy has become known for. A top female MC for sure, not only of her time, today's ladies could take a lesson.

Missy does her thing really well. It’s just not exactly my thing. I really enjoy the production here, and a lot of the beats work in the context of the song, but it feels like Missy runs out of ideas pretty quickly. She fills in some gaps with album highlights like the Beyoncé or Jay-Z features, but mostly I was kind of bored after 15 minutes.

I love me some Missy, but I think her true superpower lies in her knack for crafting bonafide hits rather than cohesive albums.

Missy se débat comme elle peut sur les instrus de Timbaland et parvient à éviter la catastrophe.

Je deteste désormais par la faute de ce générateur de merde tous les codes hip hop, mais j'admets tout de même que cet album était l'un des moins pires de la liste maudite.

Not at quite the same quality as Supa Dupa Fly, but the features are still used very well, and some of the beats are nice. I like the emphasised use of R&B stylings, because Missy Elliott can certainly sing, makes me surprised she didn't do one that's just that. Unless, of course, it's not her singing on some of these? I suppose that's possible. Anyway, still decent.

By the end of the first half this was a weak 4-stars, but by the end I had really gotten bored of it and the quality had noticeably dipped, so 3-stars overall. It's not bad, but it's in the awkward spot between classic 90s hip-hop and 2000s fake hip-hop/R&B for me and all the talking got dull.

It's alright, but I lost interest after about 7 songs. Favorite song: Back in the day

Vekkuleita biisejä, olen jopa saattanut aikoinaan kuunnella tätä levyä - viihdyttävä.

Tasasesti hyvä. Nytkytysefektillä varustettu ehyt räppipläjäys

I can’t put my finger on it but something about this album just didn’t hit me the right way. It just feels kind of dated for some reason. Got some good songs but not what I expected.

Good flows, has some vibe but not sure if I will put it on again

Has some nice flows here and there but won't listen to this again.

Not a fan of the language but some head bouncing hip hop

3.4 good, bit all the same but I liked the features faves: work it, bring the pain

It's...fine. My favorite bits of this album are actually the spoken word bits, they're very insightful and Missy is a very captivating speaker. There's some cool tracks here and there like Pussycat and Slide, but a lot of this album I didn't really love.

toinen puolisko paljon parempi kun emnsimmäinen...iso hittibiisi ihan ok. joo meikääkin ei, voisi siis olla ilman puheluita, puhekohtauksia, pulinoita, ja ei tarvi ilmoitusta tehdä ennen biisiä ei tässä armeijassa olla sentään heh... peruskivaa musiikkia ja pari bängeriä siellä täällä. vähän tylsä mutta 50min meni ohi iilman suurempia valituksia slide

On one side she is keeping it real. On the other side some tracks fall way flat.

Decent stuff, very sexual didn’t like that

I have always had a soft spot for Missy, and that is partially because she is a funny rapper, and partially because she makes bangers. I would say this album has some interesting songs and the music itself is fun to listen to. It doesn’t appear that it will quite make it into my rotation, but I now know a little more of her catalog, which will make the bangers band just a little harder. Missy pushed females forward in rap and deserves the credit for her style.

It's okay. The highs are high, but the rest of the album is kinda forgettable. Gossip folks still slaps so hard though

Good

Love it, it's odd but I love her commentary towards the end of each track. Women feel like an endangered species in hip hop and this chick is awesome.

3.5/5 I kinda liked this, but overall it's not my taste. It was odd, the little conversations she had with the listener. It made it feel kind of unfinished or something. There were some interesting use of rhymes and lyrics, some of the music was fun but overall it was a little too vulgar for me. I know she did it the best way she knows how and like she said at the end, "If you don't like it" she don't give a shit.

I hadn't really heard much by Missy Elliott before this album and was honestly hoping for something along the lines of Fugees quality wise. Obviously I ended up disappointed. This had the cheesey talking rather than being musical type songs, an intro and outro, all of which I could have lived without. The stuff in between was okay but nothing ground breaking. Not won over by this artist.

I struggle with this genre of music finding it repetitive and with a limited horizon. This album follows the pattern but the artist has something about her that sets it apart. It was palatable and entertaining.

Too much dialogue at times but the songs themselves were not bad.

“Work It” is a personal favorite and it stands tall above the rest of these songs. Every time I listen to it, there’s a line that makes me laugh or a new detail in the mix that pops out. Just an incredible, goofy, cool, one-of-a-kind track. There are a lot of cool beats on this album, some of which get close to “Work It” in their inventiveness and energy. And all those beats are produced by Timbaland. Honestly, the simplest way to improve this album would be to cut all the tracks he didn’t produce. His beats sound like a transmission from the future, even now, ten years after the album came out. Okay, pet peeve here: She says “This is a Missy Elliott exclusive” on too many tracks. I know it is! I’m listening to your album! Like, put that on the first track and maybe one or two of the singles but you don’t have to tag every song with it. It sounds silly after a while.

