Missy Elliot: a truckload of talent
Oh yes, make no mistake. Missy Elliott is a truckload of talent and critics know so. She is a star in her own right – what with 17 MTV award nominations, 5 Grammy awards, 3 consecutive BET awards, Lady of Soul/Soul Train Awards, plus a slew of campaigns for GAP, MAC cosmetics, and Vanilla Coke. She’s also signed into a joint venture with Adidas where she will market her own line of clothes, shoes and accessories under the label Respect Me.
We have never heard of anyone refer to a record album as a collection of musical recipes with “no artificial flavor”, she says, and with just the right herbs and spices. Her sixth album, “Cookbook” is said to be a wholesome collection of songs to revitalize body and spirit. Missy Elliott also says Cookbook was a bold step in that it is an attempt to bring herself closer to her fans by putting in tidbits of her personal life.
In fact, the singer once admitted that she wasn’t born into instant success unlike those whose fates are sealed at birth. She witnessed the abuse that her father heaped on her mother and some of her songs reflect those scars. Her CDs are an impressive lineup of musical pieces that include:
- Supa Dupa Fly (1997)
- Da Real World (1999)
- Miss E. So Addictive (2001)
- Under Construction (2003)
- This is Not a Test (2003)
Ms Elliott has been described as a contemporary hip hop recording artist and performer, as well as a songwriter and producer. As a producer, she has had production credits for Janet Jackson, Christina Aguilera, Whitney Houston, and Destiny’s Child.
Ms Elliott teams up with stars when she knows a particular song calls for it: she has sung duets with Pharell of the Neptunes in “On and On”, American Idol Starlet Fantasia in “4 my Man”, and other stars.
The Goldmind Inc is the name of Missy Elliott’s own record label. And she’s still going for the gold…
