The Supa Dupa Fly Missy Elliott

Melissa “Missy” “Misdemeanor” Elliott, the singer/rapper responsible for several hits spanning two decades, just released the single “WTF (Where They From)” 10 years after her last album “The Cookbook."

In honor of her return, let's take a look back at where she got her start from: her critically acclaimed album “Supa Dupa Fly," which was released July 15, 1997. The album peaked at #3 on the U.S. Billboard 200, #1 on the U.S. Billboard Top R&B/hip hop Albums, and was certified Silver in the United Kingdom and Platinum in the United States

Missy Elliott and Timothy “Timbaland” Mosley collaborated to produce “Supa Dupa Fly” and brought a new sound to hip hop/R&B. From the intro, titled “Supa Dupa Fly,” which features Busta Rhymes, I could already sense that the composition was on a greater, less-common level than what many people had heard before. It goes without saying that Busta’s unique and animated rap style foreshadowed what the then newcomer was gonna bring to the hip hop/R&B scene.

One of the most important things to consider when discussing albums is what the good song to “skip” song ratio is. I will discuss that later because the three songs that follow the intro are straight fire: “Hit Em With Da Hee,” “Sock It 2 Me,” and “The Rain.”

“Hit Em With Da Hee” is automatic fire. Before the first three seconds elapse, Lil Kim says “Missy, B.I.G.” Now, Lil Kim is the only feature in the song, but just saying Biggie Small’s (Nototrious B.I.G) name allowed Lil Kim to add 10 more points to the song before it really even started. The beat goes hard as hell and Lil Kim’s verse does not disappoint. Missy Elliott’s singing/rapping not only impresses, but it brings a new vibe to our ears. I say our because you can play this album for the first time in 2016 and could very possibly be impressed by this sound. Missy’s first verse “aww she sings so well.” Missy’s second verse “she can rap too, just as good.” The song is great, which is probably why it is the second song on the album. Regardless of what a “hee” and a “haa” are, it’s a dope song.

“Sock It 2 Me,” the third song on the album, is one of the singles from the album and rightfully so. The beat has a live-marching band kind of hard beat with trumpets, bass, and explosives that come in at the end. Yes, explosives. The content is explicit but it’s done in such a classy way you might be able to play this in the car while you’re with your unsuspecting parents- maybe.

Ooh ahh, sock it to me like you want to I can take it like a pro and you’ll know Do it long bro with a back stroke My hormones are jumpin like a disco I be poppin mats like some Crisco. And all you gotta say is that Missy go And when you say it though I want it moved slow

On second listen, I retract my statement. Do NOT play this around your parents; play it in appropriate situations.

The fourth song, and one of her most popular single’s “The Rain,” is one of the best songs about rain I have ever heard. Timbaland’s beat and his “backing vocals” add nice layers to a song that is about something as simple as the rain. I would go as far to say that this is one of Missy’s most memorable songs because of the music video which features the iconic trash-bag type outfit she rocks. “The Rain” is arguably one of Missy’s most classic songs, specifically from the 90s.

Back to the good song to “skip” song ratio. The quality production of “Supa Dupa Fly” makes no song a “skip” song; however, the three songs after “The Rain” are good songs but other songs from the album are likely to be played more often. “Beep Me 911,” “They Don’t Wanna Fuck With Me,” and “Pass Da Blunt” are funky tracks. In the beginning of “Pass Da Blunt,” Missy warns other producers to not try to duplicate Timbaland’s beats because his beats are uniquely him and different so it is obvious when a track is produced by him.

“Bite Our Style” (which also warns others’ to not try and duplicate Missy and Timbaland’s sound) and “Friendly Skies” have a more soulful/neo soul type feel in which Missy Elliott shows off her vocal ability. For my Drake fan’s out there, you might notice that the beat for “Friendly Skies” is lowkey highkey familiar. Drake sampled, and sped-up the beat for “Bria’s Interlude” off his “So Far Gone” mixtape. For my Bryson Tiller fans, you might notice that he sampled Drake’s “Bria’s Interlude” for his song “Just Another Interlude.” This tidbit demonstrates the influence that Missy and Timbaland have had on hip-hop/R&B.

The following tracks are also very soulful. “Best Friends,” featuring Aaliyah (Rest in Peace), begins the succession of songs that are more for relaxed and grown environments: basically you can just chill and listen to the soul seeping into your ears. “Izzy Izzy Ahh,” the twelfth track off the album, began and incense started filling my room. “Why You Hurt Me” and the songs up until the end are all quality songs.

The composition of each song was something different (in a good way), especially for its time. What gives this album an even greater edge, and more points is the order of the tracks. There is nothing arbitrary about it at all: the singles and more upbeat songs, with the hot features like Lil Kim are in the beginning to draw more attention to “Supa Dupa Fly”, then the more soulful, chill type songs are towards the end.

With the recent release of her single “WTF (Where They From),” I wanted to pay homage with a look at one of her best albums. Whether you are someone who was already familiar with Missy’s work or you are hearing her for the first time, “Supa Dupa Fly” is a great look into her earlier musical career and some of the pioneering that her and Timbaland have done. It might explain all the hype surrounding her return.

#MissyElliott #SupaDupaFly