I was 12 when this album came out and I thought "Work It" was so funny and out there and great. I think at the time it was really refreshing to hear some light-hearted rap music and I still continue to appreciate how goofy that song is and this artist is. I love the bass riff on "Back in the Day". Really funky and catchy and doesn't even get boring after it repeats multiple times throughout the 5 minute song. Love all of the Timbaland flavor which is all over this. What a damn phenom. The Beastie Boys homage at 2:40 in "Funky Fresh Dressed" is awesome. "Pussycat" is hilarious and I love the monologue right at the end where she talks about the double standard in music and how men always get a free pass to talk about sex but women can't. Her message here is a really nice touch IMO. I like how it's surrounded by all of these songs about sex- with some being on the nose and some being more tongue-in-cheek. I love the breaking of the 4th wall and just coming out and saying "hold on a sec, this is what I'm trying to say and I'm trying to even the playing field". For her to then mention practicing safe sex is really the cherry on top too. It's not just gratuitous references to sex. It's also really cool as this track ends and then you hear the buttery smooth voice of Beyonce open up the next track. Just a great segue. One downside of this album is that her flow can get pretty repetitive in her hooks. "Hot" for example sounds way too similar to "Work It". The chorus in each is like "If you ____ then I'll ____ I'll ___ ____ ____ ____ ___". It happens elsewhere too but this one is really prominent. For me this is a pretty big factor in where I'm rating this album. This is a great example of this system needing more than 5 levels of rating, because I'm struggling to give this one a 4/5 but it's definitely above a 3 for me.

I like it more then I thought I would

Me gusta este disco. Esa corrida de tres canciones es imparable (Bring the Pain, Gossip Folks, Work It). Iría mejor sin los skits

Wasn't offended, if it was on I'd tolerate it

Slick

This album is a lot of fun, and Missy is undeniably creative and talented. Unfortunately a lot of the lyrics and themes are pretty dated, making the album a little painful to listen to some 20 years on. Still sounds great, though, especially the collaborations, but I probably won't be visiting again.

I liked the melodic tracks, not a fan of the rap. It was an O.K listen but I wouldn’t seek her out by choice. 3* ?

Nothing like TImbaland beats. Missy is a great rapper. Funky Fresh Dressed is a great track.

It was okay. I bet that shit went crazy when it released tho. Just not my jam

Oo wee This is definitely some of the better early 2000’s rap ive heard (granted, ive only really listened to the radio stuff) Work It will always be a classic, i remember listening to this track with my old neighbor on the way to school in 2013-15. HOT DAM I DID NOT KNOW WORK IT WAS REFERENCED IN RATATA WITH SKRILLEX Back in the day is such a vibe I think I understand why this album is on this list, and there are some tracks i really enjoy, but its not one i would go out of my way to listen to. Definitely worthy of this list from a big picture standpoint.

Pretty decent album that at times felt like it was a little too long. There was times when I really was feeling it but other times when the beats felt so redundant. At times it was a bit cliche how “New York” the project sounded. The beat switch up in “Funky Fresh Dressed” was the best part of the album. The outro of the album was incredibly awkward. After already addressing the audience in the intro it really didn’t seem necessary for her to address them again to reiterate the message that some people will like the album and some won’t. No duh. That’s the whole point of letting your art speak for itself. Leave those for the MTV interviews.

I’ve heard this before. Pretty good!

Not really for me but big props noting the incredibly male driven genre she managed to break into and the artists she’s influenced to date

I know it

2.5

I enjoyed this more than I expected I would. Will likely listen again. Some great tracks, but also some that made me want to skip.

Ноунейм ноунеймом для меня, но, глянув на треклист и увидев фиты с Jay-Z, Beyoncé и 50 cent, стало интересно проявить внимание к этой персоне. Хвала богам, здесь вернули нормальный, потрясающе сведенный звук... уже за это готов оценку выше 2 поставить. Вероятно, на этом объективные плюсы заканчиваются. Я не фанат рэпа и хип-хопа в целом. Старой школы, видимо, тем более. Блин, нууу... содержание, честно говоря, особо ни про что. Вот я слушал Кендрика с подачи Тёмы - там под каждую строчку можно было подвести тот или иной контекст (ждём Good Kid, M.A.A.D City). Здесь - ну, это из разряда "сегодня в клубе чиксы танцуют". Ну типа, "Pussy don't fail me now - I gotta turn this nigga out" - че ита?)))) Про Билла Гейтса и Трампа забавный панч в интро. И вообще почему-то разговорные части больше наполнены смыслом, чем всё остальное. Лан, на троечку покатит.

Decent. Missy Elliott’s delivery sometimes borders on obnoxious and Timbaland’s production is similarly hit-or-miss, but when they align it’s pretty fun (”Slide” stands out as a good example).

Everything is an exclusive 3/5

This is OK, but I feel like Missy got brainwashed into being mainstream, acting sexy and losing both weight and personality.

Solid 3 stars - not my typical kind of music, but always a fun listen. Would not object if it was playing in an Uber.

Listened on headphones and really appreciated the production, however I was bored at points.

This exclusive rating brought to you by Missy Elliot. The good was so good, the rest was fine.

MISSSSSSAY WE THE BEST MUSIC. MISSY MISSY ELLIOT Liked some songs quite a bit didn’t care for it as much as a whole.

3.75

Work It! - a great song

pretty good

Not really my thing

Very efficient to go ahead and describe the themes of the album in the intro track

“This the kinda beat that go ra-ta-ta Ra-ta-ta-ta, ta-ta-ta-ta-ta Sex me so good I say, blah-blah-blah Work it! I need a glass of water” Yeah I’m not convinced. The first half was promising with decent feat. and some solid hip hop vibes but the B side got way too RnB for me. Her rhymes and rhythms are very basic. The main thing I enjoyed was her complete disregard for my opinions on the matter - fair play to that.

Missy deserves more credit in the game. Helped catapult female rap to a new level. Solid bars, never holding back, rapping about things we hadn't heard much of before. Some beats sound dated, but some still slap

Da nema laganijih pjesama, pod tim mislim na 3-4 pjesme, album bi bio četvorka. Više joj paše hip hop strana. 3.5 u mojoj knjizi.

Bastante bien.

Ok but not groundbreaking.

3/13, 23%

Fun album. Missy Elliott has a lot of talent. There were a few misses, especially on the back half, but overall it was a pretty good listen. 3.5 stars.

Decent rap album with some big guests and a few good songs. Overall just a bit too much of a mix of r&b and hip hop rather than picking one side

I like her best on her own or feat other ladies. Some nice tracks.

Great album! Lost me in the second half, too bad it couldn't stick the landing because this was a really fun listen for the first 60-70% of the record. 3.5/5

Pleasantly surprised. Some jams here.

- First Missy Elliott album I've listened to - Sounds much newer than 20 years old - Not a fan of the talking interludes, but all solid tracks - Fav songs: Work It, Funky Fresh Dressed, Bring the Pain

Goede en stijlvolle hiphop plaat!

Enjoyed this a lot more than her debut, Supa Dupa Fly. While this doesn’t differ greatly in terms of style or tone, it refines a good deal of the R&B/Hip-hop hybrid formula to make for a more distinct listen. That being said, it’s an album of ambivalence for me. Unquestionably Missy Elliott is a powerful figure, and a very articulate one at that, who challenged a lot of the misogynistic tropes of her contemporaries and offered a genuinely intriguing perspective. She exposed a lot of the hypocrisy surrounding the sexualisation of music through the masculine lens and also allowed for genuine character to resonate with listeners as opposed to some bland rapper archetype. I’m a big fan of this approach even when the music starts to wane in terms of its lyrical quality. Ironically, my favourite parts of the album are Missy’s monologues, which demonstrate a seriously focused vision for what hip-hop should be. That’s not a slight on the songs, but she is so adept at making you think and laugh in equal measure. The death of Aaliyah also looms quite large over this record, and there’s room for plenty of sometimes ham-fisted but always endearing reflection and nostalgia on tracks like “Back in the Day” and “Can You Hear Me”. Not sure I would go back and listen again, but Missy Elliott has my complete admiration as an artist who genuinely tried to enforce change in a stagnant field of expression - kudos.

Slay queen

I've heard a lot of her songs through the radio and whatnot but don't think I've ever sat down and listened to an entire project. I really dig it. Great beats from Timbaland and her flow and lyrics are mostly on point. Minus some gross casual racism on the first track at least.

The lyrics are excellent and heartfelt, while the vocals are diverse and perfect, but it feels like the production is just missing something.

album was better than i expected, the production is excellent, the flow and lyrics have meaning and power but the vocals let it down a lot

For me, Missy is at her best taking cues from hip-hop rather than RnB. I'm just not a big fan of the contemporary RnB/urban sound, though I can appreciate it. It's no coincidence that all of my favorite tracks on here, minus "Play That Beat", have a really good feature. The highlights for me were Jay's feature and TLC's tribute to Lisa and other musicians who have passed, the rest I can take or leave.

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Missy Elliott

Reviews (page 5 of 7)